SWAMP RABBITS WIN NAIL-BITER AGAINST ORLANDO
Greenville wins three of three on the road trip with one game remaining; the magic number to clinch now 17
By: Mark Binetti, Greenville Swamp Rabbits
ORLANDO, Fla. – Ben Freeman broke a 1-1 deadlock late in the second period, and Jacob Ingham stopped all but one of 29 shots on net to help lead the Greenville Swamp Rabbits to a 2-1 win over the Orlando Solar Bears on Wednesday night. Because it came against Orlando, the win slashes the Swamp Rabbits magic number to clinch a playoff spot from 21 to 17 with 15 games remaining.
Both teams left the first just as it started, deadlocked, but each team potted one goal in the first 20 minutes. Aaron Luchuck started off Orlando on the right foot 85 seconds into the game, cashing in a close-range rebound from the left past Swamp Rabbits net-minder Jacob Ingham, giving the Solar Bears an early 1-0 lead (Avery Winslow and Brayden Low assisted). Near the halfway point of the frame, Brannon McManus tied the game up for Greenville. With 9:14 gone by in the first, McManus, off of a d-zone faceoff, chipped the puck by his defender and skated up the ice uncontested. McManus fired a laser off the back bar of the net past Solar Bears goalie Evan Fitzpatrick to square the game at 1-1.
Both teams skated without any additional fireworks for most of the second until Ben Freeman broke the tie late in the period. With 2:54 left, the Swamp Rabbits captain took the puck on the left wall and rifled a shot through traffic, bouncing off of an Orlando defender and into the net to give the Swamp Rabbits a 2-1 lead (Anthony Beauchamp and Ryan Francis assisted).
The third period was a defensive war, with the Solar Bears hammering 13 shots on net in the last 20 minutes. The Swamp Rabbits stood tall and weathered a late push, with Fitzpatrick pulled for the extra attacker to finish a hard-earned 2-1 win.
Jacob Ingham stopped all but one of 29 shots on net, winning his fifth consecutive start since February 18th (16-6-1-0).
The Swamp Rabbits conclude their four-game road swing with a showdown against the Savannah Ghost Pirates tomorrow night. Puck drop for Thursday, March 7th, is slated for 7:00 p.m. EST from Enmarket Arena.
About the Greenville Swamp Rabbits …
Acquired by Spire Sports + Entertainment (SS+E) in 2020, the Greenville Swamp Rabbits hockey team has been providing family-friendly, live entertainment at Bon Secours Wellness Arena since 2010. Formerly, the Greenville Road Warriors and 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.
