SWAMP RABBITS BLANKED BY BISON IN SERIES FINALE
McKay stops 16 shots; Bison sweep Swamp Rabbits in 3 games over four days
By: Mark Binetti, Greenville Swamp Rabbits
(GREENVILLE, S.C.) – Dryden McKay stopped all 16 shots he saw and received two point nights from Mark Kaleinikovas and Chongmin Lee to lead the Bloomington Bison to a 4-0 win over the Greenville Swamp Rabbits on Sunday afternoon, earning a three-game sweep in Greenville.
Mark Kaleinikovas opened up the scoring entries with 7:42 to go in the first period, slashing to the spot and firing a Nikita Sedov pass behind Swamp Rabbits net-minder Pierce Charleson, giving the Bison a 1-0 lead with the first goal of the game for a second time in the three game series (Sedov and Chongmin Lee assisted). Moments later, Shane Ott wrapped from behind the Swamp Rabbits net and to the right faceoff circle, rattling the puck off the far post, off of Charleson’s skate, and in, doubling the lead to 2-0 with 4:23 to play (Kaleinikovas and Lee assisted). Dryden McKay, in net for the Bison, stopped all five shots he saw in the first.
The Bison, who utilized quick strike offense all week, got more support in similar fashion in the early stages of the second. At 6:16 of the second, Charleson made a series of saves in close range of his net, but the puck laid in his crease on the most recent attempt. Lou-Felix Denis stepped over the net-minder and poked the puck over the goal line to triple the lead to 3-0 (Mikhail Abramov and Cullen Ferguson assisted). Exactly 76 seconds later, Ilya Tsulygin picked up a neutral zone turnover and found Deni Goure in transition, scoring his second goal of the series over Charleson’s shoulder to push the gap to 4-0 at 7:32. Following the goal, Charleson was subbed out of the game for Simon Latkoczy, making his third appearance in as many games and second time in relief. McKay stopped the next 11 shots he saw over the final two periods, securing his fourth shutout of the season in the 4-0 win.
Pierce Charleson stopped four of eight shots in 27:32 of his start (8-12-3-0). He was replaced by Simon Latkoczy, who turned aside all seven shots he faced in 32:28 of relief.
The Swamp Rabbits play their final three games at home, beginning with the Jacksonville Icemen on Friday, April 17th. Puck drop at Bon Secours Wellness Arena is slated for 7:05 p.m. EST for the first of two against the Icemen.
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SWAMP RABBITS RALLY TO GAIN POINT IN SHOOTOUT LOSS
Jake Percival’s first pro goal ties it with 72 seconds left; Bloomington wins in sixth shootout round
By: Mark Binetti, Greenville Swamp Rabbits
GREENVILLE, SC – Jake Percival tied the game with 72 seconds remaining on his first professional goal, and Simon Latkoczy made 24 saves in his first professional start, but the Bloomington Bison outlasted the Greenville Swamp Rabbits going the distance and then some, winning 3-2 in six shootout rounds on Saturday night.
A stark contrast from the first game of the series, the Swamp Rabbits came out of the opening 20 minutes with a 1-0 lead. With 4:03 gone by in the opening frame, Ryan O’Hara collected a turnover and fired a shot to the net. The puck skipped to Denis Smirnov, bouncing off his paraphernalia and past Bison goalie Dryden McKay to give the Swamp Rabbits a 1-0 lead.
The Bison stormed back in quick fashion in the second period, scoring two goals 11 seconds apart in the first 66 seconds. Nikita Sedov was first 55 seconds in, busting down the middle of a wide open lane with a high finish past Swamp Rabbits net-minder Simon Latkoczy, near-immediately squaring the game at 1-1 (Parker Lindauer and Chongmin Lee assisted). Then 11 seconds after, Lindauer went from the primary assist to scorer, crashing in on a Brenden Datema rebound to quickly push the Bison ahead, 2-1 at 1:06 (Datema and Cullen Ferguson assisted).
It came to the final minutes for the Swamp Rabbits, but one of their newest rookies factored in to perpetuate the game past 60 minutes. With Latkoczy pulled for the extra attacker, Keaton Mastrodonato rifled a shot through traffic that was initially denied by McKay. A rebound came of the chance, leading Jake Percival to cash in for his first professional goal and square the game at 2-2 with 72 seconds left (Mastrodonato and Tim Lovell assisted). Both teams failed to win it in the final 1:12, necessitating overtime.
