By: Mark Shelley, Greenville Swamp Rabbits
ESTERO, FL – Despite a third-period surge, the Greenville Swamp Rabbits fell short in their comeback effort, as they fell 6-4 to the Florida Everblades on Thursday night at Hertz Arena.
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Greenville entered the game with early offensive pressure but saw the Everblades break the scoreless frame at the 12:49 mark, as Sean Josling scored his sixth of the season. Greenville ended the period with a successful kill of a major penalty to Anthony Beauchamp for boarding, taking the 1-0 deficit to the break.
In the second, Greenville answered Josling’s goal at 1:40 as Carter Souch scored his team-leading 10th of the season after the Everblades turned the puck over on their defensive end. Shortly after, at 2:27, Mark Louis threw the puck into the Florida net for his first goal as a Swamp Rabbits, giving Greenville the 2-1 lead. At 6:45, Andrew Fyten tied the game for the Everblades before Oliver Chau re-established Florida’s advantage at 11:42. With less than two seconds to play in the period, Logan Lambdin added to Florida’s lead, sending the game into the second intermission with the Everblades leading 4-2.
Early in the third, Bobo Carpenter extended Florida’s lead to three goals, scoring at the 3:17 mark. At 3:43, Tanner Eberle responded for Greenville with his seventh of the season, cutting the Florida lead down to a pair of goals. At 14:06, Brannon McManus fed Souch a cross-ice pass that Souch buried into the net for his second of the game. Despite a late push by Greenville, Florida saw Patrick Holway score the empty net goal for the eventual 6-4 final.
W: Johnson
L: Bednard
With the loss, the Swamp Rabbits dropped to 20-9-0-0 but remained atop the Eastern Conference Standings. Florida’s win improves its record to 12-9-4-0.
The Swamp Rabbits and the Everblades remain in Estero on Friday night, as they drop the puck at 7:30 p.m.
Swamp Rabbits Single-Game tickets, Full Season, and Half Season Tickets for the 2023-24 season are on sale now at SwampRabbits.com or by calling (864) 674-7825.
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 an ECHL Premier AA Hockey League member.
