ECHL South Division Recap | Week 23

As Week 23 of the ECHL season wrapped up, the South Division playoff race s intensified. With South Carolina, Florida, and Jacksonville clinching playoff spots, the battle for the fourth and final berth continues between Orlando, Savannah, and Atlanta. Here’s where each team stands coming out of Week 23 and what lies ahead in Week 24.

*CLINCHED PLAYOFF BERTH

Milestones – First Professional Goals

Rylan Van Unen – First ECHL Goal

Kyle Haskins – First Professional Goal

South Division Player & Team Notes

Cody Sylvester (Atlanta) ranks second in the league with eight game-winning goals, while Atlanta is tied for third in allowing three shorthanded goals. Carson Gicewicz (Florida) is on an eight-game point streak (7g-3a), with the Everblades excelling against non-divisional opponents (13-3-2). Jacksonville’s Matt Vernon is tied for second in wins (22), helping the Icemen achieve a 20-2-4 record when leading after one period. Orlando’s Ryan Fanti ranks second with 2,151 minutes played, and the Solar Bears hold the league’s second-best penalty kill at 86.0 percent (191-for-222). Savannah forward Devon Paliani is tied for third league-wide with 30 goals, contributing to the Ghost Pirates’ seventh-ranked average of 32.28 shots per game. South Carolina defenseman Romain Rodzinski has tallied 14 points (6g-8a) over his last nine games, fueling the Stingrays’ current 11-game winning streak.

South Carolina Stingrays (1st – 97 pts, 0.746 PCT)*

The Stingrays continued their dominance in Week 23, extending their winning streak to 11 games. They improved to 46-14-3-2, securing three more victories: a 5-1 home win over Greenville on March 21, a 3-2 road victory at Jacksonville on March 22, and a thrilling 5-4 overtime win back at home against Jacksonville on March 23. Already playoff-bound, South Carolina is focused on securing the division title. Should they win this Friday they will secure the home-ice advantage heading in to the playoffs.

This Week’s Games (Week 24):

• Friday, March 28 – at Kalamazoo (7:00 PM EDT)
• Saturday, March 29 – at Kalamazoo (4:30 PM EDT)

With no divisional matchups this week, the Stingrays will aim to stay sharp in a cross-conference series against the Wings.

Florida Everblades (2nd – 94 pts, 0.734 PCT)*

Florida matched South Carolina with a perfect Week 23, earning three tight wins: 5-1 over Greenville (March 19), 4-3 in overtime over Savannah (March 20), and 3-2 again over the Ghost Pirates (March 21). The Everblades sit at 43-13-7-1 and have clinched their playoff spot while maintaining one of the league’s stingiest defenses.

This Week’s Games (Week 24):

• Wednesday, March 26 – vs. Jacksonville (7:30 PM EDT)
• Friday, March 28 – vs. Toledo (7:30 PM EDT)
• Saturday, March 29 – vs. Toledo (7:00 PM EDT)

Florida opens Week 24 with a key divisional test against Jacksonville before taking on a strong Toledo squad in back-to-back games.

Jacksonville Icemen (3rd – 85 pts, 0.654 PCT)*

The Icemen went 1-2 in Week 23. They edged Orlando 3-2 on March 19 but dropped both games to South Carolina: 3-2 at home (March 22) and 5-4 in OT on the road (March 23). Despite the losses, Jacksonville (39-19-6-1) remains securely in third and has also clinched a playoff berth.

This Week’s Games (Week 24):

• Wednesday, March 26 – at Florida (7:30 PM EDT)

A single but significant game awaits the Icemen this week—a potential playoff preview against Florida with seeding implications.

Orlando Solar Bears (4th – 76 pts, 0.585 PCT)

Orlando fell 3-2 to Jacksonville in their only game of Week 23 (March 19), but still holds the fourth spot with a 33-22-10-0 record. With Savannah and Atlanta close behind, the Solar Bears’ margin for error is shrinking.

