BY: Matt Trust, Greenville Swamp Rabbits
Greenville, SC – The Greenville Swamp Rabbits punched their ticket to the 2021 Kelly Cup Playoffs behind a 4-1 victory against the Jacksonville Icemen. Greenville’s playoff berth marks their first since 2017.
Matt Bradley opened the scoring at 8:57 after deflecting Patrick Bajkov’s shot from inside the blue paint past Icemen goaltender Charles Williams. Greenville carried their 1-0 lead into the dressing room with an additional 9-4 shots advantage.
Next period, the Rabbits connected twice more to extend their lead to 3-0. Gordi Myer converted his fourth goal of the season on a delayed penalty at 11:59. Later in the stanza, Ben Finkelstein blasted a bullet from the right circle with one minute remaining. On a 3-on-2 rush, Shawn Cameron dropped a perfect pass into Finkelstein’s wheelhouse for the slapper. Finkelstein extended his point streak to 12 consecutive games.
#RABBITSRISING#
Derek Lodermeier broke John Lethemon’s bid for a shutout with his 15th goal of the campaign at 9:14 of the third period. Trevor Hamilton connected with Lodermeirer on a stretch pass along the left wing before Lodermeirer’s shot beat Lethemon along his glove side.
Down 6-on-4 in the final two minutes, Garrett Thompson hit pay-dirt on a shorthanded, empty-net marker at 18:04. Ryker Killins fumbled the puck at the Greenville blue line, and Thompson dove forward to spear the loose puck on target. Final shots finished 26-25 Icemen.
The Greenville Swamp Rabbits return to action on Saturday, May 29, against the Jacksonville Icemen. It’s Fan Appreciation Night at Bon Secours Wellness Arena. The Rabbits will sport specialty Golf for Greenville-themed jerseys presented by FLUOR. Fans in attendance will receive a team poster courtesy of Greenville Print Solutions. Puck drop is scheduled for 7:05 p.m. Ticket information is available online at swamprabbits.com.
SINGLE-GAME TICKETS ON SALE NOW!
Rise With Us and join us at Bon Secours Wellness Arena for the return of professional hockey in the United States! Single Game Tickets are available to purchase today here.
GEAR UP!
Represent the Swamp Rabbits for the 2020–21 season by heading to our online store, the Hop Shop, to purchase your Bits gear. On sale now!
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.
