MASTRODONATO’S TWO-GOAL NIGHT SPLITS WEEKEND WITH OVERTIME WIN
Five multi-point performers lead Swamp Rabbits in a wild affair to close out weekend
By: Mark Binetti, Greenville Swamp Rabbits
(READING, Pa.) – Keaton Mastrodonato paced five multi-point producers with a pair of goals, including the game-winner at 3:35 of overtime to give the Greenville Swamp Rabbits a split of their weekend set with a 6-5 win over the Reading Royals on Saturday night. Through two games of their franchise record 11-game road trip, the Swamp Rabbits are 1-1-0-0.
Both teams traded blows in a wild opening period that featured five total goals, with Reading taking a 3-2 lead into the intermission. Ryan O’Hara got the Swamp Rabbits on the board at 3:49, but was answered by Reading’s Garrett Devine 14 seconds later to square the game at 1-1 4:03 into the game. Dante Sheriff then buried a Hudson Schandor pass off of a transition play up the ice, giving the Swamp Rabbits a 2-1 lead at 7:34 of the first. However, the Royals struck twice six minutes apart to take the lead: Jacob Frasca tied the game at 2-2 when Massimo Rizzo stole the puck up the wall and found him in the slot, then was followed by a Vincent Sevigny blue line shot following Reading’s only power play of the game that skipped by Isaiah Saville, making it 3-2 with 2:37 to play in the first.
The Swamp Rabbits took over in the second period, beginning with Wade Murphy’s strike early. Just 74 seconds in, Sheriff stuck with a bouncing puck in neutral ice and got just enough leverage to get a pass of to Murphy, who broke in all alone and deked out Keith Petruzzelli in the Royals net to square the game at 3-3. Brent Pedersen then broke through to give the lead back to the Swamp Rabbits with 8:40 left in the second, hacking away at a multitude of bounces in the net front, eventually slipping one by Petruzzelli’s glove to make it a 4-3 lead heading into the third.
Two former Swamp Rabbits struck back quickly to overtake their former team, before Mastrodonato started his hot streak to end the game. At 4:31, Brandon Saigeon won a faceoff back to Austin Saint, who fired a seeing eye shot from the blue line that whizzed over Saville’s shoulder, tying the game at 4-4. Kyle Haskins followed up later when a turnover turned into a passing sequence, with him stationed in front of the net to knock home a rebound, putting the Royals back in the driver’s seat at 5-4 with 7:40 to play. Mastrodonato then made his presence felt, tying the game with his first of two. With 5:32 to go, Cole Fraser rocketed a puck up in the neutral zone that was redirected by Kenta Isogai to Mastrodonato, who in turn found O’Hara with space. O’Hara outlasted Petruzzelli and slipped the puck to the middle, with Mastrondato slamming it home to tie the game at 5-5, eventually forcing overtime.
At 3:35 of overtime, Tim Lovell found Hudson Schandor streaking through neutral ice, creating a two-on-one with him and Mastrodonato. Schandor deferred to Mastrodonato, who blasted home his second of the game, giving him his third overtime winner of the season in his fifth multi-goal game of the year, and the Swamp Rabbits a 6-5 win.
Isaiah Saville stopped 15 of 20 shots, claiming the win (8-7-0-1).
The Swamp Rabbits now transition their 11-game road trip to Florida, where they’ll take on the Everblades on March 4th and March 6th. Puck drop for both Wednesday and Friday is slated for 7:30 p.m. at Hertz Arena.
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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SWAMP RABBITS FALL IN FIRST GAME OF ROAD TRIP IN READING
Michel strikes twice, Perets near-perfect as Swamp Rabbits fall 4-1
By: Mark Binetti, Greenville Swamp Rabbits
(READING, Pa.) – Tim Lovell gave the Greenville Swamp Rabbits life in the third period, but it was negated 25 seconds later by Jeremy Michel’s second of the game, and coupled by his performance and Yaniv Peret’s 36 saves, led the Reading Royals to a 4-1 win on Friday night. The game started a franchise record 11-game road trip for the Swamp Rabbits.
Both teams skated to a scoreless deadlock after one period, with Reading finally breaking through in the second. Ben Meehan started the scoring entries at 6:34 of the second, parking himself in the net front and getting a piece of a Miles Gendron shot through traffic that squeaked past Swamp Rabbits net-minder Isaiah Saville, giving the Royals a 1-0 lead (Gendron and Massimo Rizzo assisted). Towards the end of the period, the Swamp Rabbits failed the clear their zone at the blue line, with Gendron keeping the zone. Gendron found Kyle Haskins down low, who deferred to Michel for a tap in to double the Royals lead to 2-0 with 1:55 left in the period.
Tim Lovell finally gave the Swamp Rabbits some life at the midway point of the final period, but it was immediately answered to take the momentum out of the comeback. At 8:32, Keaton Mastrodonato found Lovell and Ryan O’Hara, with the latter two going on a give-and-go while slashing past the defense. O’Hara waited long enough to bait Yaniv Perets in net for the Royals and dish to Lovell, who slammed the puck into the wide open net to cut the deficit to 2-1. However, 25 seconds later, the puck was misplayed behind the Swamp Rabbits net to Austin Saint, who found Michel open in the slot for a quick response to re-establish the Royals multi-goal lead to 3-1 with 11:03 to play. Saville was pulled late for the extra-attacker to try and mount a two-goal comeback, but the puck was turned over to Liam Devlin as the team tried to go up the ice. Devlin hit the empty net with 1:56 to play, giving the Royals a 4-1 win.
Isaiah Saville suffered the loss, stopping 27 of 30 shots in the effort (7-7-0-1).
The Swamp Rabbit continue their franchise record 11-game road trip with a rematch against the Reading Royals, the second in their pair of games to close out February. Puck drop the weekend finale is slated for 7:00 p.m. EST at Santander Arena tomorrow night, February 28th.
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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JAKE MURRAY SIGNS PTO WITH AHL ROCKFORD
Third-year defenseman leaves Swamp Rabbits as +/- leader; earns second AHL call-up
By: Mark Binetti, Greenville Swamp Rabbits
(GREENVILLE, S.C.) – The Greenville Swamp Rabbits, proud ECHL affiliate of the NHL’s Los Angeles Kings and AHL’s Ontario Reign, announced via a Swamp Rabbit Moving Transaction that defenseman Jake Murray has signed a PTO with the AHL’s Rockford IceHogs.
Murray goes back to the AHL for a second time this season. The 6’3”, 216-pound blue-liner has played all but three games as a Swamp Rabbit this season, earning two goals and a dozen assists for 14 points in 46 games, while also leading the Swamp Rabbits with a +9 rating. Murray was last called up to the AHL on a PTO with the defending Calder Cup Champion Abbotsford Canucks, logging one appearance on November 11th.
Hailing from Oakville, Ontario, Murray, 23, is in his third season of professional hockey. Between his time in the AHL with the Canucks and Texas Stars, and his ECHL career with the Swamp Rabbits, Idaho Steelheads, and Cincinnati Cyclones, he holds nine goals and 58 points in 166 games. Prior to his professional experience, Murray skated in 257 games in the OHL with the Kingston Frontenacs and Guelph Storm, collecting 100 points (14g-86ast). He served as an alternate captain for three seasons: two with Kingston and one with Guelph.
The Swamp Rabbits now begin a franchise record 11-game road trip this Friday, February 27th, taking on the Reading Royals for a pair of games to close out February. Puck drop the opener is slated for 7:00 p.m. EST at Santander Arena.
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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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