Greenville scores fast and hard, twice within a minute or less
By: Mark Binetti, Greenville Swamp Rabbits
GREENVILLE, S.C. – Carter Souch notched two goals, Tanner Eberle dealt three assists, and the Greenville Swamp Rabbits ran away with a 6-2 victory over the Rapid City Rush on “Military Appreciation Night.” The win marks a fourth straight for the Swamp Rabbits and the second in as many games in their series against the Rush this week.
The Swamp Rabbits came out with the first goal for a third straight game and carried that lead into the locker room. At the tail end of a power play with 4:25 gone by in the first, Ben Freeman dropped a pass for an oncoming Brannon McManus down the right, who recognized Carter Souch wide open on the backside of the net. McManus hit him on the tape for a backdoor tap-in past Rush goalie Jason Pawloski that gave the Swamp Rabbits a 1-0 lead (McManus and Freeman assisted).
The Rush squared the game early in the second, but the Swamp Rabbits struck hard and fast to maintain their lead after 40. Alex Aleardi tied the game, 1-1, at 8:52 of the second, rifling a shot over the shoulder of Swamp Rabbits net-minder Jacob Ingham in transition to even things up (Brett Gravelle and Kenton Helgesen assisted). However, 33 seconds later, Cole Donhauser completed a transition sequence up the ice with a net-front redirect of a Max Coyle pass, slipping his tap by Pawloski to put the Swamp Rabbits back on top, 2-1, at 9:25 of the second (Coyle and Austin Saint assisted). Precisely 56 seconds later, Ben Freeman created some breathing room in a net-front scramble, slamming home a loose puck to expand the Swamp Rabbits lead to 3-1 with 9:39 left in the frame (Joe Leahy and Tanner Eberle assisted). Mason McCarty ended the Swamp Rabbits scoring run as his team’s second power play expired, rifling a shot from the left side that beat Ingham to bring Rapid City within striking distance, trailing 3-2 with 5:10 left in the second period (Brett Gravelle and Logan Nelson assisted).
Utilizing quick strike scoring again, the Swamp Rabbits pulled away and never looked back. On the team’s final power play of the game, Carter Souch notched his second goal, launching a wrist shot from the left side that blew past Pawloski to bring Greenville back to a two-goal lead at 4-2 with 11:01 left in the game (Tanner Eberle and Joe Leahy assisted). Precisely 22 seconds later, Austin Saint, stuck with a chaotic net-front sequence and, through a sea of humanity, edged the puck over the goal line to instantly put the Swamp Rabbits up 5-2 with 10:39 left in the game (Anthony Beauchamp and Cole Donhauser assisted). Beauchamp ended the scoring ledger on a breakaway, set up on a “Hail Mary” by Brett Kemp, to bring the game to its final score of 6-1 with 5:10 left (Kemp and Jake Stevens assisted).
Jacob Ingham won his third straight start, stopping 30 of 32 shots against the Rush (14-6-1-0).
The Swamp Rabbits conclude their three-game series against the Rapid City Rush this weekend, with game three set for Sunday, February 25th. The final match, slated for 3:05 p.m. at Bon Secours Wellness Arena, is “Wrestling Day,” presented by FCI Agency, featuring a pre-game VIP meet and greet with WWE Superstar R TRUTH.
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 L.A. Kings and the AHL’s Ontario Reign. Greenville is an ECHL Premier ‘ A.A.’ Hockey League member.
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