BY: Matt Trust, Greenville Swamp Rabbits
Greenville, SC – The Greenville Swamp Rabbits salvaged two out of three games on the weekend behind three power play goals to top the Jacksonville Icemen, 4-3, Sunday at Bon Secours Wellness Arena.
Greenville posted a crooked number in the first period behind a solid special team’s presence. Nick Poehling scored a shorthanded unassisted goal on a 2-on-1 rush at 4:10 to provide his club an early lead. The Rabbits went to their first power play chance at 9:01 after Craig Martin received a hooking infraction. On the man-advantage, Joey Haddad blasted a drive from the left circle at 10:07 to double his club’s lead.
Erik Bradford put Jacksonville on the board at 16:48, but only 29 seconds later, Greenville found an answer. After Bradford’s goal, Michael Kim was penalized for roughing to put the Rabbits on another power play. Once again, the Bits converted courtesy of Samuel Jardine’s second goal of the campaign at 17:17.
#RABBITSRISING#
Greenville’s 3-1 lead stood going into the third period when Abbott Girduckis brought the Icemen closer at 1:39. The Swamp Rabbits restored their two-goal advantage later in the frame by pushing across their third power play goal. Garrett Thompson won a race to a loose puck sitting in the blue paint and beat Icemen goaltender Charles Williams at 13:20.
Michael Kim scored his first goal of the season at 17:57 to again cut the Jacksonville deficit to one, but the Swamp Rabbits successfully closed out a 4-3 final on home ice.
Greenville finishes the weekend with four out of six points against the Icemen in a three-game set. Final shots totaled 27-24 in favor of Jacksonville. The Swamp Rabbits finished 3-for-5 on the power play and 5-for-5 on the kill in a solid special team’s performance.
The Greenville Swamp Rabbits open four games in five nights against the South Carolina Stingrays on Wednesday, March 31, at the North Charleston Coliseum. The puck drop is scheduled for 7:05 p.m.
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ABOUT US
Acquired by Spire Sports + Entertainment (SS+E) in 2020, the Greenville Swamp Rabbits hockey team has provided family-friendly, live entertainment at Bon Secours Wellness Arena since 2010. Formerly the Greenville Road Warriors, the Swamp Rabbits are the highest level professional minor league franchise in South Carolina.
The Swamp Rabbits are proud affiliates of the NHL’s Florida Panthers and AHL’s Charlotte Checkers.
Greenville is a member of the ECHL, Premier ‘AA’ Hockey League. Since the conclusion of the 2019-20 NHL Season, 678 former ECHL players have debuted in the NHL. Nine former Greenville Road Warriors/Swamp Rabbits have later made their NHL debut.
