GAMEDAY REPORT: SWAMP RABBITS VS RAILERS (02/22/23 - 7:05PM)

Greenville Swamp Rabbits (27-15-7-0) vs. Worcester Railers (25-22-3-0)

February 22, 2023 | 7:05 PM |Regular Season Game #50Bon Secours Wellness Arena | Greenville, SC

Referees: Tato Kunto [17]Linesmen: Brady Fagan (89), Brandon Grillo (81)

BROADCAST INFORMATIONPregame Coverage begins at 6:45PMLISTEN: Greenville Swamp Rabbits Broadcast NetworkWATCH: FloHockey Live StreamVoice of the Swamp Rabbits Mark Shelley (Play-by-Play) on the callSWAMP RABBITS VS RAILERS SERIES 

SEASON RECORD:

Overall: (0-1-1-0) Home: (0-0-0-0) Away: (0-1-1-0)

Last Meeting:

Friday, November 19, 2020 - Greenville 0 vs Worcester 7

Next Meeting:

N/A

All-Time Record:

(2-4-1)

ECHL STANDINGS 

Standings

QUICK BITS

BOUNCING BACK IN OT:

On the tail-end of a 4-in-5, the Rabbits were looking to snap their three-game skid with a victory on Sunday over Savannah and avenge their Saturday loss to the Ghost Pirates. Savannah had other plans, scoring an early power-play goal just 1:11 in. Ethan Somoza responded just over a minute later to tie the game before a mid-period goal put Greenville down at the intermission. Tanner Eberle put the Rabbits level in the second period with his team-leading 21st goal of the season. Greenville took its first lead of the game early in the third with a Carter Souch goal that was answered shortly after by the Ghost Pirates. In overtime, the Rabbits moved into a 61-point tie for third place as Brannon McManus scored his second game-winner of the season for the 4-3 win.

SCOUTING THE RAILERS:

While fans may have long forgotten about the Rabbits’ trip up north, the team remembers the 7-0 beating it took at the hands of the Railers on November 19. Worcester was, at that time, a juggernaut, having sped to the top of the standing with an ECHL record 9-0 start. Since their red-hot start, the Railers have had trouble staying on track, posting a 16-22-3 record in the rest of the games. Over their last 10 games, the Railers have played .500 hockey and enter the game on the heals of a weekend split in Norfolk. Special teams have been a struggle for Worcester, with its power-play ranked 19th in the league at 18.7%, while the penalty-kill ranks 25th, fourth from the bottom, at 75.3%. Forward Anthony Repaci will be a challenging task for the Rabbits to contain, with 16 points in his last 10 straight games.

OVER AND OVERTIME AGAIN:

Sunday’s overtime win was Greenville’s eight victory in sudden-death and the team’s league-high 17th overtime game. The Rabbits are 8-7 in overtime and an additional 2-0 in shootouts this season. In their first meeting with the Railers on November 18, the Rabbits dropped a 3-2 overtime game in Worcester.

MARTY MAGIC:

Max Martin continues to impress in his first season in Greenville, as the blue-liner was tabbed for three assists in the Rabbits’ win over Savannah. Martin’s four points lifts the Winnipeg native to fourth on the Swamp Rabbits in scoring and into sixth in the ECHL among defensemen. In nine games this month, Martin has eight points (2g, 6a).

DOUBLING UP:

Last season, his debut campaign, Anthony Beauchamp was a welcomed addition to the Swamp Rabbits, bringing his trademarked grit and speed all over the ice. In his rookie season, the Thurso, QC native recorded 13 points in 41 games. In his second season, he’s bringing more of that same aggression and acceleration and has now doubled his scoring total from last season. In 47 games, Beauchamp has recorded 26 points (7g, 19a) and is one point shy of 40 for his career.

MANNY’S MOTORIN’:

Brannon McManus has developed into a pivotal piece of the Swamp Rabbits offense, recording five points in his last five games. In this most recent stretch, McManus has posted a pair of goals, both of which were overtime winners against Jacksonville and Savannah. In 41 games, the rookie has recorded 24 points (7g, 17a).

WHAT’S ON TAP:

Bon Voyage! Tonight’s game at The Well is the last night ashore for the Rabbits before a two-week long road trip that sees them in Orlando this weekend for Friday and Sunday meetings with the Solar Bears. After the weekend in Florida, Greenville heads north to the Norfolk Scope for a pair of weekend games against Norfolk.