Tyler Kopff scored the overtime winner as the South Carolina Stingrays defeated the Greenville Swamp Rabbits, 4-3, Saturday night at the North Charleston Coliseum in South Carolina’s home opener. The game was played in front of 6,828 fans.
Alex Dostie scored his first two goals as a Stingray, while Ben Kraws made his debut in goal for South Carolina and stopped 25 of 28 shots. The victory moved the Stingrays to 2-0-0 to begin the 2026-27 season.
South Carolina Stingrays Build Two-Goal Leads
Tyler Weiss opened the scoring on South Carolina’s first power play midway through the first period, beating Greenville goaltender Mattias Sholl glove side. Dostie extended the lead with 4:49 remaining in the period after finishing a feed from Jérémie Biakabutuka.
Greenville answered later in the opening frame when Blake Bennett scored on a point-blank chance after a South Carolina turnover in the defensive zone. Dostie restored the two-goal advantage early in the second period by finishing a give-and-go on the rush for his second goal of the game.
Brendan Gorman brought the Greenville Swamp Rabbits within one with a second-period one-timer. Neil Shea then scored the tying goal during the final four minutes of the third period, sending the game to overtime.
Tyler Kopff Finishes Overtime Win
The Stingrays dominated possession in overtime before Kopff scored on a net-front finish. His goal lifted South Carolina past Greenville, 4-3.
“We were on our heels a little bit, but I think that’s what good teams do,” Head Coach Jesse Kallechy said. “Good teams find a way to win.”
Kopff credited Alex Gaffney with making the play that created the overtime opportunity. “I thought their coverage was a little too condensed,” Kopff said, “I just tried to slow myself up and [Alex Gaffney] made a great play. All I had to do was finish.”
South Carolina Stingrays Schedule
South Carolina is scheduled to begin a two-game road trip next Friday against the Savannah Ghost Pirates. Puck drop is scheduled for 7 p.m. at Enmarket Arena in Savannah, Ga.
The Stingrays are scheduled to return to the North Charleston Coliseum on Friday, October 30, against the Savannah Ghost Pirates. The game is scheduled for 7:05 p.m. and is identified as Emo Night, presented by Fan Cave Tickets.
MSB Analysis
South Carolina opened its home schedule with a 4-3 overtime victory after Greenville’s Neil Shea tied the game in the third period. Dostie’s two goals, Kraws’ 25 saves and Kopff’s overtime finish helped the Stingrays start the 2026-27 season 2-0-0.
Source: Original report
