ESTERO, F.L. – Despite a third period surge, the Greenville Swamp Rabbits fell short in their comeback effort, as they fell 6-4 to the Florida Everblades on Thursday night at Hertz Arena.
GAME SHEET: Click here
| 1st | 2nd | 3rd |
| Final |
FLA | 1 | 3 | 2 |
| 6 |
GVL | 0 | 2 | 2 |
| 4 |
Greenville entered the game with early offensive pressure but saw the Everblades break the scoreless frame at the 12:49 mark, as Sean Josling scored his sixth of the season. Greenville ended the period with a successful kill of a major penalty to Anthony Beauchamp for boarding, taking the 1-0 deficit to the break.
In the second, Greenville answered Josling's goal just 1:40 as Carter Souch scored his team-leading 10th of the season after the Everblades turned the puck over in their defensive end. Shortly after, at 2:27, Mark Louis threw the puck into the Florida net for his first goal as a Swamp Rabbits, giving Greenville the 2-1 lead. At 6:45, Andrew Fyten tied the game for the Everblades, before Oliver Chau re-established Florida's advantage at 11:42. With less than two seconds to play in the period, Logan Lambdin added to Florida's lead, sending the game into the second intermission with the Everblades leading 4-2.
Early in the third, Bobo Carpenter extended Florida's lead to three goals, scoring at the 3:17 mark. At 3:43, Tanner Eberle responded for Greenville with his seventh of the season, cutting the Florida lead down to a pair of goals. At 14:06, Brannon McManus fed Souch a cross ice pass that Souch buried into the net for his second of the game. Despite a late push by Greenville, Florida saw Patrick Holway score the empty net goal for the eventual 6-4 final.
W: Johnson
L: Bednard
With the loss, the Swamp Rabbits drop to 20-9-0-0 but remain atop the Eastern Conference Standings. Florida's win improves its record to 12-9-4-0.
The Swamp Rabbits and the Everblades remain in Estero on Friday night, as they drop the puck at 7:30 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.
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