TOSTI: LONE GAME OF THE WEEK FOR GREENVILLE TONIGHT 

TOSTI: Lone Game of the Week for Greenville Tonight

The Swamp Rabbits host the Jacksonville Icemen for the third time this season having won two of the last three games.

BY: Brian Tosti, Greenville Swamp Rabbits

RABBITS TALES
The Greenville Swamp Rabbits (20-23-3-1), proud ECHL affiliate of the New York Rangers and the AHL’s Hartford Wolf Pack, and the Jacksonville Icemen (15-26-3-3) take the ice tonight at the Bon Secours Wellness Arena at 7 p.m. It is the fourth time in two weeks that the South Division rivals face off after ending the month of January in Jacksonville. The Swamp Rabbits return from a five-game road trip and have earned two wins in the last three games. Jacksonville finished last week with a 0-2-0-1 record, falling to Atlanta and South Carolina in three games at home.

TRIP DOWN MEMORY LANE
Less than two weeks ago, the Swamp Rabbits and Icemen played three straight nights at Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Jacksonville, Florida. The Icemen took two of three games on the weekend, but Greenville solved the puzzle on the final day to earn a 4-2 victory. Defenseman Sean Flanagan and forward Caleb Herbert each tallied a goal in the outing. Icemen goaltender Austin Lotz allowed just two goals in the first two games on 52 shots but was dealt a loss after Greenville tallied three goals on ten shots to begin the game.

BASS-PRO SHOP
Swamp Rabbits forward Joe Basaraba has tallied a goal in the last two games. It is the third time this season that the fourth-year pro has net goals in back-to-back games. Only once in his career has the 6-foot-2 forward scored goals in three straight games. The Fort Frances, Ontario native has recorded 33 points (13G, 20A) this season and is fourth on the team with 13 goals. In 214 career games, Basaraba has collected 142 points (60G, 82A).

EVAN THE KITCHEN SINK
Rookie forward Evan Jasper has recorded a team-best, five points (2G, 3A) against the Icemen this season. The winger earned a pair of assists in the Swamp Rabbits’ last victory over Jacksonville. Greenville is 3-0-0-0 against Jacksonville and 13-7-2-0 overall when Jasper has tallied at least one point. The first-year forward from Whitby, Ontario has scored 14 goals and added 21 assists, ranking third on the team in scoring and seventh among all rookies.

ONLY A THIRD TO GO
After tonight’s game, the Swamp Rabbits will have played two-thirds of their schedule. Greenville plays only 11 more games on home ice including tonight’s contest against Jacksonville. The Swamp Rabbits will play seven games against below .500 teams in the final 25 games this year. Greenville’s remaining contests feature only four non-divisional games, with contests against Toledo, Fort Wayne, and Manchester.

PEARCE-ING THE NET
Icemen forward Elgin Pearce has led Jacksonville against Greenville this season, earning seven points (5G, 2A) in six games. The rookie leads the Icemen with 31 points (14G, 17A) in 42 games this season. After completing his junior hockey career in 2013, the center signed with Greenville before the 2013-14 season. He tallied four points (2G, 2A) in 10 games before being traded to Atlanta. Pearce then returned to Canada to play three seasons for the University of Calgary before signing with Jacksonville this season.

CARROT BITES

• Tonight is Greenville’s only game of the week and will have a six-day break between games. It is tied for the team’s longest hiatus of the season.
• Goaltender Ty Rimmer has faced 153 shots in his last four starts (38.25 shots per game, .915 SV%).
• Caleb Herbert leads the team in the last ten games, collecting 10 points (3G, 7A).
• The Swamp Rabbits will play the remaining three games against the Icemen on home ice.
• After earning a 3-0-0-0 record and making 78 saves on 80 shots, Icemen goaltender Austin Lotz is 0-3-0-0 with 43 saves on 51 shots in three starts.

2-FOR-$20 NIGHT | TONIGHT, February 6 | 7 p.m.
We are throwing ticket prices back tonight! Grab two tickets for $20 and enjoy our Hoppy Hour specials, including $3 domestic beer, and select $2 concessions from 5-8 p.m. Tickets can be purchased before the game through the Swamp Rabbits office or at the Bon Secours Wellness Arena box office.

REMINDER: Feb. 8 Moved to Feb. 20
The Swamp Rabbits home game originally scheduled for Thursday, Feb. 8 has been moved to Tuesday, Feb. 20 at 7 p.m. The Swamp Rabbits will face the Atlanta Gladiators for Advanced Manufacturing and Engineering Night presented by Michelin. For more information on the rescheduled contest, visit SwampRabbits.com.

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