Seven minutes of three-on-three was also not enough to determine a winner, prompting shootouts to decide once and for all. It pushed all the way to the bottom of the sixth round, where Ilya Tsulygin netted the only goal of the shootout rounds to secure the second point in a 3-2 win for the Bison.
Just two nights after making his professional debut, Simon Latkoczy made his first professional start, suffering the loss with 24 saves on 26 shots in regulation and overtime, along with five of six shooters in the shootout (0-1-0-1).
The Swamp Rabbits play their final four games at home, concluding their three-game set with the Bloomington Bison tomorrow afternoon. Puck drop at Bon Secours Wellness Arena is slated for 3:05 p.m. EST on April 12th, which is “Hockey For Her”, presented by Restore Hyper Wellness, celebrating women’s empowerment and women in sports.
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SWAMP RABBITS TAKE BACK-TO-BACK WINS AGAINST GLADIATORS ON ROAD
Mastrodonato pots game-winner, Berge notches three assist; deficit to final playoff spot is six points with eight games remaining
By: Mark Binetti, Greenville Swamp Rabbits
DULUTH, GA – Parker Berge’s hand stayed hot with a three-assist night, including a dish to Keaton Mastrodonato for the game-winner with 4:22 left in the game, and coupled with Isaiah Saville’s 28 saves powered the Greenville Swamp Rabbits to a 3-2 win on Friday night in Gas South Arena. The Swamp Rabbits second straight win cuts the deficit to the fourth playoff spot to six points with eight games remaining.
Both teams skated to scoreless hockey for 33:10 of regulation before the Swamp Rabbits started a scoring exchange of three goals in 2:39. Tim Rego opened the entries with 6:50 left in the second, capping off a relentless o-zone shift from the slot with a backhand finish past Gladiators goalie Ethan Haider, giving the Swamp Rabbits a 1-0 lead (Patrick Polino and Parker Berge assisted). However, the lead was short lived: 85 seconds later, Adam Eisele picked up a turnover, sashayed by his defender, and zipped a wrist shot past the glove of Swamp Rabbits net-minder Isaiah Saville, squaring the game at 1-1 with 5:25 to go in the second. Atlanta’s offense didn’t stop, with Alex Young sniping on the power play 74 seconds later from the high slot to give the Gladiators what ended up being their only lead with 4:11 to go in the second (Chad Nychuk and Jack O’Brien assisted).
The Swamp Rabbits entered the game 1-23-4-0 when trailing after 40 minutes, and rode a spark from Ryan O’Reilly to an eventual win. With 4:19 gone by in the third, Ryan O’Reilly powered to the Gladiators net and managed to slip the puck by Haider in his crease, squaring the game at 2-2 (Parker Berge had the lone assist). Berge, working on a two-assist game to this point, found a third on the game-winner in the final five minutes. With 4:22 left in the game, Neil Shea found Berge on the blue line, who slung the puck left side to Keaton Mastrodonato. Mastrodonato didn’t hesitate and uncorked a one-timer by Haider to give the Swamp Rabbits their second lead of the game at 3-2. Haider was pulled from his net late for an extra attacker and between Atlanta’s Alex Young clanking the cross bar and Saville making a save with 12.9 seconds left, the Swamp Rabbits hung on for a 3-2 victory.
Isaiah Saville, starting back-to-back games, turned aside 28 of 30 shots in the win (10-12-2-1).
The Swamp Rabbits conclude a three-game-three-day-three-city stretch to conclude five-games-in-seven-days tomorrow night against their in-state rivals, the South Carolina Stingrays. Puck drop at North Charleston Coliseum is slated for 6:05 p.m. EST.
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SWAMP RABBITS FALL IN FINALE OF FIVE-GAMES-IN-SEVEN-DAYS AT SOUTH CAROLINA
Gault nets first pro goal to cut deficit late; elimination number drops to six with seven games remaining
By: Mark Binetti, Greenville Swamp Rabbits
NORTH CHARLESTON, SC — Caiden Gault notched his first professional goal to cut the deficit to two with 7:53 left, but the South Carolina Stingrays, bolstered by Simon Pinard, Dean Loukus, and Mikey Adamson each netting a goal and assist, powered by the Greenville Swamp Rabbits 5-3 on Saturday night. The loss, coupled with a Savannah Ghost Pirates win drops the Swamp Rabbits elimination number to six with seven games remaining, and comes in the anchor game of five-games-in-seven-days to end a stretch of three-games-in-three-days-in-three-cities.
