SWAMP RABBITS SAVILLE BLANKS GLADIATORS
SAVILLE BLANKS GLADIATORS TO CAPTURE CHECKERED FLAG ON “NASCAR NIGHT”
Netminder stops 35 shots, 28 in final two periods; Mastrodonato pots two, Berge’s “shorty” the winner
GREENVILLE, SC – Parker Berge’s first period shorthanded strike was the eventual winner in a diverse offensive attack, but it was Isaiah Saville, who stopped all 35 shots he faced, that stole the show to lead the Greenville Swamp Rabbits to a 4-0 win over the Atlanta Gladiators on Thursday night. The win closes the gap from sixth to fourth in the South Division, occupied by the Savannah Ghost Pirates, to eight points with nine games remaining.
Berge started the
offensive diversity in the first period, with the Swamp Rabbits on their first penalty kill. At 6:27 of the period, Josh Zary poked the puck over the Swamp Rabbits blue line and Berge, dragging a defender, managed to catch up to it in the neutral zone. Berge shrugged off his defender and rifled a shot past Gladiators goalie TJ Semptimphelter, giving the Swamp Rabbits a 1-0 lead with his second shorthanded tally of the season. Towards the end of the period, Keaton Mastrodonato notched his first of two on the game to double the lead heading into the locker room. With 18.5 seconds to go, Neil Shead found Berge in transition, creating a two-on-one with Mastrodonato, the latter blasting Berge’s pass to increase the lead to 2-0 after one. Saville saw seven shots in the first, turning aside all of them.
A shorthanded goal and even strength strike in the bag, it was time for the Swamp Rabbits power play to add onto the lead. With 1:10 left in the second, Tim Rego fired a “Hail Mary” from his own goal line all the way down to Mastrodonato at the attacking blue, with the latter deking out Semptimphelter to triple the advantage to 3-0 on the team’s third power play of the game. Saville saw more than double the attack in the second frame, turning aside 15 more Gladiator shots to bring his save total to 22 through 40 minutes.
The power play added a final dagger late in the third period, putting the game further out of reach. With 3:47 left in the game, Denis Smirnov lapped around the Gladiators net and linked up with Shea, who located Ryan O’Hara backdoor for a tap-in to bring the game to its eventual score of 4-0. Saville staved off another onslaught of
13 shots, bringing his final total to 35 in his first shutout.
Saville earned his first win since February 28th , earning his first shutout of the season and third of his ECHL career (9-12-2-1).
The Swamp Rabbits head to the middle of the three-in-three portion of five-games-in-seven-days-in-three-cites, rematching the Gladiators on the road tomorrow. Puck drop at Gas South Arena is slated for 7:10 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.
