For Immediate Release: September 11, 2017

South Carolina Stingrays Preview

The Cincinnati Cyclones will welcome in 14 different opponents to U.S. Bank Arena this season and we are going to take a closer look at each one. Up next in our preview series are the defending Eastern Conference Champion South Carolina Stingrays- ECHL affiliate of the Hershey Bears (AHL) and the Washington Capitals (NHL). This is the third year in a row that the Cyclones and Stingrays will meet, however it is the first time since the 2014-15 season that the Rays will be making the trip to the Queen City.  

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2017-18 Schedule vs. Cincinnati:

Home: None

Away: 2/28

Last Season:

2016-17 Regular Season Record: 40-28-3-1, 84 Points. Third Place in the South Division

2016-17 Leading Scorers:

Rob Flick – 31g-32-a-63p, 60GP

Kelly Zajac – 13g-39a-52, 59GP

Steven McParland – 19g-29a-48p, 59GP

The 2016-17 season marked the third season on a row that the Stingrays made it to the Eastern Conference Finals, and the second time in the past three seasons they appeared in the Kelly Cup Final. After earning a spot in the ECHL’s second season during the final weekend of the Regular Season, the Stingrays beat the Greenville Swamp Rabbits, 4 games to 2, in round one, took down the Florida Everblades, 4 games to 1, in round two, and secured their spot in the Kelly Cup Final with a Game 7 win over the Manchester Monarchs.

South Carolina could not sustain that playoff magic, as they ran into a hot Colorado Eagles team. The Eagles, who had only dropped four of their first 12 playoff games entering the Final, swept the Stingrays, 4 games to 0 to claim the Kelly Cup.

History:

Based in Charleston, SC, the Stingrays are entering their 25^th season as members of the ECHL, after entering the League as an expansion team in 1993. The Rays were the first professional hockey team in South Carolina, and are the oldest continually operating ECHL franchise to remain in its founding city.

While in Charleston, the Stingrays have enjoyed constant success. The team has finished with the ECHL’s best record once, and have qualified for the Kelly Cup Playoffs in 23 of their first 24 years. Additionally, the Rays have etched their name on the Kelly Cup in 1997, 2001, and 2009, and 30 former Stingrays players have gone on to see time in the NHL.

Arena:

South Carolina plays their home games at the North Charleston Coliseum; a 10,537-seat venue built in 1991 that has been the home of the Stingrays since their inception in 1993. The Coliseum also hosts Charleston Southern University basketball games, along with dozens of concerts, live performances, and other events every year.

The march towards 2017 First Face-Off is ON! The Cincinnati Cyclones return to U.S. Bank Arena on Saturday, October 14, when they take on the Kalamazoo Wings. In the meantime, we invite you to stay tuned in the coming weeks for information on tickets and promotions for the 2017-18 season, great offseason events like Concrete Clones, player signings, and MORE! Call (513) 421-PUCK for information regarding Cyclones Season and Group Tickets, and you can also get the latest team updates on Facebook, Twitter (@CincyCyclones), and Instagram, along with our website, www.cycloneshockey.com!