Lang breaks tie late to shift duel to Jacksonville
By: Mark Binetti, Greenville Swamp Rabbits
(GREENVILLE, S.C.) – Chase Lang broke a scoreless deadlock in the final minute of the second period and notched two points, and powered by Justen Close’s 32 saves, led the charge for the Jacksonville Icemen to shutout the Greenville Swamp Rabbits by a 3-0 score on Saturday night.
It was a goaltending duel throughout, with both Justen Close of Jacksonville and Dryden McKay of the Swamp Rabbits trading save after save over the first 40 minutes. McKay turned aside 11 first-period shots, while Close countered with eight saves in the opening frame. The back-and-forth continued until the second period’s final minute when a Swamp Rabbits turnover gave the Icemen some life. With 58.2 seconds remaining, Chris Grando found Chase Lang on the left side of the zone, with Lang slashing to the high slot and finishing with a snap shot past McKay to give the Icemen a 1-0 lead (Grando and Ivan Chukarov assisted). Despite the goal allowed, McKay made nine saves in the second, while Close added another 12 to his ledger.
Jacksonville found separation in the final period on special teams before sealing the game late. With 10:53 left, and amid the third Swamp Rabbits power play, Noah Laaouan took a rolling puck off a falling Swamp Rabbit skater and sprung Lang and Zach Jordan on a two-on-one break. Lang found Jordan for a backdoor redirect past McKay to double the Icemen’s lead to 2-0. Rob Calisti netted an insurance tally with an empty net and 2:09 left in the game, while Close finished a dozen more saves to complete a 32-save shutout, a 3-0 Icemen win.
Dryden McKay suffered the defeat, allowing a pair of goals on 28 shots in the loss (8-9-2-0).
The Swamp Rabbits continue their stretch of four games in five nights with the final matchup of their pair against the Jacksonville Icemen with a dog-friendly game on Sunday, presented by Anytime Fitness, on December 29th. Puck drop is at 3:05 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.