A tone was set right off the hop with three fights taking place in the first 96 seconds of the game. John Parker-Jones tussled with Justin Nachbaur 0:07 in, and was followed four seconds later by Ryan O’Reilly and Ryan Hofer before Keaton Mastrodonato and Dean Loukus danced at 1:36. Once the scraps were done, Ben Poisson got the Swamp Rabbits on the board to start the scoring entries. At 5:46, Josh Zary collected the puck in the corner and hit Poisson with a pass followed by a finish past the outstretched leg of Stingrays goalie Ty Taylor, giving the Swamp Rabbits a 1-0 lead (Zary and Tim Lovell assisted). Moments later, the Stingrays tied with 9:40 to go after Ryan Hofer intercepted a pass at the blue line and beat Swamp Rabbits goaltender Pierce Charleson uncontested. With 30.7 seconds remaining, Mikey Adamson snuck behind everyone in transition and finished an Anthony Rinaldi pass with a five-hole tuck on Charleson, scoring his first professional goal to give the Stingrays a 2-1 lead.
Over the midway point of regulation, Jack Brackett once again drew the game level. With 9:34 left in the second, Ryan O’Reilly kickstarted a transition up the ice with a pass to John Parker-Jones. From neutral ice, Parker-Jones located Brackett, who powered to the net and backhanded the puck with just enough force to bounce off of Taylor and roll in, squaring the game at 2-2. Not too long after, the Stingrays earned back the lead and wouldn’t relinquish it for the rest of the night. With 6:01 to go, Stan Cooley took the puck from behind Charleson’s net and hit Bohlsen with a pass in the net front. Bohlsen was left all alone and outlasted Charleson, finishing with a backhand to push the Stingrays ahead at 3-2 (Cooley and Ludwig Persson assisted). Under three minutes later, the Swamp Rabbits hemmed the Stingrays for around two minutes in the attacking zone, but Simon Pinard carried the puck out to a two-on-one break. Pinard elected to shoot and beat Charleson with a wrister, doubling the lead to 4-2 with 3:34 left (Lynden Breen had the lone assist).
Prior to a Swamp Rabbits third period power play, both teams played four-on-four, and it was there that the Stingrays found more separation. With 11:32 left in the game, Dean Loukus rattled a shot off the back bar and out in close range of the net, widening the gap to 5-2 (Mikey Adamson and Simon Pinard assisted). Needing a spark late, Caiden Gault got one back for the Swamp Rabbits with a milestone moment. With 7:53 remaining, Gault was in the mix in the net-front when a rebound came to his blade off of a Cole Fraser try from distance. He slammed the puck past Taylor to close the distance to 5-3 with his first goal as a professional (Fraser and Joe Prouty assisted, the latter earning his first professional point). The Swamp Rabbits couldn’t find two more to keep the game going and fell by a 5-3 count.
Pierce Charleson stopped 16 of 21 shots in the defeat (8-10-3-0).
The Swamp Rabbits now play their final seven games of the season all at home, beginning in the most important matchup of the season against the Savannah Ghost Pirates on Wednesday, April 8th. Puck drop for their final meeting in the regular season season is slated for 7:05 p.m. EST at Bon Secours Wellness Arena.
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SWAMP RABBITS ELIMINATED FROM PLAYOFF CONTENTION IN LOSS TO GHOST PIRATES
Savannah erases 2-0 deficit, Zabaneh’s second wins game with 6:10 remaining
By: Mark Binetti, Greenville Swamp Rabbits
GREENVILLE, SC – Jack Brackett scored 27 seconds into a must-win game and John Parker-Jones tied it on the power play in the third, but the Savannah Ghost Pirates erased a 2-0 deficit with three second period goals in 4:16, and behind Nick Zabaneh’s two goals, including the game-winner, defeated the Greenville Swamp Rabbits 4-3 on Wednesday night. The regulation loss eliminates the Swamp Rabbits from Kelly Cup Playoff contention for a second straight year.
