By: Mark Shelley, Greenville Swamp Rabbits
GREENVILLE, SC – Nikita Pavlychev had a record-tying four goals, and Alex Ierullo had a six-point night to pave the way for the Greenville Swamp Rabbits to sink the Savannah Ghost Pirates 7-1 on Thursday night at Bon Secours Wellness Arena.
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Greenville entered its penultimate game of the regular season with an early offensive onslaught that saw Nikita Pavlychev score his 21st of the season, a power-play tally, just 3:26 into the game. Pavlychev added to the Swamp Rabbits’ lead with his second of the game at 7:36. At 10:16, Alex Ierullo fed Ben Freeman for a breakaway goal, his 12th of the campaign, for the 3-0 lead. Ierullo extended the Swamp Rabbits’ lead to 4-0 with his 26th of the season at the 13:44 mark.
In the second, Greenville continued its attack, as Pavlychev completed his hat-trick with a power-play goal at 2:44. Just 2:08 later, Pavlychev tied the single-game franchise record with his fourth goal of the game.
The final frame saw Ierullo score his 27th of the season and sixth point of the night, one shy of tying the single-game franchise record, for the 7-0 lead. However, Savannah eventually snapped David Hrenak’s shutout, as Logan Drevitch scored his 14th of the season at 7:58. Hrenak made 41 saves on 42 shots in the win.
With the win, the Swamp Rabbits improve to 39-23-8-1 while the Ghost Pirates fall to 28-33-9-1.
The Swamp Rabbits conclude the regular season with a 7:05 p.m. meeting with the South Carolina Stingrays on Friday night at Bon Secours Wellness Arena.
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. Additionally, Greenville is a member of the ECHL Premier AA Hockey League.
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