SWAMP RABBITS OUTLAST GHOST PIRATES FOR WILD FIRST WIN
Seven combined goals in second period set the table for shootout win
By: Mark Binetti, Greenville Swamp Rabbits
(SAVANNAH, Ga.) – The Greenville Swamp Rabbits got two goals from Cam Hausinger and three assists from Jake Murray to set the table for Hudson Schandor’s shootout winner in the bottom of the fourth round, powering the team to a 5-4 win over the Savannah Ghost Pirates on Saturday night.
The win marks the first one for the Swamp Rabbits and Head Coach/General Manager Chad Costello.
Josh Lopina opened the scoring entries with the only ignition of the goal lamp in the first period, giving Savannah a lead in four-on-four hockey. At 4:37, Lopina was wide open in the net front, and slapped a Dennis Cesana pass by Swamp Rabbits net-minder Pierce Charleson, giving the Ghost Pirates a 1-0 lead (Cesana and Nick Zabaneh assisted). Eight penalties were called in the first frame, with both teams leaving 0/3 on the man advantage.
In the second period, the script flipped: there were two penalties and seven combined goals that swa both teams finish with a 4-4 deadlock. Cam Hausinger and Stepan Timofeyev hit paydirt 10 seconds apart to give Greenville a 2-1 lead 2:32 into the second, but were answered by Robert Mastrosimone on a netfront rebound at 8:02.
From there, four goals were exchanged in 3:09 of gametime: Hausinger gave the visitors back the lead on a highlight-reel net-front drive with 9:33 left, but was answered 49 seconds later by Bryce Brodzinski to tie it for the Ghost Pirates, later followed 51 seconds after by Matt Koopman. Hausinger netted a second and ended the run 1:09 after Koopman to tie the game with 6:24 left in the second, bringing the game to a 4-4 standstill. When the dust settled, seven goals were scored in 11:24.
Both teams couldn’t solve each other in the final frame and the ensuing overtime, leading Greenville to their first shootout since January 25th of last season. With the Swamp Rabbits shooting second, Robert Mastrosimone and Patrick Polino traded misses, followed by Bryce Brodzinski and Kenta Isogai converting in the second round, knotting the shootout at 1-1 entering the final set.
Josh Lopina and Tate Singleton were both denied, extending the shootout to a sudden-death fourth round. Pierce Charleson, in net for Greenville, staved off Dennis Cesana, setting the table for Hudson Schandor to win it in the bottom of the fourth round. Schandor fired a laser past Ghost Pirates goaltender Michael Simpson, giving the Los Angeles Kings’ ECHL affiliates their first win of the season, 5-4.
Pierce Charleson, making his first start of the season, stopped 28 of 32 shots in the win, his first-ever shootout (1-0-0-0).
Greenville returns home to finish a busy weekend of hockey, taking on the in-state rival South Carolina Stingrays tomorrow afternoon. Puck drop at Bon Secours Wellness Arena is slated for 3:05 p.m. EST.
About the Greenville Swamp Rabbits …
Acquired by Spire Sports + Entertainment (SS+E) in 2020, the Greenville Swamp Rabbits hockey team have 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 a member of the ECHL, Premier ‘AA’ Hockey League.
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