Needing a win or an overtime finish of any kind to stay alive for the playoffs, Brackett gave the Swamp Rabbits an immediate surge off the draw that lead to a multi-goal lead after 20 minutes. Just 27 seconds into the game, Brackett sniped a shot from the left side upon zone entry that rattled off the back post and out behind Ghost Pirates goalie Vinnie Purpura, giving the Swamp Rabbits a 1-0 lead on their fastest goal to start a game this season (Patrick Polino and Denis Smirnov assisted). Towards the end of the period, Keaton Mastrodonato set a career high with his 25th goal, receiving a “Hail Mary” from Cole Fraser and outlasting Purpura with a freezing deke to double the advantage to 2-0 with 5:07 to play in the second (Fraser and Joe Prouty assisted).
The Ghost Pirates stormed from behind in the second period, scoring three goals in 4:16 to carry a lead into the third. Reece Vitelli started the scoring sequence with a spinning shot from the right circle that slipped under the leg of Swamp Rabbits net-minder Isaiah Saville, cutting the lead to 2-1 at 5:18 (Dennis Cesana assisted). Exactly 2:37 later on what was their final power play of the game, Cesana rifled a high slot one-timer through traffic that beat Saville, squaring the game at 2-2 (Vitelli and Riley Hughes assisted). Then 1:39 later, Nick Zabaneh was wide open backdoor on a chaotic zone entry, tapping the puck past Saville to overtake the Swamp Rabbits at 3-2 with 10:26 to play in the second (Evan Nause and Jaxsen Wiebe assisted). Shortly after, Saville was removed due to injury, leading Pierce Charleson to take over goaltending duties for the rest of the game.
John Parker-Jones gave the Swamp Rabbits life in the final period to put the Swamp Rabbits back in contention. At 4:25 of the final period on what was their last power play, a Ghost Pirates zone exit attempt went off a body and was collected by Josh Zary, who found Parker-Jones for a slot shot that beat Purpura’s outstretched leg to tie the game at 3-3. Zabaneh, who already had a go-ahead goal earlier in the contest, did it for good this time around. With 6:10 left in the game, Logan Drevitch found him with a behind-the-back pass behind the net to Zabaneh on the left, threading a short side shot past Charleson on the near post to put Savannah ahead 4-3 (Drevitch and Wiebe assisted). Charleson was pulled for the extra attacker late, but the Swamp Rabbits couldn’t push the game to overtime, 4-3 the final.
Isaiah Saville stopped 13 of 16 in 30:30 of his start before his removal due to injury. Despite a valiant effort, Pierce Charleson picked up the loss in relief, turning away 12 of 13 in 27:40 of relief (8-11-3-0).
The Swamp Rabbits play their final six games at home, continuing tomorrow with their first-ever meeting with the Bloomington Bison. Puck drop at Bon Secours Wellness Arena is slated for 7:05 p.m. EST on April 9th.
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SWAMP RABBITS FALL IN WILD FIRST-EVER MEETING AGAINST BISON
Grant Porter notches five assists for Bison, 13 combined goals the most in a game this season
By: Mark Binetti, Greenville Swamp Rabbits
(GREENVILLE, S.C.) – Keaton Mastrodonato cut the deficit to two late on a perfect 2/2 power play for the Greenville Swamp Rabbits, but it wasn’t enough to overcome an early 5-1 deficit in a wild first-ever meeting against the Bloomington Bison, who rode Grant Porter’s five assists and eight multi-point scorers to an 8-5 win on Thursday night.
The Swamp Rabbits and Bison exchanged six goals in the opening frame, a season-high total goals in a period for the Swamp Rabbits. Chongmin Lee got the Bison on the board at 2:07 on the power play, and was answered by Tim Rego 32 seconds later to square the game at 1-1 for the Swamp Rabbits. The Bison then went on a 5-0 scoring run that carried into the second period, with four coming in the final 14:27. Parker Gavlas deflected a Mikhail Abramov shot at 5:33 and was followed by Deni Goure 2:50 later at 8:23 to push the Bison ahead 3-1. Brenden Datema rifled a shot from the point through traffic at 12:01 to extend the lead to 4-1, prompting the removal of Pierce Charleson in net for the Swamp Rabbits after allowing four goals on eight shots, paving the way for Simon Latkoczy to make his professional debut. Sullivan Mack was alone in front of Latkoczy with 5:03 to play, providing Bloomington with a commanding 5-1 lead entering the intermission.
