NORFOLK, VA – Early-period goals were too much for the Greenville Swamp Rabbits to overcome, as 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
1st | 2nd | 3rd | Final | ||
GVL | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | |
NOR | 2 | 1 | 2 | 5 |
In the first period, Norfolk jumped out to an early 2-0 lead 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 lift-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 a number of threatening chances and capitalized at 17:47, as Marly Quince slid a loose puck into the back of the net. 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 score line 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. Despite the loss, the Swamp Rabbits had already clinched the fourth and final playoff spot in the South Division after the Orlando Solar Bears fell to the Jacksonville Icemen on Saturday night. Greenville makes its second consecutive Kelly Cup Playoffs appearance under Head Coach Andrew Lord. 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