JACKSONVILLE, FL – The Jacksonville Icemen, proud ECHL affiliate of the NHL’s New York Rangers and the AHL’s Hartford Wolf Pack, announced today that the team has agreed to terms with defenseman Garret Cockerill for the 2022-2023 season.

Cockerill, 28, returns for a second stint in Jacksonville after recording 23 points (4g, 19a) in 41 games played last season with the Reading Royals.  Cockerill initially played for the Icemen during the 2018-2019 season, collecting 14 points in 40 games.  The 6-0, 210-pound defenseman has totaled 111 points (23g, 88a) in 226 career ECHL games split between the Icemen, Reading Royals, Tulsa Oilers, and Kalamazoo Wings.

Cockerill has also registered 19 points in 56 career AHL games with the Cleveland Monsters from 2017-2019.  Before his professional career, the Brighton, Michigan resident played four seasons at Northeastern University, where he totaled 84 points (19g, 65a) from 2014-2018 while winning a Hockey East championship in 2016.

The following is a list of players that have agreed to terms with the Icemen for the 2022-2023 season:

Goaltender
Charles Williams

Defensemen
Garret Cockerill
Victor Hadfield
Bo Hanson
Brandon Fortunato
Brendan Less
Jacob Panetta
Tim Theocharidis

Forwards
Jake Hamacher
Brendan Harris
Luke Keenan
Luke Lynch
Matt Salhany
Sam Sternschien
Mike Szmatula

The Icemen open the 2022-2023 season at home on October 22 against the Orlando Solar Bears.  Full and partial season ticket packages are currently available!   Contact the Icemen office at 904-602-7825, or visit jacksonvilleicemen.com for more information.

#LitesOut

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The post REED: JACKSONVILLE ICEMEN ADD GARRET COCKERILL first appeared on Howlings.

JACKSONVILLE, FL – The Jacksonville Icemen, proud ECHL affiliate of the NHL’s New York Rangers and the AHL’s Hartford Wolf Pack announced today that the team has agreed to terms with forwards Mike Szmatula (pictured above) and Matt Salhany for the 2022-2023 season.

MIKE SZMATULA

Szmatula, 29, returns for his second stint with the Icemen after posting 19 points (9g, 10a) in 32 games played overseas last season in Denmark with Sonderjyske. Szmatula played for the Icemen during the 2020-21 season where he collected 41 points (22g, 19a) in 62 games.  The 5-9, 180-pound forward has totaled a balanced 140 points (69g, 71a) in 184 career ECHL games split between Jacksonville and the Adirondack Thunder.   Szmatula (pronounced smuh-two-luh) has also appeared in five American Hockey League games split between the Stockton Thunder and Utica Comets during the 2018-19 season.  Prior to his professional career, Szmatula totaled 108 points (47g, 61a) in four collegiate seasons split between Northeastern University (2013-2015) and the University of Minnesota (2016-2018).  The Commerce, Michigan resident won a Clark Cup Championship and was named the Clark Cup Playoffs MVP while with the Dubuque Fighting Saints in 2013.

MATT SALHANY

Salhany, 29, joins the Icemen after playing with Szmatula in Denmark (Sonderjyske) where he accrued 30 points (16g, 14a) in 35 games this past season. The 5-10, 179-pound forward has posted 97 points in 148 career ECHL games in stints with the Adirondack Thunder, Reading Royals, and South Carolina Stingrays, which includes a 51-point and 26-goal season with Adirondack in 2019-2020.  Prior to his professional career, the Warwick, RI resident played four seasons at the University of Alabama-Huntsville where he logged 43 points.

We’re excited to have Matt and Mike in Jacksonville,” said Icemen Head Coach Nick Luukko. “Both guys are speedy, skilled, and are experienced forwards that will inject energy into our lineup every night.”

Szmatula and Salhany become the first two players to agree to terms with the Icemen for the 2022-2023 season.

TICKETS

Full and partial season packages for the 2022-2023 season are currently available!   Contact the Icemen office at 904-602-7825, or visit jacksonvilleicemen.com for more information.

