Wild showcase of offensive prowess goes to the home team
BY: Jordan Kuhn, Greenville Swamp Rabbits
DULUTH, Ga. — A game that featured 13 goals, 65 shots on goal, 11 power plays, a hat trick and plenty more, ended as a one-goal game. The Atlanta Gladiators staved off a Greenville Swamp Rabbits charge and held on for the 7-6 win on Sunday afternoon at the Infinite Energy Arena.
Derek Nesbitt’s power play goal at the 5:30 mark of the third period proved to be the game-winning goal, a puck that was ultimately a centering pass that went off of a Greenville defender and past goaltender Chris Nell.
Greenville sandwiched that goal with tallies within a minute or so each way, with Nathan Perkovich converting on a power play tally, a rebound in front of Martin Ouellette’s cage, and Johno May capitalizing on a beautiful cross-ice dish, but Atlanta had built enough of a lead throughout to never trail.
The Glads staked their claim to a 4-1 lead after the first period of play.
The Glads struck twice in the first two and a half minutes of the game. Luke Nogard converted on a broken play and a Greenville turnover at the netfront to open the scoring on the game’s first shot. Eric Neiley followed up 30 seconds later to extend the lead.
The Swamp Rabbits looked to have stopped the bleeding on a return salvo from Cédric Lacroix. Chad Duchesne‘s shot from the point was initially stopped by Ouellette, and Lacroix batted the rebound out of midair for his fifth of the season. That goal did not stand very long.
Samuel Asselin scored his first of the afternoon 53 seconds after Lacroix’s goal, and Jack Stander started a 2-on-1 break late in the first period and his bid hit the post, Nell’s back, and crossed the goal line.
The second period started all Greenville.
It took just 11 seconds for Matt Marcinew to continue his incredible month of November with a goal on a partial breakaway right off the opening faceoff. Jacob Pritchard played pitch-and-catch with Brett Beauvais on an offensive zone entry, and the one-timer from Pritchard brought Greenville to within one.
Patrick Bajkov kept his three-point day going with the tying goal. Luke Ripley and Perkovich teamed up to get the puck to the net, and Bajkov converted on the second chance opportunity to force the only tie of the night.
Asselin had other plans, however. He posted a pair of goals in a three-minute span to convert the hat trick, and give Atlanta a lead back they would never relinquish.
A return home up next for the Greenville Swamp Rabbits as they host the South Division-leading South Carolina Stingrays on Friday, November 8 and Saturday, November 9. Tickets are available at SwampRabbits.com.
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