SWAMP RABBITS DOWN SOLAR BEARS IN OVERTIME
Young and Robidoux pot two; Swamp Rabbits end skid against Orlando
By: Mark Binetti, Greenville Swamp Rabbits
(GREENVILLE, S.C.) – Mikael Robidoux scored twice, John Parker-Jones accrued three points, and Colton Young deflected home the game-winner at 2:42 of overtime, his second of the game, to win it for the Greenville Swamp Rabbits, 5-4 over the Orlando Solar Bears on Sunday.
The Swamp Rabbits came out firing in the first period, chasing the Orlando starter after building a 3-0 lead. John Parker-Jones kicked things off 48 seconds into the game with his second of the season, both coming against Orlando, with a blue line shot that deflected off a defender and past Solar Bears goalie Michael Simpson, putting the Swamp Rabbits up 1-0 (Patrick Moynihan and Tate Singleton assisted). Moments later, Mikael Robidoux gave the Swamp Rabbits early separation when he collected a “Hail Mary” from Tyson Fawcett over three lines. Robidoux came down the middle and snapped a shot past Simpson’s glove to double the Swamp Rabbits’ lead to 2-0 with 4:00 left in the first. Precisely 49 seconds later, Colton Young tripled the lead in the middle of a delayed penalty signal, finishing a tic-tac-toe passing sequence with Parker-Jones and Dru Krebs with a one-timer that beat Simpson, vaulting the Swamp Rabbits to a 3-0 lead. Following the goal, Simpson was relieved in Orlando’s net for Alexis Gravel, who finished the contest.
Halfway through the second period, Robidoux kept the heat on for the Swamp Rabbits and became the first Swamp Rabbit this season with a multi-goal game. With 9:04 left in the second, Robidoux jammed home a net-front rebound past Gravel to give the Swamp Rabbits a 4-0 lead (Parker-Jones and Krebs assisted). Orlando found two counters shortly after, beginning with Anthony Bardardo. With 6:01 left in the second and following a successful Swamp Rabbits penalty kill, Bardaro knocked home a net-side rebound in a scramble outside the crease past Swamp Rabbits net-minder Dryden McKay, getting Orlando on the board while trailing 4-1 (Jarrett Lee and Brayden Low assisted). Spencer Kersten, a constant thorn in the side of the Swamp Rabbits, cashed in on a late power play goal with 6.6 seconds left, firing a shot off of a defender in front of McKay that deflected past him to halve the deficit to 4-2 entering the third (Hudson Thornton and Aaron Luchuk assisted).
Kersten struck again early in the third period, bringing Orlando’s comeback rally within striking distance. At 3:08 of the third, Kersten and Jack Adams entered in-zone on a two-on-one following a neutral zone turnover, with Kersten finishing the sequence to close the gap to 4-3 with 3:08 gone by in the third. Hudson Thornton then followed up with 9:09 left in the game with his first goal as a professional, sneaking around the Swamp Rabbits zone and ending with a blue line shot through the slot that beat McKay to square the game at 4-4 (Avery Winslow and Alex Frye assisted). Both teams couldn’t find a winner, prompting overtime for a sixth time in the last nine meetings between these adversaries dating back to the 2024 Kelly Cup Playoffs.
Colton Young exorcised the Swamp Rabbits’ demons and found the second point for Greenville with his second goal of the game. At 2:42 of overtime, Young drove down the middle of the Orlando zone and was there to greet a Bryce Brodzinski pass. The pass carried off his thigh and in, giving the Swamp Rabbits the 5-4 win.
Dryden McKay stopped 27 of 31 shots in earning the win (8-7-1-0).
The Swamp Rabbits now gear up for “Retro Night” on Thursday, December 19th, when the Jacksonville Icemen make their second trip to the Upstate. Puck drop is slated for 7:05 p.m. EST at Bon Secours Wellness Arena.
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 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.
