SWAMP RABBITS DOWN DEFENDING CHAMPS IN OVERTIME
Coyle’s first as a pro secures three straight wins, points in four consecutive
By: Mark Binetti, Greenville Swamp Rabbits
GREENVILLE, S.C. – Josh McKechney posted his second consecutive two-goal night, Max Coyle buried his first professional goal, and Luke Richardson weathered the Floridian storm as the Greenville Swamp Rabbits shut down the reigning Kelly Cup Champions–the Florida Everblades–by a score of 3-2. Luke Richardson stoned 27 of 29 shots from the Everblades, while Evan Cormier stopped 29 of 32 from the home team. With the win, the Swamp Rabbits sport a 23-9-1-0 record and remain atop the Eastern Conference and South Division with 47 points, winning three straight and recording a point in four consecutive games.
Unlike their first game of 2024 a night ago, the Swamp Rabbits left the first deadlocked in a scoreless affair with the Everblades. Halfway through the second frame, Logan Lambdin opened the scoring for the Everblades after Kyle Neuber rifled a shot from the top of the right circle but took an awkward bounce off a stanchion behind the net. With ideal placement to the left of Greenville’s netminder, Luke Richardson, Lambdin collected his sixth goal of the 2023-24 season via a high-slot rebound at 13:49 of the second frame (Neuber had the lone assist). Greenville answered in short order, as Josh McKechney collected his 11th goal of the season, burying a loose puck near the net following a faceoff less than two minutes later. McKechney pushed the Swamp Rabbits ahead in the final minute of the period on the power play after he collected a Carter Souch feed, waited patiently on Cormier’s right post, and forced himself across the crease with just 33 seconds left. The goal was his fourth in half as many games.
The Everblades utilized their own special teams to equalize the game again, forcing the eventual overtime festivities. Just 1:05 into the final period, Nathan Staios fired home a shot that appeared to be initially stopped by Richardson but rolled behind him and leveled the game at 2-2.
It didn’t take long for the Swamp Rabbits to celebrate their triumph and collect the second point up for grabs. Just 44 seconds into overtime, Carter Souch hit Max Coyle, charging into the Everblades zone off the bench. From the high slot, the rookie unleashed a wrister from the top of the slot, solidifying the Swamp Rabbits win by a 3-2 score.
The Swamp Rabbits close their weekend slate with a road trip to North Charleston Coliseum to rematch their rival–the South Carolina Stingrays–tomorrow at 3:00 PM EST.