Jacksonville Icemen Hockey is Presented by Community First Credit Union

#YourCityYourTeam

JACKSONVILLE ICEMEN

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HARTFORD, CT – After 24 years as the lone voice of the Hartford Wolf Pack, Bob Crawford is no longer with the team, as announced early Monday morning by the team’s VP of Business Operations, Erik Hansen.

“We offered (Crawford) a contract, but he turned it down,” Hansen said. “I understand it completely. We will miss him greatly. He did a lot of good for the Wolf Pack. It was a pure business decision.”

Crawford was, as he has always been, a true professional in his response.

“We couldn’t agree on a financial framework that worked. They have their budget, and I have mine.”

THOMAS NAMED AS REPLACEMENT

Crawford’s replacement as the voice of the team is Alex Thomas. He has worked as the Director Marketing for the USPHL’s Northern (MA) Cyclones, plus he did the USPHL Nationals in 2019. He was the voice of the Northeastern University (HE) national champion women’s team, UMASS-Lowell (HE), Holy Cross (AHA), and Division-III’s Tufts University (MASCAC). He has also done AHL work with the Springfield Thunderbirds in 2015-16 and the 2019 U-18 All-Star Game at Merrimack College.

Wolf Pack play-by-play will only be heard on the internet as they have for the last two years as the team has had no over-the-air radio broadcasting agreement.

The team will have two midday home exhibition games on October 6th and the other on October 8th. There will be no outside arena this year because of the COVID-19 situation. As for the regular season at the XL Center, as per Connecticut state mandate, a mask will be required despite vaccination status.

PROMOTIONS

The team will have some restrictions on player interaction this year. An organizational decision is there will be only a few handout giveaways this season, except for opening night against the newly renamed Bridgeport Islanders on October 15th. A rally towel and magnet schedule will be the giveaway.

The team will honor their 2000 Calder Cup Championship team in the 25th anniversary year tentatively set for March 26th. Details will be forthcoming.

For now, the league will play the AHL All-Classic in Laval, Quebec – just outside of Montreal – the last weekend of January 2022

UPDATES ON PLAYERS

A few players, captain Vincent LoVerde (Austria), Patrick Sieloff (Germany on a try-out), and Patrick Newell (Norway), are in Europe. Darren Raddysh is now in the Tampa Bay organization and perhaps Syracuse (AHL) with his brother, Taylor. No word yet on Gabriel Fontaine, who did not receive an offer to return after two years of injuries.

HANSEN AND THE SCHEDULE

Going to a 72-games doesn’t bother Hansen at all.

“It’s good to get rid of that many Wednesday games. I’m all in favor of it. I think next year, when everybody has the same schedule; it will be even easier.”

The proposed new ownership with OVG is pending, and there’s not much Hansen can do at this point.

“It was a chance it might happen. We (Spectra-to-OVG) have to go through the reg (regulatory) process, and there won’t be any changes here. But, of course, it’s a new deal and an organization to operate under, and we’ll just go on. There is no news on the building repairs or operations at all,” remarked Hansen.

Efforts to reach CRDA Executive Director Mike Freimuth, either by phone or e-mail, have been unsuccessful, so there’s no way to get a reaction regarding the building and its future operations.

PLAYER MOVEMENT

Former UCONN player Ben Freeman goes from Pensacola (SPHL) to the Greenville Swamp Rabbits (ECHL).

Austin McillMurrat (Sacred Heart University (AHA)/Selects Academy at South Kent) goes from the Wichita Thunder (ECHL) to the Florida Everblades (ECHL).

HARTFORD WOLF PACK

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BOSTON, MA – Friday night, UCONN played a complete and robust game in all three zones holding an advantage in both shots and faceoff wins, leading them to a 4-1 win over the 14th-ranked Northeastern University at the Matthews Arena in downtown Boston.

“I think that was a complete game against a very good team,” UCONN Head Coach Mike Cavanaugh stated. “We had a good second period and finished it off in the third. We had four lines rolling, and everybody contributed.”

The Huskies record improves to 8-6-2 in Hockey East. They’re gaining momentum and remain hot at 5-1-1 in their last seven games and move into third place in Hockey East, inching ahead of the idle Providence College Friars.

