Savoie deflects Freeman’s shot with 36.3 seconds left to claim a fifth win in the last six games.
By: Mark Binetti, Greenville Swamp Rabbits
(GREENVILLE, S.C.) – Carter Savoie deflected home his league-leading fourth game-winning goal with 36.3 seconds left to vault the Greenville Swamp Rabbits to a come-from-behind 3-2 win against the South Carolina Stingrays on Friday night. The win gave the Swamp Rabbits their fifth in their last six games dating back to November 9th against Atlanta and marked the first wins for Adam Dauda and River Pease, serving as acting Head Coach and Assistant Coach, respectively.
Both teams skated to a scoreless deadlock in the opening 20 minutes, with the Swamp Rabbits dictating most of the offensive play. Dryden McKay stopped all eight shots he saw in the first period in net for the Swamp Rabbits, while South Carolina’s Seth Eisele staved off 15 shots.
Joe Leahy broke the ice in the opening minute of the middle frame. With just 41 seconds, Ben Freeman rotated to the blue line and fired a shot through traffic that bounced to the slot area. In the slot, Leahy rifled a backhander over Eisele’s glove to put the Swamp Rabbits up 1-0 (Freeman and Parker Berge assisted). Moments later, Charlie Combs transitioned down the ice from the left side after receiving a Micah Miller pass and wristed a shot past McKay’s glove to square the game at 1-1 for South Carolina (Miller and Austin Magera assisted). The Stingrays pushed ahead in the final minutes of the second when the puck bounced awkwardly off the kick plate, allowing the Stingrays to stay deep in the Swamp Rabbits zone. From behind the net, Kyler Kupka found Jamie Engelbert above the crease, allowing the latter to finish in point-blank range and put the Stingrays up 2-1 with 5:49 left (Kupka and Miller assisted).
Resilience showed from the Swamp Rabbits, who found a way to battle to a win in the final ten minutes. With 6:27 left in the game, Brent Pedersen connected with Tate Singleton, who rotated back to the blue line in the offensive zone. Singleton fired a shot through traffic that whizzed past Eisele, squaring the game at 2-2 (Pedersen and Leahy assisted). The Swamp Rabbits took a page out of their book from February 2nd of last season, finding a winner in the final minute of regulation to pull ahead. Even though it wasn’t with 0.2 seconds left, Carter Savoie’s league-leading fourth game-winner pushed the hosts ahead for good. With 36.3 seconds left, Ben Freeman dropped a pass to Savoie on the right side, with Savoie’s shot stalling thanks to Eisele. Freeman picked up the rebound, spun to the high slot, and threw a shot on net that was deflected by Savoie and in, giving Greenville a 3-2 lead (Freeman and Singleton assisted). The Swamp Rabbits hung on for the 3-2 win, giving Adam Dauda and River Pease their first win as the acting coaching staff of the team.
Playing in his ninth of 11 games this season, Dryden McKay stopped 25 of 27 shots in earning the win (4-3-1-0).
The Swamp Rabbits now transition to Savannah for their second game of this “three-in-three,” facing the Ghost Pirates tomorrow night. The puck drop at Enmarket Arena is slated for 7:00 pm.
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, 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.
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