BENNETT POWERS SWAMP RABBITS TO WIN
BENNETT’S THREE POINTS POWER SWAMP RABBITS TO TWO POINTS
Two assists and the OT winner from Bennett give the Swamp Rabbits five of six points up for grabs
By: Mark Binetti, Greenville Swamp Rabbits
GREENVILLE, SC – Blake Bennett’s three points, including the overtime winner 3:54 into the extra session, powered the Greenville Swamp Rabbits to a 3-2 win over the Jacksonville Icemen on Friday night. The win gives the Swamp Rabbits five of a possible six points through three games in the early stages of the season.
The South Division rivals trade
d blows within two minutes to leave the first 20 minutes deadlocked at 1-1. Jacksonville opened up the scoring with 6:29 to go in the first when Tyler Schleppe and Tanner Kelly forced a turnover and found Drew Kuzma in the net front, tapping the puck past Swamp Rabbits net-minder Owen Flores to take a 1-0 lead. However, 1:50 later, Blake Bennett notched his first of three points, leading Cameron Supryka through the neutral zone with a sneaky pass from the side wall. Supryka located Ryan McAllister down the middle, who buried his first goal as a Swamp Rabbit past Icemen goalie Cameron Rowe to square the game at 1-1.
After a massive second period fight between Joe Prouty and Cody Chiavon, the Swamp Rabbits found a way to break through the deadlock. With 3:07 to play, Bennett found Ryan O’Hara, who powered through two Jacksonville defenders and went in alone on Rowe from just behind the faceoff circles. In a tight window, O’Hara rifled a shot off of two posts and past Rowe over his shoulder, giving the Swamp Rabbits their first lead at 2-1 (Bennett and Jake Murray assisted).
Tim Heinke drew the game level in the early stages of the third period, serving as the final goal of regulation. At 5:47, Schiavon lobbed a long range shot on net that Sasha Teleguine caught a piece of in the net front. The rebound came to Heinke, who tapped it in for his
first professional goal to square the score at 2-2. Both teams failed to end the game in regulation, prompting overtime for the second game in a row for both teams.
At 3:25 of overtime, Will Ennis was called for tripping, putting the Swamp Rabbits on their fourth, and final, power play of the game. Exactly 29 seconds later, Bennett called game. With 3:06 left in OT, Bennett buried a pass from Jake Murray on a sequence started by McAllister, rifling home the game-winner off of Rowe and in to give the Swamp Rabbits a 3-2 victory.
Owen Flores turned aside 30 of 32 shots in the overtime win, his first post regulation action of the season (2-0-0-0).
The Swamp Rabbits continue their first three-in-three with two games against the Greensboro Gargoyles. Puck Drop for the first of two meetings is slated for 7:00 p.m. EST at First Horizon Coliseum.
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.
