Stingrays Top Rush On Teddy Bear Toss Night

A teddy bear toss isn’t much fun unless the home team wins the game.

Fortunately for the 5,000+ South Carolina Stingrays fans at North Charleston Coliseum, they got to toss stuffed animals on the ice and take in a 3-1 victory over the Rapid City Rush Saturday.

Ryan Hofer, Ben Hawerchuk and Alexander Suzdalev each scored for the Rays, while goaltender Mitchell Gibson stopped 23 shots to earn his fourth consecutive win.

The Teddy Bear Toss would have to wait a bit, however. South Carolina came into the game having outscored their opponents 19-6 in the first period, but it was the Rush who scored first.

Just 26 seconds in, Zack Hoffman took the puck in the neutral zone, raced into the Stingrays zone and beat Gibson for a 1-0 Rapid City lead.

It was only the fourth time all season the Rush had scored first, and it would be their lone goal of the night.

Hofer would finally give the home fans the treat they had been waiting for 6:30 into the second period. After intercepting the puck off the left side boards, his first shot was denied by Rush goaltender Matt Radomsky. But Hofer tucked home the rebound on a backhander to send teddy bears raining down from the stands.

It was Hofer’s first goal of the season and first as a Stingray.

South Carolina would take the lead 2-1 midway through the middle frame. Hawerchuk took a pass from Andrew Perrott and roofed a backhander over Radomsky’s shoulder. It was Hawerchuk’s second tally of the year, with Perrott getting a helper.

The Rays would score their final goal just before the end of the second period. Following a faceoff in the neutral zone, Erik Middendorf fed the puck to Kyler Kupka, who found Suzdalev for an open shot. Suzdalev didn’t miss, beating Radomsky five-hole for a 3-1 lead. It was the sixth goal of the season for Suzdalev, with Middendorf and Kupka assisting.

The third period was a stalemate, but the Stingrays had their 3-1 win, a lively Teddy Bear Toss and a fifth consecutive victory.

The two clubs will square off one more time in the three-in-three at North Charleston. Puck drop is set for 3:05 Pm ET.