DULUTH, G.A – A six-goal third period saw the Atlanta Gladiators pull away for a 7-4 win, as the Greenville Swamp Rabbits dropped their first game of the season on Wednesday night at Gas South Arena.
GAME SHEET: Click here
| 1st | 2nd | 3rd |
| Final |
ATL | 2 | 0 | 5 |
| 7 |
GVL | 0 | 2 | 2 |
| 4 |
Greenville found itself on the defensive early in the first period, as the Gladiators opened the game with a number strong chances. Atlanta broke the deadlock at 6:45, as Jackson Pierson netted his second of the season. Later in the period, at 12:17, Mitchell Fossier used a two-on-one shorthanded break to score his fifth of the season.
Out of the intermission, the Rabbits responded just 2:15 in, as Carter Souch scored his second of the season to cut the Atlanta lead in half. After continued shelling of the Gladiators' net, Greenville, again, found the back of the net with Nick Prkusic's first career goal at 14:56.
In the third, Greenville captured its first lead of the night just 2:03 in, as Josh McKechney paddled his third of the season into the net. The lead was short-lived, as Alex Whelan scored a deflected puck into the Greenville net at 3:41, before scoring a second time 1:06 later for the 4-3 Atlanta lead. Greenville answered back at 5:34 with Souch's second of the game and third of the season. At 6:20, Atlanta recaptured the lead on a goal that Luke Prokop tipped in the net, before extending the advantage to a pair of goals just 25 second later with Reece Vitelli's second of the season. The 7-4 score-line was solidified at 19:35, as Carson Gisewicz scored the empty-netter.
With the loss, the Swamp Rabbits fall to 3-1-0-0, while the Gladiators improve to 4-0-0-0
The Swamp Rabbits return to Bon Secours Wellness Arena in Greenville on Friday, November 3 for a meeting with the Savannah Ghost Pirates at 7 p.m.
Swamp Rabbits Single-Game tickets, Full Season, and Half Season Tickets for the 2023-24 season are on sale now at SwampRabbits.com or by calling (864) 674-7825.