SECOND PERIOD UPRISING

In the second period, UCONN outshot Northeastern 12-6, and they dominated at the face-off dot. In two key situations, they scored on both.

UCONN took advantage of a bad Northeastern (6-5-2) pass from New York Rangers draft pick Riley Hughes late in his shift. UCONN’s Vladislav Firstov got a loose biscuit and sent a pass to Artem Schlaine, who had just jumped on the ice. The pass put Schlaine all alone for a breakaway.

Schlaine’s patience allowed him to beat goaltender Connor Murphy through the five-hole giving him his first collegiate goal. He also extended his point-scoring streak to a season and team-high of six games.

“There’s a direct correlation to scoring goals and playing well,” Schlaine said. “Everyone knows their role, and it took me some time to get used to it. I’m still getting used to it,

“I just hopped on the ice. I was on the red line already, and I got a bit lucky, thanks to him.”

Schlaine helped UCONN build to a 42-25 shot advantage to that point in the game, leaving their head coach with a Cheshire Cat-like grin.

“It’s big for (his confidence). He’s halfway through his freshmen year. He has had a lot of chances to score. I told him to stick with it. They’ll go in for you.

“Vlad made a great pass to spring him for that breakaway. That’s a goalscorer’s goal, going five-hole like that. I hope this is a springboard for him for many more goals to come.”

EVANS DOES IT AGAIN

Zac Robbins hustled to get back and prevented Northeastern from getting an odd-man rush. On the next shift, UCONN’s red-hot Jonny Evans scored again for his team-leading and conference-best 12th goal of the season. His goal would prove to be the eventual game-winner.

Center Jachym Kondelik took a John Spetz pass and entered the NU zone. He spotted Evans jumping into an open seam on the left-wing side and then cut across to the right-wing past NU defenseman Michael Kesselring.

Evans waited until the last possible second when Murphy dropped to one knee, and Evans went through the wickets for a 3-1 UCONN lead. Evans shares the conference scoring lead with Bobby Trivgno of UMASS-Amherst.

“That was a very big backcheck for us, and Jachym and Jonny were at the tail end of their shift there,” Cavanaugh said. “Jachym pulled up and found Jonny, and he made a real good play going through a guy and made a play going five-hole.”

UCONN goaltender, Tomas Vomacka, came up with a big save at the last second of the period on a shot from Ty Jackson, who was alone at the right post. He got a piece of it as his lateral skills paid big dividends for UCONN.

THIRD PERIOD

In the third frame, UCONN continued to win draws and maintain puck possession. They made Northeastern chase them, and it paid off when UCONN scored a timely goal to expand their lead to two goals.

‘I give credit to Will Moran, who works with our guys on face-offs with our centers and studies face-offs. We had a pretty good game plan going in, and the players executed it. It’s important when you’re winning face-offs. You’re not chasing the game.”

Schlaine confirmed that practice had made a difference.

“We work on face-offs every practice, and we watch videos of the other teams’ face-offs. Going into a game is about preparation. We work all week long to prepare for our opponent.

Wheeler, a defenseman, was open and took a pass from Ryan Tverberg, a second-semester addition, in the slot and skated in from twenty-feet out. The shot went over Murphy’s left shoulder, off the post, and in. He had kept Northeastern in the game. For Wheeler, it was his second goal of the year and came at 5:52.

“Going into the third, some teams with a 3-1 lead might just want to chip it in and back off. We just keep coming, and that’s why we have been successful.”

POWERFUL POWER PLAY

Before the game, Cavanaugh was worried about the Northeastern conference-best power play.

It took all of ten seconds to get a 1-0 lead.

Northeastern won the draw cleanly. Zach Solow took it away from Adam Karashik and sent it to Jordan Harris, who put a perfect pass/shot on the net. Solow, Northeastern’s leading scorer, put his stick down on the ice and redirected his seventh goal of the season past Vomacka at 10:01.

Harris, a Montreal Canadien draftee and prospect, had great poise at the point. With 3:13 left, while back-skating from a check on Jake Flynn, he snapped a wrister off his back foot in an attempt to get a second goal, but Vomacka made the save on his low shot.

