GAME 2 PREVIEW – GREENVILLE SWAMP RABBITS VS JACKSONVILLE ICEMEN
By: Mark Shelley, Greenville Swamp Rabbits
Greenville Swamp Rabbits (1-0-0) vs. Jacksonville Icemen (0-1-0)
South Division Semifinal
April 23, 2023 | 7:00 PM | Kelly Cup Playoffs Game 2 | GVL leads series 1-0
Vystar Veterans Memorial Arena | Jacksonville, FL
Referees: Rocco Stachowiak (28), Marc-Olivier Phaneuf (23)
Linesmen: Logan Berkowitz (68), Davids Rozitis (90)
BROADCAST INFORMATION
Pregame Coverage begins at 4:45 PM
LISTEN: Greenville Swamp Rabbits Broadcast Network
WATCH: FloHockey Live Stream
Voice of the Swamp Rabbits Mark Shelley (Play-by-Play) on the call
SWAMP RABBITS VS ICEMEN SERIES
Regular Season Record:
Overall: (5-4-2-0) Home:(1-3-2-0) Away: (4-1-0-0)
Last Meeting:
Game 1: April 21, 2023 – Greenville 4 at Jacksonville 1
All-Time Record:
(30-26-8)
All-Time Playoff Record:
(1-0-0)
ECHL STANDINGS
Standings
QUICK BITS
A CHANCE TO TAKE TWO:
Greenville kept with tradition and won, yet again, at the Veterans Memorial Arena in Game 1 behind aggressive secondary scoring and a 25-save showing by Ryan Bednard. Friday’s win saw two players, Alex Ierullo and Ethan Somoza, produce multi-point games with two points each. The three-goal victory equaled the Swamp Rabbits’ most significant win against the Icemen during the regular season and was their fifth win in Jacksonville. Game 1 ended with tempers flaring, setting the stage for an energetic Game 2 on Sunday, as the Rabbits look to take control of the series and the Icemen look to level it.
SCOUTING THE ICEMEN:
Defense. That’s been the key to Jacksonville’s success over the last couple of seasons, and it is very much the case again as the Kelly Cup Playoffs get underway. Goals have come at a scarcity for opposing offenses, as the 4th-ranked defense in the ECHL allows just 2.88 goals per game. The Icemen have run a trio of goaltenders all season, including Charles Williams, Olof Lindbom, and Parker Gahagen. As it stands, Gahagen remains in the AHL with the Hartford Wolfpack but is eligible to join the Icemen for the postseason. Williams and Lindbom can keep up with a red-hot Rabbits offense and be the deciding factor in games. Brendan Harris has done what few others have done against the Rabbits, score a hat-trick in the regular season. His six goals led the Icemen against Greenville over the 11-game series.
SHARING THE SCORING:
Game 1 saw four Swamp Rabbits find the back of the net in the 4-1 victory. Ben Freeman scored a power-play goal to open the scoring before Josh McKechney, Joe Gatenby, and Alex Ierullo added to the totals. Ierullo’s goal was the only one by a player who scored at least 20 goals during the regular season, which provided Head Coach Andrew Lord with much-needed secondary scoring in the series-opening game.
BEMIDJI BOYS LEAD THE WAY:
Two rookies were the top scorers for the Swamp Rabbits in the Game 1 win, as for Bemidji State Beavers, Alex Ierullo and Ethan Somoza combined for four points in the opener. The two wingers combined for 126 points for the Rabbits’ offense during the regular season. Both surpassed the 20-goal mark. Ierullo and Somoza connected for the game’s final goal, Ierullo’s first of the postseason.
GATOR GET GOING:
While technically a rookie by ECHL standards, Joe Gatenby is no stranger to the Kelly Cup Playoffs. The Kelowna, BC native appeared in his third postseason tournament, having debuted for the Rabbits in the opening round last season and making four appearances in 2018 with the Atlanta Gladiators. Gatenby’s third-period goal ensured that the blue-liner had recorded a goal in all three Kelly Cup Playoffs, recorded a goal and an assist in his two previous stints.
WELCOME TO THE POSTSEASON:
Friday’s Game 1 was the first Kelly Cup Playoffs appearance for eight different Swamp Rabbits. On Greenville’s second goal of the game, three first-time playoff performers combined for the tally, as Colton Young and Brett Kemp assisted Josh McKechney’s first of the postseason.
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. Additionally, Greenville is a member of the ECHL Premier AA Hockey League.
