Atlanta’s Lead Not Enough as Stingrays Force OT, Stun Gladiators with 20 Seconds Left

harlie Combs broke Gladiators hearts with 20 seconds remaining in overtime, burying a cross-ice feed to give the South Carolina Stingrays a 3-2 victory over Atlanta on Saturday night at North Charleston Coliseum. The win came just 24 hours after the Gladiators had taken a 4-2 decision on Friday in the same building.

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Both goaltenders from Friday’s opener returned between the pipes, with Ethan Haider starting for Atlanta and Seth Eisele getting the nod for South Carolina.

The opening period was scoreless despite Atlanta controlling much of the play. The Gladiators outshot the Stingrays 13-7 and did a good job hemming South Carolina in its own zone, but couldn’t convert on their pressure.

The Stingrays drew first blood in unlikely fashion early in the second period. Patrick Thomas intercepted a pass and sent Dean Loukus in alone on a breakaway, and Loukus made it count just 2:45 into the middle frame for a shorthanded goal. Atlanta answered quickly, though. Ryan Conroy knotted the game at 1-1 with a shot from the high slot off assists from Ryan Nolan and Carson Denomie, and then Cody Sylvester gave the Gladiators a 2-1 lead on a breakaway set up by captain Alex Young with 4:48 remaining in the period. The goal extended Young’s scoring streak to four games, during which he has tallied five goals — the longest such streak by any Gladiators skater this season. South Carolina dominated the shot clock in the second period 16-7, but Atlanta made its opportunities count.

The third period was largely a one-team show. The Stingrays outshot Atlanta 10-1 and relentlessly attacked Haider, but the Gladiators held their ground until the final minutes. With just 2:02 to play, Kyler Kupka tied the game at 2-2 on a redirected shot off a broken stick from Josh Wilkins — the change in speed on the puck giving Haider no chance to adjust, and sending the game to overtime.

The extra session was a tense, back-and-forth affair right until Combs ended it, collecting a cross-ice pass and burying the winner with just 20 seconds left on the clock.

Eisele finished with 35 saves on 38 shots for South Carolina, while Haider turned aside 23 of 26 in a losing effort. Atlanta’s power play went 0-for-3 on the night, with the unit surrendering a shorthanded goal in the process, though the Gladiators were a perfect 3-for-3 on the penalty kill.

Atlanta has little time to dwell on the result. The Gladiators head straight to Savannah to wrap up their three-game road trip against the Ghost Pirates on Sunday afternoon. Coverage on the Gladiators Broadcast Network via FloHockey and YouTube begins at 2:40 PM, with puck drop set for 3 PM.