UCONN LINES

Vladislav Firstov–Jachym Kondelik-Jonny Evans
Marc Gatcob-Artem Schlaine-Carter Turnbull
Kale Howarth-Hudson Schandor-Ryan Tverberg
Zac Robbins-Brian Rigali-Nick Capone

Yan Kuznetsov-Adam Karashik
Carter Berger-John Spetz
Ryan Wheeler-Jake Flynn
Harrison Rees

Tomas Vomacka

GAME NOTES

UCONN doubled up Northeastern, outshooting them 42-25, and in winning face-offs 39-22.

Kondelik had two more assists and leads Hockey East with 16.

In other Friday night Hockey East action, Boston College’s Drew Helleson’s dramatic end-to-end rush led to a highlight-reel goal coming with one-tenth of a second left (4:59.9) in OT. It gave the Eagles a 4-3 OT win over their traditional longtime rival.

The University of New Hampshire knocked off UMASS-Lowell, 2-1. UMASS-Lowell lost to UCONN on Tuesday at Tsongas Arena.

UCONN could crack the nation’s Top 20 poll rankings on Monday.

Lindenwood University (Lake Charles, MO), just outside of St. Louis, and their Division-1 ACHA club team will make the jump to  NCAA Division-1, as Arizona State also did, going from a club program to D-1 for 2022-23 season. The current head coach is former NHL defenseman Rick Zombo.

OTHER COLLEGE HOCKEY NEWS

Daniel Bäckström of Westfield State (MASCAC) signs with Kallinge/ Ronneby IF (Sweden HockeyEttan Division-1).

Verners Egle goes from AIC (AHA) to Liepaja (Latvia-LHL), making 85 college players signing in Europe. 348 total college players from Division-I and D-III to sign in Europe and North America.

Big college hockey meeting Friday and Saturday night as the 11th ranked Wisconsin Badgers travel to Minnesota to play the second-ranked Golden Gophers on Fox Sports North at 9 PM Eastern.

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The post CANTLON: UCONN SKATES PAST NORTHEASTERN 4-1 first appeared on Howlings.

Greenville, SC – The Greenville Swamp Rabbits have signed defenseman Eric Williams and forward Shawn Cameron to a Standard Player Contract for the 2020-21 season.

Williams, 25, skated in 62 games on the blue line with the Utah Grizzlies during the 2019-20 season and registered 23 points (seven goals, 16 assists) in his rookie campaign. The Newmarket, Ontario native turned pro late in 2018-19 by appearing in two games with the Manchester Monarchs and tallying two assists before playing in two games with the Charlotte Checkers.

In four seasons at Northeastern University, Williams helped the Huskies capture two Hockey East titles.

Cameron, 25, turns pro after playing his last four seasons at Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT). From 2016-2020, the 5-foot-11, 194-pound forward registered 71 points (35 goals, 36 assists) in 140 games at RIT.

Before college, Cameron led the CCHL in goals (40), points (91), and earned league Most Valuable Player and First All-Star Team during the 2015-16 campaign with the Cumberland Grads.

The Greenville Swamp Rabbits will turn their sights on a three-games-in-three-nights stretch beginning tonight at 7:05 p.m. The Swamp Rabbits will battle the South Carolina Stingrays on back-to-back nights in Charleston tonight and tomorrow. Greenville will conclude the weekend with a 3:05 p.m. Sunday matinee against the Jacksonville Icemen at Bon Secours Wellness Arena. Ticket information is available online at SwampRabbits.com.

#RABBITSRISING#

SINGLE GAME TICKETS ARE ON SALE NOW!
Rise With Us and join us at Bon Secours Wellness Arena for the return of professional hockey in the United States! Single Game Tickets are available to purchase today here.

The post TRUST: GREENVILLE ADDS TWO MORE PLAYERS first appeared on Howlings.

BY: Matt Trust, Greenville Swamp Rabbits

Greenville, SC – The Greenville Swamp Rabbits are proud to announce the signing of skilled power forward Liam Pecararo to a Standard Player Contract for the 2020-21 season. Pecararo, 24, enjoyed a breakout rookie campaign with Greenville in 2019-20 and earned eight games with the American Hockey League’s Springfield Thunderbirds.

