Morning Tea: Swamp Rabbits at Stingrays (12/04/2021 - 6:05pm)

Greenville Swamp Rabbits (7-7-0-0) vs. South Carolina Stingrays (7-6-2-0)

December 4, 2021 | 6:05 PM | Regular Season Game #15

Referees: Andrew Wilk (24)Linesmen: Tannum Wyonzek (74), Antoine Bujold-Roux (72)

BROADCAST INFORMATIONPregame Coverage begins at 5:45pmLISTEN: Greenville Swamp Rabbits Broadcast NetworkWATCH: FloHockey Live StreamVoice of the Swamp Rabbits Mark Shelley on the call

STINGRAYS SEASON SERIES 

Season Series Record:Overall: (4-2-0-0) Home: (2-0-0-0) Away: (2-2-0-0)

Last Meeting: December 3, 2021: Greenville 7 vs South Carolina 6 OT

Next Meeting: December 4, 2021: Greenville at South Carolina

QUICK BITS

FREE HOCKEY FRIDAY:

The Swamp Rabbits defeated the South Carolina Stingrays in a 7-6 overtime barnburner. Diego Cuglietta started off the scoring at 4:32 in the first in his usual fashion, a beautiful snipe. The Stingrays would negate that lead with three consecutive goals by Justin Florek, Alex Brink and Andrew Cherniwchan. Bits would tie it up before the end of the first, as Justin Nachbaur recorded his first career goal at 18:35 followed by Matt Bradley just :54 later. A back and forth second period saw Lawton Courtnall score after just :37, followed by a Diego Cuglietta equalizer goal at 1:21, and another Cherniwchan goal put the Rays back on top. Like the others tonight, that lead would not last long as Nachbaur scored his second of the night at the 7:51 mark.  The third period would see another goal from each team, the first a beautiful backhand goal from Nikita Pavlychev at the 5:29 mark. Andrew Cherniwchan rounded off his hat trick with a game tying goal before the period expired. Yet another overtime game between these two teams would end the same way it did just a week ago. A Swamp Rabbits Game winner, this time courtesy of Ben Freeman.

COOL AS A CUGLIETTA:

Diego Cuglietta has done nothing but dazzle in his time with Greenville. Cuglietta has 11 points (6G, 5A) in seven games since joining the team November 9th. Of those seven games Cuglietta has at least one point in all but one. Two goals and an assist on Friday night extended his point streak to five games; a streak that includes six goals and four assists. 

NASTY NACHO:

Highly touted rookie Justin Nachbaur made his professional debut Friday evening and boy did he make a splash. Nachbaur would score his first career goal 18:35 into the game with a little help from Ben Freeman. Nacho would strike again in the second with a goal that would tie the score at five a side after a bouncing puck rebounded to his stick. Nachbaur attended Charlotte Checkers camp this past off-season and has been sidelined by injury until just last night. 

FREE HOCKEY FREEMAN:

Ben Freeman ended his drought with a game winner on Friday night in overtime. Freeman, who had a goal and two assists in the first five games of the season went six consecutive games without a point or assist and he got both in the barnburner in Charleston. Freeman’s assist came early on just 18:35 into the game while his goal would stop the clock for good 3:18 into the extra period. 

WHAT ON TAP:

The Swamp Rabbits will finish the weekend with one more games against the Stingrays, traveling back to Greenville for the rubber match on Sunday afternoon. The Swamp Rabbits and Stingrays have met six times this season. Greenville leads the season series 4-2 so far, outscoring their in-state rival 19-16 in those games. 

Greenville will host the Orlando Solar Bears on Wednesday, marking the first time the clubs have met in the 2021-2022 season. Orlando has a 10-7-1 record, sitting in second place in the South division. The leading scorer for the Solar Bears is Aaron Luchuk with 9G and 13A, although his last goal came six games ago on 11/17 against Florida. Two goalies have split the majority of the action for Orlando. Brad Barone is 6-3 in 10 games, allowing 2.03 goals against, boasting a .945 SV%. Rookie Zach Emond has seen action in seven games, holding a 4-3 record, 3.89 GAA and.863 SV%.