Lou-Felix Denis rounded out the scoring run with a laser under the bar at 8:24 of the second to bring the Bison lead to 6-1, but the Swamp Rabbits started to chip away, scoring four of the next six goals in the game. On the Swamp Rabbits first power play of the game, Parker Berge zipped a wrist shot through traffic that bested Bison goalie Dryden McKay, cutting the deficit to 6-2. Berge was answered by the ECHL’s second-leading scoring defenseman, Nikita Sedov, who wrapped around the Swamp Rabbits net and picked up a rebound to re-establish the five-goal gap at 7-2 with 6:30 to play. Caiden Gault then sprung on a break with 4:21 to go, dekeing out McKay to start a 3-0 run for the Swamp Rabbits, making it 7-3 heading into the final period.
Ben Poisson gave the Swamp Rabbits life at 5:00 of the third, picking up a turnover and ringing a shot off of both posts and in, slashing the difference to 7-4. Keaton Mastrodonato added to his career-high goal tally with his 26th, rifling a shot through traffic on the final Swamp Rabbits power play to close the separation to 7-5 with 4:01 left in the game. Latkoczy was pulled late for the extra attacker, but the Swamp Rabbits furious comeback was thwarted with Sullivan Mack’s empty-net strike with 54 seconds remaining, giving the Bison an eventual wild 8-5 win.
Pierce Charleson stopped four of eight shots in 12:01 of his start. He was relived by Simon Latkoczy, who made his professional debut and stopped 20 of 23 shots in 46:19, suffering the loss (0-1-0-0).
The Swamp Rabbits play their final five games at home, continuing tomorrow with their three-game set with the Bloomington Bison. Puck drop at Bon Secours Wellness Arena is slated for 7:05 p.m. EST on April 11th, which is “Fan Appreciation Night”, presented by Fluor, featuring the warmup jerseys in game action followed by a jersey auction after the game.
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SWAMP RABBITS SIGN MASTRODOMENICO TO FIRST PRO CONTRACT
Rookie d-man turns pro after final NCAA season as captain of Notre Dame; signed w/Ontario for 26/27
By: Mark Binetti, Greenville Swamp Rabbits
GREENVILLE, SC – 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 rookie defenseman Michael Mastrodomenico has signed with the team ahead of their final seven games of the regular season.
Mastrodomenico officially turns pro with the Swamp Rabbits, following the end of his Amateur Tryout (ATO) with the team’s AHL affiliate, the Ontario Reign. The 6’0”, 210-pound blueliner completed his senior season with the NCAA’s Notre Dame, serving as captain while earning 13 points (5g-8ast) in 35 contests. After the season when he signed his ATO, Mastrodomenico signed an AHL contract with the Reign that begins in the 2026-27 season.
From Kirkland, Quebec, Mastrodomenico, 21, played 120 games over four seasons with the Fighting Irish, earning 10 goals, 26 assists, and 36 points. Before going to college, he played two seasons in the USHL with the Lincoln Stars, and represented Canada at the 2022 U18 World Junior Championships.
The Swamp Rabbits play their final seven games at home, beginning tonight with a “Waggin Wednesday” showdown against the Savannah Ghost Pirates. Puck drop at Bon Secours Wellness Arena is slated for 7:05 p.m. EST.
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PERCIVAL TURNS PROFESSIONAL WITH SWAMP RABBITS AHEAD OF BUSY WEEK
Rookie forward comes from UConn, was teammate of Schandor’s during 2025 Tournament run
By: Mark Binetti, Greenville Swamp Rabbits
GREENVILLE, SC – 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 forward Jake Percival has turned professional with the team ahead of a four-game-in-five-day stretch.
Percival turns professional following the conclusion of his NCAA college career, which was entirely spent at the University of Connecticut. The 5’10”, 180-pound forward earned 16 points in his senior campaign, split evenly between eight goals and eight assists. Percival helped lead the Huskies to their second straight NCAA Tournament appearance, going +1 in a 2-1 first round defeat to #3 National Seed Michigan State.
