By: Mark Shelley, Greenville Swamp Rabbits
NORTH CHARLESTON, SC – A seven-goal night for the Greenville Swamp Rabbits paved the way for the team’s 25th win of the season, as they topped the South Carolina Stingrays 7-5 on Friday night at the North Charleston Coliseum.
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The night opened with sustained offensive pressure by South Carolina. The Stingrays captured the opening goal of the game with Connor Moore’s blue line shot at 8:08. After the Swamp Rabbits’ offense began producing several quality scoring chances, they were rewarded with the tying goal from Josh McKechney, his sixth of the season, at 17:10. Just 18 seconds later, Joe Gateby gave the Swamp Rabbits the lead with a shot from the blue line for his sixth of the season.
The second period saw the Swamp Rabbits add to their lead, as Alex Ierullo scored his 16th of the season on a backside feed from McKechney at 5:30. At 6:23, South Carolina stopped the Greenville charge, as Moore netted a power-play goal for his second of the game. At 8:51, Lawton Courtnall scored his first of the season to tie the game at 3-3 for the Stingrays. Late in the period, at 17:32, Ethan Somoza netted his 12th of the season to re-establish the Greenville lead.
In the third, Brett Kemp kept the puck on a two-on-one break and netted his 11th of the season for a 5-3 Greenville lead. South Carolina regained momentum at 10:49 as Ryan Scarfo one-timed a power-play goal. At 15:15, LA Grissom scored his first as a Swamp Rabbit, winding up from the blue line while the Stingrays were being charged with a delayed penalty. Max Martin scored his sixth of the season at 18:44, adding insurance for Greenville with the empty-net goal. Martin Hâs scored a late goal at 19:39, but it was too late to propel the Stingrays’ offense to a comeback.
With the win, the Swamp Rabbits improve to 25-12-7-0 while the Stingrays fall to 26-12-4-1.
The Swamp Rabbits continue their road trip on Saturday night as they travel to the Vystar Veterans Memorial Arena to take on the Jacksonville Icemen at 7:00 p.m. Swamp Rabbits tickets can be purchased at SwampRabbits.com or the Bon Secours Wellness Arena Box Office.
About the Greenville Swamp Rabbits …
Acquired by Spire Sports + Entertainment (SS+E) in 2020, the Greenville Swamp Rabbits hockey team has provided 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 an ECHL, Premier’ AA’ Hockey League member.
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