This Week’s Games (Week 24):

• Wednesday, March 26 – at Atlanta (10:30 AM EDT)
• Saturday, March 30 – at Florida (7:00 PM EDT)

A critical two-game road trip awaits Orlando, starting with a morning showdown in Atlanta with direct playoff implications, followed by a tough test in Estero. If they win the majority of their remaining games, they will secure the fourth playoff spot regardless of what Savannah or Atlanta does.

However, losses this week—especially against Atlanta—could put them in a position where they’d need help down the stretch.

Savannah Ghost Pirates (5th – 61 pts, 0.477 PCT)

Savannah had a competitive Week 23, pushing Florida to overtime (4-3 OT loss on March 20), falling narrowly again (3-2 on March 21), and then earning a much-needed 5-2 win over Greenville on March 23. They’re now 27-30-6-1 and remain in the playoff conversation.

This Week’s Games (Week 24):

• Friday, March 28 – at Norfolk (7:05 PM EDT)
• Saturday, March 29 – at Norfolk (7:05 PM EDT)

Back-to-back games in Norfolk give Savannah a real opportunity to climb closer to the fourth spot—especially with Orlando and Atlanta facing off midweek. Savannah trails Orlando by 15 points but has one extra game in hand. Even if Savannah wins out (8 games = max 16 points), they’d only reach 77 points, which would just barely surpass Orlando if Orlando only wins one more game. Savannah needs Orlando to lose at least 5 or 6 of their remaining 7 games to realistically have a shot. They would also benefit from Atlanta losing some of their extra games in hand.

Atlanta Gladiators (6th – 59 pts, 0.484 PCT)

Atlanta was idle in Week 23 but has 11 games remaining—more than anyone in the division. At 26-28-5-2, the Gladiators are still alive in the playoff race and have several games in hand on Orlando and Savannah.

This Week’s Games (Week 24):

• Wednesday, March 26 – vs. Orlando (10:30 AM EDT)
• Friday, March 28 – at Greenville (7:05 PM EDT)
• Saturday, March 29 – vs. Greenville (7:00 PM EDT)

Atlanta faces a make-or-break week, starting with a morning tilt against Orlando. A strong showing could catapult them into playoff contention but they will need a little help. Atlanta has 11 games left, the most in the division. That’s 22 possible points. If they go 8-2-1, they reach 76 points, possibly enough to edge out Orlando (assuming Orlando doesn’t win more than 1–2 games). However, if they split games or go .500, they’ll likely fall short without help.

Atlanta needs Orlando to lose at least half of their remaining games, and needs Savannah to stay behind by dropping some games in Norfolk.

Greenville Swamp Rabbits (7th – 54 pts, 0.422 PCT)

Greenville’s woes continued last week with losses to Florida (5-1), South Carolina (5-1), and Savannah (5-2). At 23-33-6-2, they sit at the bottom of the division and have been likely eliminated from playoff contention.

This Week’s Games (Week 24):

• Friday, March 28 – vs. Atlanta (7:05 PM EDT)
• Saturday, March 29 – at Atlanta (7:00 PM EDT)

Though out of the race, Greenville can play spoiler this week with back-to-back games against the Gladiators.

Playoff Outlook

With South Carolina, Florida, and Jacksonville clinched, the final playoff spot is up for grabs. Orlando currently holds it, but Savannah and Atlanta are within striking distance. Week 24 features several pivotal matchups—especially Orlando vs. Atlanta on Wednesday and Savannah’s two-game trip to Norfolk—that will help define the playoff picture as the season enters its final stretch.

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As the regular season winds down, the competition for the final playoff spot in the South Division intensifies. While South Carolina, Florida, and Jacksonville have secured their postseason berths, Orlando, Savannah, and Atlanta remain in contention for the fourth and final spot. Each game carries significant weight as these teams battle for playoff positioning in the remaining weeks.