From Avon, Connecticut, Percival, 24, completed his UConn career with 30 goals and 61 points in 147 games. In the 2024-25 campaign, he was a teammate of current Swamp Rabbit and former UConn captain, Hudson Schandor, and helped lead the team to their first-ever NCAA Tournament behind a career-high 19 points (9g-10ast) in 39 games. The team finished in the Regional Final round, suffering a heartbreaking loss in overtime to Penn State. Before going to college, Percival played one USHL season with the Cedar Rapids RoughRiders, earning 39 points (15g-24ast) in 59 games.
The Swamp Rabbits play their final seven games at home, beginning tomorrow with a “Waggin Wednesday” showdown against the Savannah Ghost Pirates. Puck drop at Bon Secours Wellness Arena is slated for 7:05 p.m. EST on April 8th.
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SWAMP RABBITS TAKE BACK-TO-BACK WINS AGAINST GLADIATORS ON ROAD
Mastrodonato pots game-winner, Berge notches three assist; deficit to final playoff spot is six points with eight games remaining
By: Mark Binetti, Greenville Swamp Rabbits
DULUTH, GA – Parker Berge’s hand stayed hot with a three-assist night, including a dish to Keaton Mastrodonato for the game-winner with 4:22 left in the game, and coupled with Isaiah Saville’s 28 saves powered the Greenville Swamp Rabbits to a 3-2 win on Friday night in Gas South Arena. The Swamp Rabbits second straight win cuts the deficit to the fourth playoff spot to six points with eight games remaining.
Both teams skated to scoreless hockey for 33:10 of regulation before the Swamp Rabbits started a scoring exchange of three goals in 2:39. Tim Rego opened the entries with 6:50 left in the second, capping off a relentless o-zone shift from the slot with a backhand finish past Gladiators goalie Ethan Haider, giving the Swamp Rabbits a 1-0 lead (Patrick Polino and Parker Berge assisted). However, the lead was short lived: 85 seconds later, Adam Eisele picked up a turnover, sashayed by his defender, and zipped a wrist shot past the glove of Swamp Rabbits net-minder Isaiah Saville, squaring the game at 1-1 with 5:25 to go in the second. Atlanta’s offense didn’t stop, with Alex Young sniping on the power play 74 seconds later from the high slot to give the Gladiators what ended up being their only lead with 4:11 to go in the second (Chad Nychuk and Jack O’Brien assisted).
The Swamp Rabbits entered the game 1-23-4-0 when trailing after 40 minutes, and rode a spark from Ryan O’Reilly to an eventual win. With 4:19 gone by in the third, Ryan O’Reilly powered to the Gladiators net and managed to slip the puck by Haider in his crease, squaring the game at 2-2 (Parker Berge had the lone assist). Berge, working on a two-assist game to this point, found a third on the game-winner in the final five minutes. With 4:22 left in the game, Neil Shea found Berge on the blue line, who slung the puck left side to Keaton Mastrodonato. Mastrodonato didn’t hesitate and uncorked a one-timer by Haider to give the Swamp Rabbits their second lead of the game at 3-2. Haider was pulled from his net late for an extra attacker and between Atlanta’s Alex Young clanking the cross bar and Saville making a save with 12.9 seconds left, the Swamp Rabbits hung on for a 3-2 victory.
Isaiah Saville, starting back-to-back games, turned aside 28 of 30 shots in the win (10-12-2-1).
The Swamp Rabbits conclude a three-game-three-day-three-city stretch to conclude five-games-in-seven-days tomorrow night against their in-state rivals, the South Carolina Stingrays. Puck drop at North Charleston Coliseum is slated for 6:05 p.m. EST.
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SWAMP RABBITS TAKE BACK-TO-BACK WINS AGAINST GLADIATORS ON ROAD
Mastrodonato pots game-winner, Berge notches three assist; deficit to final playoff spot is six points with eight games remaining
By: Mark Binetti, Greenville Swamp Rabbits
DULUTH, GA – Parker Berge’s hand stayed hot with a three-assist night, including a dish to Keaton Mastrodonato for the game-winner with 4:22 left in the game, and coupled with Isaiah Saville’s 28 saves powered the Greenville Swamp Rabbits to a 3-2 win on Friday night in Gas South Arena. The Swamp Rabbits second straight win cuts the deficit to the fourth playoff spot to six points with eight games remaining.