“Pecararo is a dynamic offensive player with great skating ability,” said Swamp Rabbits Head Coach and Director of Hockey Operations Andrew Lord. “He is very effective off the rush, contributes on the power play, and had a great season here last year.”

Entering his second full professional season, Pecararo dazzled in his rookie campaign with Greenville. The Canton, Massachusetts native finished third on the Swamp Rabbits in total scoring with 44 points (23 goals, 21 assists) in 39 games, and led the club in goals. In eight games with the AHL’s Thunderbirds, Pecararo tallied an assist on January 17, 2020, at Syracuse.

The 5-foot-11, 188-pound forward finished seventh in ECHL rookie scoring, tied for third in power play goals (6), and first in shorthanded goals (3) among rookies.

Pecararo secured a Hockey East Championship with Northeastern University in 2019 and totaled 118 points (42 goals, 76 assists) in 135 games across three seasons with the USHL’s Waterloo Black Hawks.

The Greenville Swamp Rabbits will welcome fans back inside Bon Secours Wellness Arena for live entertainment on December 5. The Swamp Rabbits face the South Carolina Stingrays in preseason action scheduled for a 7:05 p.m. puck drop. Tickets are now available online at Ticketmaster.

Greenville will open the 2020-21 regular season on December 11 in Charleston against the Stingrays. The Swamp Rabbits are slated to open the home portion of their regular season schedule on December 18 against the Florida Everblades. Join us for “Heroes of the Upstate,” where we honor those who have courageously served the Upstate community during the on-going fight against COVID-19. To nominate your hero, click here.

#RABBITSRISING#

SEASON TICKETS ARE ON SALE NOW!
Support the Swamp Rabbits and get the best price on tickets for the 2020–21 season. Take part in team events and get some sweet benefits, starting at just $450 per seat, or just $12.50 per game.

GEAR UP!
Get ready for the 2020–21 season by heading to our online store, the Hop Shop to purchase your brand new jerseys. On sale now!

The post TRUST: DYNAMIC FORWARD LIAM PECARARO REJOINS FOR ’20-21 first appeared on Howlings.

Forward, who took part in the preseason, joins active roster

BY: Jordan Kuhn, Greenville Swamp Rabbits

GREENVILLE, S.C. — The Greenville Swamp Rabbits have signed forward Lincoln Griffin to a standard player contract. The 23-year-old Massachusetts native took part in the preseason with Greenville before finding a pro home with the Roanoke Rail Yard Dawgs.

In 26 games in the SPHL, Griffin has posted 8 goals and 6 assists for 14 points. Griffin is in the midst of his first professional season out of Northeastern University, where he played 154 games, was part of two Hockey East championships, and a Beanpot championship.

In his prep school days at Thayer Academy, Griffin captured All-USA Hockey Second Team honors in 2015, and the Five Nations Tournament gold in 2014.

Jim Madigan, Griffin’s head coach at Northeastern, described him as a player with a nonstop motor and a cerebral, smart player.

Get Social: Follow the Swamp Rabbits and get behind-the-scenes coverage like never before on the team’s official Facebook and Twitter pages!

Contact a Swamp Rabbits Account Executive at 864.674.PUCK (7825) for information on 2019–20 ticket plans, special group rates, and hospitality opportunities and secure your seats today! Get the latest Swamp Rabbits gear by visiting the “Hop Shop” online at Shop.SwampRabbits.com to browse the full collection of fan wear and novelties!

The post KUHN: (FRI) SWAMP RABBITS SIGN LINCOLN GRIFFIN first appeared on Howlings.

Swamp Rabbits’ leading scorer earns trip to Wichita

BY: Jordan Kuhn, Greenville Swamp Rabbits

PRINCETON, N.J. — Greenville Swamp Rabbits forward Liam Pecararo has been named to Team East as part of the 2020 Warrior/ECHL All-Star Classic, presented by Toyota, to take part at INTRUST Bank Arena on Wednesday, January 22 at 7:00 p.m. CST. The game will air LIVE, exclusively on the NHL Network.

Pecararo, 23, has been not only one of the ECHL’s most electrifying rookies, but one of the most electrifying players in the league. As of Monday, January 6, Pecararo ranked ninth in league scoring with 33 points, tied for third in league goal scoring with 18 goals, and tied for second in the league with three shorthanded goals.

