RABBITS SEE LEAD SLIP, FALL 4-3 IN OVERTIME TO EVERBLADES IN GAME 1

ESTERO, FL – Despite opening a three-goal lead in the first period, the Greenville Swamp Rabbits fell 4-3 in overtime to the Florida Everblades in Game 1 of the Kelly Cup Playoffs Round 1 on Friday night at Hertz Arena. 

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After Florida jumped out the the early shot lead, Greenville took the first lead of the game after Christian Kasastul fired the puck into the Florida net from an offensive zone face-off win at 8:59. Shortly after, at 9:39, Nikita Pavlychev snapped a second Greenville goal into the net for the 2-0 lead. At 14:52 Pavlychev fed Ayden MacDonald in the slot, and MacDonald gave Greenville a 3-0 advantage. In the second, Greenville pulled ahead in the shots, but saw the Everblades get on the scoreboard with a power-play goal at the 15:01 mark, as Stefan Leblanc scored from 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 Everblades earned a late power-play and, with its goaltender pulled for a six-on-four advantage, scored from Joe Pendenza at 18:40. At 19:25, the Everblades tied the game at 3-3, as Matteo Gennaro scored in the six-on-five. With the score level, the teams headed to overtime, and the Everblades would see their captain, John McCarron net the game-winner at 2:05. With the loss, the Swamp Rabbits find themselves trailing the Everblades 1-0 in the best-of-seven series.  The Swamp Rabbits and Everblades rematch in Game 2 on Saturday night at Hertz Arena at 7:00 p.m.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