Florida Sports Wire

NORTH CHARLESTON, S.C. - The Stingrays ended the week on a high note, defeating the Jacksonville Icemen 2-1 on Sunday afternoon in front of 5,000+ fans at the North Charleston Coliseum.  Erik Middendorf and Kyler Kupka scored for the Stingrays, while South Carolina goaltenders Seth Eisele and Garin Bjorklund combined to stop 23 of 24 shots. While the first period saw no goals, it saw plenty of action. The Stingrays outshot the Icemen 11-9, but both goaltenders were up to the task early.  The Stingrays struck first at 9:21 into the middle frame. Middendorf brought the puck into the zone and slid it across to Austin Magera. Magera wired a shot on net that Jacksonville netminder Michael Houser stopped, but Middendorf was there for the rebound to give South Carolina a 1-0 lead. Magera and Weiss got the assists. Eisele held down the fort with another seven second period saves, including an incredible stop against Jacksonville’s Zach Jordan. South Carolina doubled their lead 5 minut...

 NEW YORK –– A look at seven statistical highlights from games played on Sunday, January 5, the 18th week of the 2024 season. With one game remaining this season, there have been 141 games decided by seven-or-fewer games, tied with the 2022 season for the most in a season in NFL history. There have been 121 games this season decided by six-or fewer points and 152 games decided by eight-or-fewer points, both the second-most in a season in NFL history, trailing only 2022 (122 games decided by six-or-fewer, 156 games decided by eight-or-fewer). There have been 188 games within one score (eight points) in the fourth quarter, the second-most such games in a season in NFL history, trailing only 2022 (203 games). The Minnesota Vikings (14-2) visit the Detroit Lions (14-2) on Sunday Night Football (8:20 p.m. ET, NBC), with the winner securing the NFC North division title, the No. 1 seed in the NFC, a first-round bye and home-field advantage in the NFC playoffs. The Philadelphia Eagles (14-...

NEW YORK  —The following is the schedule of sites, dates and times for Wild Card Weekend, powered by Verizon, Jan. 11-13 (all times ET). Saturday, Jan. 11 AFC: 4:30 p.m. 5 Los Angeles Chargers at 4 Houston (CBS, Paramount+) AFC:  8:00 p.m 6 Pittsburgh at 3 Baltimore (Prime Video) Sunday, Jan. 12 AFC: 1:00 p.m. 7 Denver at 2 Buffalo (CBS, Paramount+) NFC:  4:30 p.m. 7 Green Bay at 2 Philadelphia (FOX, FOX Deportes) NFC:  8:00 p.m.  6 Washington at 3 Tampa Bay (NBC, Peacock, Universo)  Monday, Jan. 13 NFC: 8:00 p.m. 5 Minnesota/Detroit at 4 Los Angeles Rams (ESPN/ABC/ESPN+/ ESPN Deportes; ManningCast-ESPN2/ESPN+) The Divisional Playoffs schedule will be announced next weekend.

ESTERO – When two of the hottest teams in the ECHL collide, something has to give. And Friday night at Hertz Arena, it gave in a big, big way for the red-hot Florida Everblades, a 6-2 winner over the Jacksonville Icemen. Four was the number of a magical night, as the Everblades not only scored four unanswered goals to seal the team’s fourth straight win but snapped South Division rival Jacksonville’s four-game winning streak in the process. And a fourth straight sellout crowd of 7,224 fans cheered the Blades to victory. Despite entering play ranked last in the ECHL on the power play, Jacksonville bucked the trend and struck first as Christopher Brown scored just 17 seconds into the first power-play opportunity enjoyed by either team. Brown’s ninth goal of the season gave the visitors a 1-0 lead at 12:59 of the first period. Jacksonville’s lead would be short-lived as Gary Haden connected for the Everblades with his second goal of the season at the 18:59 mark. Haden deflected in a shot ...

 JACKSONVILLE – The Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp have announced the hiring of four new front office members in preparation for the 2025 season. A’Niya Sconiers has joined the club as an accounting supervisor. Abby Decker is the Jumbo Shrimp’s new promotions coordinator. Lindsay Plymale has been hired as an account executive. Michael Giovingo will serve as the team’s assistant groundskeeper. Sconiers joined the Jumbo Shrimp in October 2024 as the club’s accounting supervisor. She helps to oversee the team’s accounting work. A native of Harlem, N.Y., Sconiers comes to Jacksonville after stints with the Tampa Bay Rays (separate roles as accounting coordinator & ticket sales representative) and Washington Commanders (inside sales representative).  In each of those roles, she set up many outreaches to give back to local Hispanic and military communities, as well as to youth organizations in the sport of dance. Sconiers is a former competitive dancer, and graduated from the Univers...

 SHREWSBURY, N.J. – Jack Beck of the Wheeling Nailers is the Inglasco ECHL Player of the Week for Dec. 23-29. Beck scored two goals and added five assists for seven points in three games last week. The 21-year-old had a goal and an assist in a 3-2 win at Cincinnati on Friday, dished out three assists in a 6-2 victory over Iowa on Saturday and had a goal and an assist in a 3-1 triumph against the Heartlanders on Sunday. Under contract to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton of the American Hockey League, Beck ranks second among ECHL rookies with 21 assists and is fourth among first-year players with 26 points in 27 games with the Nailers this season. Prior to turning pro, Beck tallied 201 points (68g-133a) in 204 career collegiate games in the Ontario Hockey League with Ottawa and Soo. On behalf of Jack Beck, a case of pucks will be donated to a Wheeling youth hockey organization by Inglasco, the exclusive puck supplier of the ECHL. Since beginning its sponsorship of the award in 2000-01, Inglasc...

 By Nancy DeLander Beecher NEW YORK— Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow, Miami Dolphins linebacker Tyrel Dodson and Los Angeles Chargers kicker Cameron Dicker are the AFC Offensive, Defensive and Special Teams Players of the Week for Week 17 (December 25-26, 28-30). OFFENSE: QB JOE BURROW, CINCINNATI BENGALS Burrow completed 39 of 49 pass attempts (79.6 percent), led the NFL in Week 17 with 412 passing yards and had four touchdowns (three passing, one rushing) with a 122.1 passer rating in the Bengals’ 30-24 overtime win against the Broncos. This marked Burrow’s seventh-career game with at least 400 passing yards, tied for the most such games by a player in his first five seasons in NFL history. This is the seventh-career Offensive Player of the Week award for Burrow and first this season. He joins Boomer Esiason (nine-time winner) as the only Bengals players with seven-or-more Player of the Week awards. 2021: Weeks 4, 16 2022: Weeks 7, 13, 16 2023: Week 8 2024: Week 17 Bur...