Jacksonville frustrates Greenville in Thanksgiving Eve showdown
BY: Jordan Kuhn, Greenville Swamp Rabbits
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Michael Pelech became the 29th player in ECHL history to hit 500 career points with his goal in the second period, but the Jacksonville Icemen scored the first goal and never looked back in a 4-2 win over the Swamp Rabbits on Wednesday night at the VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena on Thanksgiving Eve.
Down 2-0, 32 seconds after a goal by Brendan Warren, Pelech responded on a rebound opportunity generated by Liam Pecararo off of a turnover. The captain’s fourth goal of the season represented his 500th point in his long and storied ECHL career.
Greenville fought through the third period and pulled within a goal in the third period. Adam Rockwood picked off a pass in the neutral zone and centered a pass in front that missed its intended target, Jake Horton but found Mason Baptista waiting in the right-wing circle, and his blast beat Michael McNiven to cut the lead to 3-2 halfway through the third period.
Everett Clark, however, put the game out of reach with an empty-net goal with a minute to go with Ryan Bednard out for the extra attacker.
Bednard made 36 saves on 39 shots fired his way in the loss and stared down two first period power play chances by the visitors.
Emerson Clark struck first for Jacksonville at the 4:41 mark of the first period. The former Swamp Rabbit set up at the side of the net on a 2-on-1 break, and Charles-David Beaudoin’s shot-pass found the elder Clark on the back door for the opening tally.
Brendan Warren doubled the lead in the second period, and Everett Clark converted on a turnover in the third period to sustain Jacksonville’s offensive firepower. They outshot the Swamp Rabbits 40-22 in the game.
Greenville’s power play came up empty on the night on two chances.
The Swamp Rabbits head home to celebrate Thanksgiving and then head to Atlanta to take on the Gladiators on Friday, November 29. Catch all of the action on the Swamp Rabbits Broadcast Network or ECHL.TV.
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