JACKSONVILLE, FL – Ryan Bednard’s 25-save performance paved the way for the Greenville Swamp Rabbits to win Game 1 of the South Division Semifinal 4-1 over the Jacksonville Icemen on Friday night at the Vystar Veterans Memorial Arena.
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Greenville and Jacksonville began their first-ever playoff meeting with an early flurry of chances at either end before the Swamp Rabbits began to pepper the Jacksonville net. The Swamp Rabbits broke the deadlock as Ben Freeman scored his first of the postseason at 14:10, tipping in an Ethan Somoza feed to the crease. However, tempers flared at the end of the period as both teams sent representatives to the box for roughing after the horn.
After a scoreless second period saw the two sides shoot eight times each, the Rabbits added insurance with Josh McKechney’s clean-up goal at 2:25. Moments later, at 3:39, Joe Gatenby walked a Dallas Gerads drop pass to the net and scored a backhanded goal for the 3-0 advantage. At 7:20, Jacksonville snapped Ryan Bednard’s shutout bid as Craig Martin scored to cut the deficit to two. Late in the game, at 15:55, Alex Ierullo scored the empty-net goal to secure a 4-1 win.
Bednard stopped 25 of 26 Icemen shots to earn his first postseason win.
Greenville’s victory gives it a 1-0 series lead against the Icemen in the best-of-seven South Division Semifinal.
The Swamp Rabbits and the Icemen meet for Game 2 from the Vystar Veterans Memorial in Jacksonville on Sunday night at 5 p.m.
Swamp Rabbits tickets can be purchased at SwampRabbits.com or the Bon Secours Wellness Arena Box Office.
About the Greenville Swamp Rabbits …
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 the proud ECHL affiliate of the NHL’s LA Kings and the AHL’s Ontario Reign. Greenville is a member of the ECHL, Premier AA Hockey League.
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