BY: Mark Shelley, Greenville Swamp Rabbits
NORFOLK, VA – Early-period goals were too much for the Greenville Swamp Rabbits to overcome. As a result, they fell to the Norfolk Admirals 5-2 in the regular season finale at the Norfolk Scope Arena on Sunday evening.
GAME SHEET: https://bit.ly/3k4FdLn
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1st |
2nd | 3rd |
Final |
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|
GVL |
0 | 1 | 1 |
2 |
|
|
NOR |
2 | 1 | 2 |
5 |
AN EARLY LEAD
Norfolk jumped out to an early 2-0 lead in the first period as Ryan Valentini scored on a breakaway at the 2:00 mark, before Elijah Vilio added the second at 4:47 with a shot from inside the blue line.
The second period started with a Greenville answer, as Nikita Pavlychev carried the puck down the left-hand wing and slid it to the trailing Chase Zieky, who scored his 15th of the season at 1:30. After the midway point of the frame, the Admirals’ offense began generating several threatening chances and capitalized at 17:47, as Marly Quince slid a loose puck into the back of the net.
THIRD PERIOD
In the third period, the Admirals extended their lead to 4-1, as Valentini scored his second of the game at 3:54 before Johnny Coughlin answered for the Swamp Rabbits with his sixth of the season at 12:19. Shortly after, Quince scored his second at 13:48, giving Norfolk the 5-2 scoreline that held to the final horn.
With the loss, the Swamp Rabbits fall to 33-29-6-4, while the Admirals improve to fall to 29-37-3-3.
The Swamp Rabbits had clinched the fourth and final playoff spot in the South Division after the Orlando Solar Bears fell to the Jacksonville Icemen on Saturday night despite the loss. Greenville makes its second consecutive Kelly Cup Playoffs appearance under Head Coach Andrew Lord.
FIRST-ROUND NEXT
The Swamp Rabbits begin the first round of the 2022 Kelly Cup Playoffs on Friday, April 22, at Hertz Arena in Estero, FL, in a best-of-seven series with the Florida Everblades.
Swamp Rabbits Single Game Tickets are on sale now! For more information or to secure your seats today, call 864-674-PUCK (7825) or email INFO@SwampRabbits.com
ABOUT US
Acquired by Spire Sports + Entertainment (SS+E) in 2020, the Greenville Swamp Rabbits hockey team has 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 proud affiliates of the NHL’s Florida Panthers and AHL’s Charlotte Checkers. Additionally, Greenville is a member of the ECHL, Premier ‘AA’ Hockey.