Pecararo has posted points in 18 of 27 games he has played during his debut season in the ECHL. His season has included eleven multi-point efforts. The Massachusetts native is shooting 21.1% on the season, more than double the league average.

Currently, the Northeastern University product is on recall to the Springfield Thunderbirds, the official AHL affiliate of the Florida Panthers. He was signed out of Northeastern by the Panthers after helping the Huskies capture a Beanpot championship, a Hockey East title, and a berth into the 2019 NCAA Tournament.

Pecararo’s top-flight pedigree dates back to his time in juniors as part of the Waterloo Black Hawks of the United States Hockey League. Under head coach P.K. O’Handley, the league’s leader in coaching wins, and three-time USHL Coach of the Year, Pecararo was a key part of two Western Conference Final runs, and one run to the Clark Cup Final. He scored 118 points in 135 games in Waterloo.

His final season in Waterloo saw him named to the 2015–16 U.S. Junior Select Team. He helped the team capture the bronze medal at the World Junior A Challenge.

The Warrior/ECHL All-Star Classic, presented by Toyota, will feature a 3-on-3 tournament with four teams competing for the top spot. The host Wichita Thunder will make up two of the four teams and face off against the other two teams made up of All-Star players from the Eastern and Western Conference. These four teams will compete in a 3-on-3 tournament with rally scoring in order to crown a winner. The 2020 Kansas Star Casino/ECHL All-Star Skills Competition will take place in between rounds of the tournament, with results counting towards the cumulative score.

68 players from the ECHL All-Star Game have gone on to play in the NHL, including 52 since 2002. The rosters for the Eastern and Western Conference were determined in a vote of coaches, team captains, media relations directors, broadcasters, and members of the media.

For more information on the 2020 Warrior/ECHL All-Star Classic, presented by Toyota, and to purchase tickets, go to echlallstarclassic.com.

Get Social: Follow the Swamp Rabbits and get behind-the-scenes coverage like never before on the team’s official Facebook and Twitter pages!

Contact a Swamp Rabbits Account Executive at 864.674.PUCK (7825) for information on 2019–20 ticket plans, special group rates and hospitality opportunities and secure your seats today! Get the latest Swamp Rabbits gear by visiting the “Hop Shop” online at Shop.SwampRabbits.com to browse the full collection of fan wear and novelties!

The post KUHN: LIAM PECARARO NAMED TO WARRIOR/ECHL ALL-STAR CLASSIC first appeared on Howlings.

Swamp Rabbits enter the new decade this week

BY: Jordan Kuhn, Greenville Swamp Rabbits

Greenville, SC – The Greenville Swamp Rabbits exited the holiday break knowing that the crammed schedule would not favor them. It started with a three-in-three, and it began at home against the Norfolk Admirals.

Neither team was particularly defensively sharp in an 8-5 track meet in which the Swamp Rabbits held two leads in the second period. However, said second period featured seven overall goals, and the Admirals scored five of the final six goals in the game to pick up the win.

Greenville avenged the Friday loss with a more buttoned-up 4-2 win. While Norfolk once again struck first a few minutes into the action, the Swamp Rabbits scored four of the final five goals of the game. Forward Liam Pecararo showcased his clutch skill in the third period. His tally halfway through the third proved to be the game-winning goal, and his second of the game was the insurance tally. Jeremy Helvig stopped 36 shots in the win.

Sunday, the Swamp Rabbits faced off with a more rested Atlanta club, and found it difficult to keep up the pace. The Gladiators scored early, and played a controlled defensive effort the rest of the way. Jimmy Soper scored his first ECHL goal in the losing effort.