Both teams skated to scoreless hockey for 33:10 of regulation before the Swamp Rabbits started a scoring exchange of three goals in 2:39. Tim Rego opened the entries with 6:50 left in the second, capping off a relentless o-zone shift from the slot with a backhand finish past Gladiators goalie Ethan Haider, giving the Swamp Rabbits a 1-0 lead (Patrick Polino and Parker Berge assisted). However, the lead was short lived: 85 seconds later, Adam Eisele picked up a turnover, sashayed by his defender, and zipped a wrist shot past the glove of Swamp Rabbits net-minder Isaiah Saville, squaring the game at 1-1 with 5:25 to go in the second. Atlanta’s offense didn’t stop, with Alex Young sniping on the power play 74 seconds later from the high slot to give the Gladiators what ended up being their only lead with 4:11 to go in the second (Chad Nychuk and Jack O’Brien assisted).
The Swamp Rabbits entered the game 1-23-4-0 when trailing after 40 minutes, and rode a spark from Ryan O’Reilly to an eventual win. With 4:19 gone by in the third, Ryan O’Reilly powered to the Gladiators net and managed to slip the puck by Haider in his crease, squaring the game at 2-2 (Parker Berge had the lone assist). Berge, working on a two-assist game to this point, found a third on the game-winner in the final five minutes. With 4:22 left in the game, Neil Shea found Berge on the blue line, who slung the puck left side to Keaton Mastrodonato. Mastrodonato didn’t hesitate and uncorked a one-timer by Haider to give the Swamp Rabbits their second lead of the game at 3-2. Haider was pulled from his net late for an extra attacker and between Atlanta’s Alex Young clanking the cross bar and Saville making a save with 12.9 seconds left, the Swamp Rabbits hung on for a 3-2 victory.
Isaiah Saville, starting back-to-back games, turned aside 28 of 30 shots in the win (10-12-2-1).
The Swamp Rabbits conclude a three-game-three-day-three-city stretch to conclude five-games-in-seven-days tomorrow night against their in-state rivals, the South Carolina Stingrays. Puck drop at North Charleston Coliseum is slated for 6:05 p.m. EST.
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SWAMP RABBITS ACQUIRE MILBURN FROM FORT WAYNE ON TRADE DEADLINE
Forward comes in exchange for Josh Atkinson, earned first pro point in three games with Komets
By: Mark Binetti, Greenville Swamp Rabbits
GREENVILLE, SC – 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 forward Connor Milburn has been acquired in addition to future considerations in a trade with the Fort Wayne Komets in exchange for captain Josh Atkinson.
Milburn comes to the Swamp Rabbits after playing in his first professional games with the Komets. The 6’5”, 215-pound forward made his professional debut on March 13th in a 2-1 road loss against the Indy Fuel, and notched his first professional point the next night with an assist in a 3-2 overtime loss on the road against the Bloomington Bison. Milburn turned professional following his fourth and final NCAA season with Lake Superior State, where he captained the Lakers and notched six goals and 19 points in 34 games.
From Kamloops, British Columbia, Milburn, 24, accrued 82 points (34g-48ast) in 130 NCAA games, all with Lake Superior State, and in 2024 garnered CCHA Second All-Star Team recognition and Co-Best Defensive Forward honors. Before going to college, Milburn played all but two BCHL games with the Chilliwack Chiefs, accumulating 42 points in 83 games. His younger brother, Reagan, is currently a junior at Lake Superior State and was his teammate for three seasons.
Atkinson was named the eighth captain in Swamp Rabbits history on November 4th and leaves the Swamp Rabbits as the team’s leading scoring defenseman. He earned 35 points (6g-29ast) in 55 games and set a franchise record for defensemen with a 12-game assist and point streak spanning January 23rd to February 19th.
The Swamp Rabbits conclude their franchise record 11-game road trip with a “three-in-three”, beginning with a pair of matchups against the Savannah Ghost Pirates. Puck drop at Enmarket Arena is slated for 7:00 p.m. EST for both Friday, March 20th, and Saturday, March 21st. The trip concludes Sunday at 5:00 p.m. EST against the Jacksonville Icemen at VyStar Veterans Memorial 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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