TOSTI: ROUND ONE OF SIX BETWEEN SWAMP RABBITS AND GLADIATORS  

TOSTI: Round One of Six Between Swamp Rabbits and Gladiators

Greenville travels to Duluth, Georgia for first game of 2018, opening 3-in-3 weekend against South Division opponents

BY: Brian Tosti, Greenville Swamp Rabbits

RABBITS TAILS
The Greenville Swamp Rabbits (16-13-2-1), proud ECHL affiliate of the New York Rangers and the AHL’s Hartford Wolf Pack, and the Atlanta Gladiators (15-17-1-1) take the ice at the Infinite Energy Arena tonight at 7:35 p.m. when Greenville begins the 2018 calendar year. The Swamp Rabbits also start a three-game weekend with contests against the Gladiators and Norfolk Admirals. Returning to Greenville’s lineup is leading scorer Branden Troock after missing the last two games on an AHL call-up. Gladiators leading scorer Lindsay Sparks has tallied seven points in the last three games including a three-point effort on Wednesday night against Jacksonville.

NEW YEAR’S REST
Since Greenville’s last game against Brampton, the Swamp Rabbits have had their longest layover between contests. Greenville last hit the ice for a match seven days ago, on Dec. 29, topping the Beast 4-3 on home ice. The Swamp Rabbits last break of six days came after a 4-3 overtime victory over Orlando. The team’s return to the ice resulted in a 6-3 victory over the Atlanta Gladiators on Nov. 15.

MANY MORE JANUARY BATTLES
Greenville prepares for the first of six meetings with the Atlanta Gladiators in January after facing off with the Glads only twice in the first three months this season. Greenville won both games to begin the year against Atlanta. This month, the Swamp Rabbits will also play their I-85 rival in four consecutive games from Jan. 13 to Jan. 21. In the final three months of the season, the Swamp Rabbits will face the Gladiators nine times including the season finale on Apr. 7. Six of those games will be played at the Bon Secours Wellness Arena. In 2016-17, the Swamp Rabbits owned the head to head matchup, winning eight of 12 games against the Gladiators.

CAMO CONTINUES TO CLIMB
Captain Bretton Cameron recorded three points (2G, 1A) in the last Swamp Rabbits game. The effort propelled him to third in franchise history with 163 points (68G, 95A). Cameron has tallied the third most assists, fourth-most goals, and is second with 553 PIMS. The Red Deer, Alberta native is only three points shy of Brendan Connolly for second most points in club history. After joining Greenville in 2011, Cameron has played in 309 games and is ten contests away from the area record set by Colin Pepperall, who played 319 games for the Greenville Grrrowl.

BAS-MASTERS
Forward Joe Basaraba has been a quiet leader for Greenville this season, earning 25 points (8G, 17A) and missing only one game this year. In the last three games, the Fort Frances, Ontario native has grabbed four points (2G, 2A). The Swamp Rabbits alternate captain ranks fifth on the team in scoring this year, matching last season’s pace in Idaho where he earned 46 points (21G, 25A) in 72 contests.

NEW KID ON THE BLOCK
The Swamp Rabbits acquired forward Wade Murphy on Tuesday from the Worcester Railers. The winger is set to make his Greenville debut tonight after logging 12 points (3G, 9A) in 17 games for Worcester. The rookie turned pro after completing his final collegiate season at Arizona State University and signed on with the Manchester Monarchs. After tallying a goal in his pro debut, the Victoria, British Columbia native earned six points (2G, 4A) in 14 ECHL contests. In 2013 the 6-foot, 190-pound forward was selected by the Nashville Predators in the seventh round of the NHL Draft.

CARROT BITES

• Swamp Rabbits forward Caleb Herbert and Gladiators forward Phil Lane was selected yesterday to represent their respective clubs at the 2018 CCM / ECHL All-Star Classic.
• Atlanta has split games with South Division opponents in the last six contests earning a 3-3-0-0 record.
• Tonight’s contest will be Joe Basaraba’s 200th career ECHL game. The center has earned 134 points (55G, 79A) since joining the league in 2014.
• To complete Tuesday’s trade with Worcester involving forward Wade Murphy, defenseman Brock Beukeboom was traded to the Railers on Thursday.

PIRATES AND PRINCESSES NIGHT | Saturday, January 6 | 7:00 p.m.
Enjoy the Swamp Rabbits Pirates and Princesses Night! Dress up as a scurvy pirate or get your best Princess outfit ready and enjoy a night for the whole family! Join the GSP Airport Family Fun Zone to get up to four complimentary kids tickets when you purchase one $15 ticket. Offer only available online at SwampRabbits.com.

NURSES APPRECIATION NIGHT | Sunday, January 7 | 3:00 p.m.
As a thank you on Nurse’s Appreciation Night, all nurses get $3 off orange level tickets when you show your medical ID at the Bon Secours Wellness Arena Box Office. After the game, join the team on the ice for a free post-game skate (skate rentals available for $3). Don’t forget about our Bon Secours Family Fun Packs offer to get four tickets, four meals and a Swamp Rabbits souvenir for just $60!

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