Rookie defenseman ends a wild game at the Scope
BY: Jordan Kuhn, Greenville Swamp Rabbits
NORFOLK, Va. — It took a touch over 63 minutes, but it was the Greenville Swamp Rabbits who came away with the overtime win. Dylan MacPherson, sent on his way on an overtime breakaway, beat goaltender Michael McNiven in between the pads to give the Swamp Rabbits a 6-5 win over the Norfolk Admirals on Wednesday night at the Scope.
Mason Baptista stretched a home run pass all the way down the ice in which MacPherson snuck behind the defense to receive. After a few stickhandles, the rookie defenseman snuck the puck five-hole to end the game. It was the 41st shot on goal for Greenville, as they outshot the Admirals 41-26.
Both teams had multiple leads throughout the topsy-turvy affair in Virginia. Some leads lasted a while, others lasted seconds.
Greenville grabbed the lead for the first time of three on the night after an opening tally from Artem Ivanyuzhenkov, the Swamp Rabbits utilized the power play to get the lead. On a centering pass from Cédric Lacroix, Patrick Bajkov netted his first of the night three minutes after the opening goal to tie the game.
Mason Baptista took advantage of the next power play. A blast form the point by Brien Diffley rebounded off of McNiven and Baptista poked the loose puck into the goal to give the Swamp Rabbits the lead.
Norfolk struck for three unanswered goals, beginning with a tally from J.C. Campagna to end the first period. Sebastian Vidmar and Josh Holmstrom scored within the first six and a half minutes to take control of the game and give the Admirals a 4-2 lead heading into the midway point of regulation time.
The Swamp Rabbits staged their second comeback of the night to take the lead right back, even after McNiven began the second period making key save after key save on A-grade scoring opportunities by Greenville.
A faceoff win by Matt Marcinew started offensive zone pressure. Jake Horton ferried the puck to the point and Brett Beauvais‘ sneaky shot found a way into the back of the net to cut the lead in half. Then, once the Admirals got into more penalty trouble, Bajkov made them pay again.
On a 5-on-3 power play, Diffley fed the puck through the penalty-killing triangle and Bajkov one-timed the puck into the back of the net for his second of the night, to tie the game.
The third period featured a wild sequence. Admirals defenseman Joe Masonius coughed the puck up the middle of the ice and Mike Monfredo picked off the puck in the slot and pitchforked a backhander into the back of the net to give Greenville its second lead. Unfortunately, Norfolk struck right back just 11 seconds later on a fluky play that saw the puck bounce off of a rink door and right out in front of the net for an easy tap in for Alex Tonge.
The Swamp Rabbits went 3-for-6 on the power play on the evening, their most power play goals in a game this season.
The Greenville Swamp Rabbits return home to host the Admirals for 80s Night on Friday night, and DC Comics Night on Saturday night at the Bon Secours Wellness Arena. Tickets are available at SwampRabbits.com.
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