Greenville sees the lead slip away, earns a point in the standings
BY: Jordan Kuhns, Greenville Swamp Rabbits
DULUTH, Ga. — Up 2-0 in the second period, the Greenville Swamp Rabbits found themselves in a familiar position—in control. However, the Atlanta Gladiators scored three unanswered goals, and picked up a game-winning goal from Don Olivieri in overtime on the power play, as the Glads snapped a four-game losing streak and defeated Greenville 4-3 on Wednesday night. The Swamp Rabbits picked up a point in the standings as a result.
With just seven seconds remaining on the penalty, Olivieri jumped off the bench and fired home his first goal of the season from the left point that found a way through the traffic in front and past Swamp Rabbits goaltender Garrett Bartus to end the game. It came 1:34 into the extra session.
Greenville took the 2-0 lead halfway through regulation, starting with a spectacular rebound goal from captain Michael Pelech halfway through the first period on a shot from Austen Brassard. It took until the 11-minute mark of the second period for Johno May to score an unassisted wraparound goal to extend the lead to two.
Atlanta battled back with three unanswered goals. Matt Lane connected in his first game back from the AHL ranks with a breakaway tally, just a minute after May’s goal, to pull the Glads within one. It took until the final minute for the home team to tie the game, as a shot from the point from Zach Malatesta ricocheted off of the end wall, Garret Ross connected to tie the game.
The Gladiators’ furious comeback was capped off in the third with Malatesta connecting on a power-play goal. With Bartus down, the puck came back to the point, and Malatesta’s shot hit the top corner to pull the Glads ahead 3-2.
The Swamp Rabbits moved to 6-on-5 in the final minute and were able to get the tying goal. A sharp angle try was stopped by Gladiators goaltender Miroslav Svoboda, but Brassard fired home the rebound to get the game even at three apiece.
Bartus kept the Swamp Rabbits even keel in the first period, while blitzed in the shot count 23-6, stopping all 23 shots on goal. He stopped 41 of 45 fired his way in the game and held the fort enough to pick up a point in the standings.
Atlanta played such a clean game that the Swamp Rabbits were unable to force a power play. The penalty kill was forced into five situations and stopped 3 of 5 on the night.
The Greenville Swamp Rabbits remain away from home on Friday, November 23 against the Jacksonville Icemen. Catch all of the action on the Swamp Rabbits Broadcast Network, or on the ECHL’s dedicated streaming video provider, ECHL.TV.
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