12/27 vs Norfolk Admirals – L 8-5
12/28 vs Norfolk Admirals – W 4-2
12/29 at Atlanta Gladiators – L 4-1

UPCOMING GAMES
Greenville Swamp Rabbits at Atlanta Gladiators
Sunday, December 29 – 2:05 p.m.
Listen — Watch

Greenville Swamp Rabbits vs Norfolk Admirals
THIRSTY THURSDAY — $3 BEER
Thursday, January 2 – 7:05 p.m.
Tickets — Listen — Watch

Greenville Swamp Rabbits vs Norfolk Admirals
864 NIGHT — $8 shirt, $6 food/drink combo, $4 beer
Friday, January 3 – 7:05 p.m.
Tickets — Listen — Watch

Greenville Swamp Rabbits vs Florida Everblades
POSTGAME SKATE + $1 COMMEMORATIVE POSTERS
Sunday, January 5 – 3:05 p.m.
Tickets — Listen — Watch

PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Liam Pecararo – 2 GP | 3 G – 2 A – 5 P
One of the league’s most sizzling rookies was eventually rewarded for his exploits over the past several days with more multi-point efforts over the past weekend. The Northeastern University product buoyed the offense in a track meet on Friday, but saved his best for last with the game-winning goal in Saturday’s win. Prior to being called up on Sunday, Pecararo will ride a five-game point streak, with four goals and six assists inclusive.

RABBIT TAILS

• Prior to Liam Pecararo‘s call to the Springfield Thunderbirds, the dynamic rookie forward ranked tied for fifth in league scoring (33), and second in league goal scoring (18). He trails only Tyler Sheehy of the Allen Americans, who leads not only rookie scoring, but overall scoring in the league with 42 points.
• Forward Nathan Perkovich is scalding hot. The 34-year-old has four goals and two assists in his last five games. His goal on Saturday was the 30th goal of his ECHL career.
• It may be after Christmas, but Mason Baptista is a certified gift giver. Baptista has six assists in his last six games.
• The league average points percentage when scoring the first goal is .758. The Swamp Rabbits own an .833 mark (10-2-0) in that situation. They continue to be undefeated when leading after the first period (8-0-0) and the second period (11-0-0).
• Mathieu Foget, acquired from Brampton earlier this week, posted two points in three games since his acquisition.

SOUTH DIVISION STANDINGS

1. South Carolina Stingrays (23-2-4) – 50 pts
2. Florida Everblades (19-8-4) – 42 pts
3. Greenville Swamp Rabbits (15-16-1) – 31 pts
4. Orlando Solar Bears (13-13-5) – 31 pts
5. Atlanta Gladiators (13-16-0) – 26 pts
6. Norfolk Admirals (10-19-3) – 23 pts
7. Jacksonville Icemen (9-16-4) – 22 pts

*standings as of 10:00 a.m. on December 30, 2019

The post KUHN: SWAMP RABBITS WEEKLY #12 (2019-20) first appeared on Howlings.

Swamp Rabbits’ leading scorer gets second call to the AHL this season

BY: Jordan Kuhn, Greenville Swamp Rabbits

GREENVILLE, S.C. — Greenville Swamp Rabbits forward Liam Pecararo has been called up by the Springfield Thunderbirds. It is his second call to the American Hockey League this season.

Pecararo, 23, departs the Swamp Rabbits ranked second in the ECHL in goals (18), and tied for fifth in league scoring (33). Entering Sunday’s action, the Massachusetts native was tied for the most shorthanded goals, the second-most shorthanded points (4) and tops in rookie goal scoring.

Pecararo was in the midst of a five-game point streak, which included four multi-point efforts (4 goals, 6 assists).

Pecararo’s senior season at Northeastern University primed him for a sterling pro career. With the Huskies, he helped the team capture the Beanpot championship, won a Hockey East title, and sent the club to the NCAA Tournament.

As a member of the Waterloo Black Hawks of the USHL, under the direction of legendary head coach P.K. O’Handley, Pecararo was part of several deep playoff runs, including a trip to the Clark Cup Final.

Get Social: Follow the Swamp Rabbits and get behind-the-scenes coverage like never before on the team’s official Facebook and Twitter pages!

Contact a Swamp Rabbits Account Executive at 864.674.PUCK (7825) for information on 2019–20 ticket plans, special group rates and hospitality opportunities and secure your seats today! Get the latest Swamp Rabbits gear by visiting the “Hop Shop” online at Shop.SwampRabbits.com to browse the full collection of fan wear and novelties!

The post KUHN: LIAM PECARARO CALLED UP BY SPRINGFIELD THUNDERBIRDS first appeared on Howlings.