South Carolina Stingrays win season opener 5-1 against Jacksonville Icemen

The South Carolina Stingrays began their 2026-27 season with a 5-1 win over the Jacksonville Icemen on Friday night at the VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena, according to ABC News 4 WCIV and Live 5 WCSC.

The Stingrays fell behind early after a turnover led to a goal by Jacksonville's Colby Ambrosio just over a minute into the game. Despite outshooting Jacksonville by a two-to-one margin, South Carolina trailed 1-0 after the first period.

Jérémie Biakabutuka tied the game with a slap shot late in the second period, and Tyler Weiss assisted Ryan Sandelin on the go-ahead goal in the final seconds of the period, giving the Stingrays a 2-1 lead.

In the third period, South Carolina extended their lead with a power-play goal by Josh Wilkins, followed by Cam Morrison's first goal as a Stingray set up by Alex Gaffney, and a goal by Tyler Kopff against his former team, making the final score 5-1.

Goalie Garin Bjorklund stopped 21 of 22 shots, improving his career record against Jacksonville to 8-0. The win was also coach Jesse Kallechy's first with the Stingrays.

Four players recorded multi-point nights, and Alex Gaffney earned his first professional point with his assist, marking a strong start for the team in the new season.