SOUCH DELIVERS WINNER AGAINST GHOST PIRATES IN OVERTIME

GREENVILLE, S.C. – Carter Souch fired home the overtime winner at 2:07 of the free period of hockey to solidify the Greenville Swamp Rabbits come-from-behind 3-2 win over the Savannah Ghost Pirates on Thursday night at Bon Secours Wellness Arena. With the win and an Orlando Solar Bears loss to the Jacksonville Icemen in regulation, the Swamp Rabbits magic number to clinch their fourth straight Kelly Cup Playoff berth is three heading into tomorrow night’s action.

The Ghost Pirates opened the scoring entries, ending a streak of nine straight games trailing first. At 9:43 of the opening period, Carter Long–from just below the blue line–whizzed the puck past Swamp Rabbits net-minder Ryan Bednard through traffic and into Greenville’s net to give the Ghost Pirates a 1-0 lead (Joe Fleming and Keltie Jeri-Leon assisted). Just under three minutes later, Swamp Rabbits newcomer Jake Flynn lit the lamp for the first time in his professional career. In his third game out of the University of Connecticut, Flynn picked up a turnover on his way into the offensive zone, and with a toe drag at the top of the circle, slung home the tying goal past Savannah goaltender Jordan Papirny to even the game at 1-1 with 7:30 left in the first. 

In a period featuring 14+ minutes of special teams between both sides, Savannah took back the lead right off the bat in the second. Just 19 seconds into the middle frame, Ross Armour picked up the puck in his defensive zone and tossed it all the way up the ice, hitting Simon Pinard head-on. On the shorthanded breakaway, Pinard threw the puck past Bednard, propelling the Ghost Pirates to a 2-1 advantage (Armour and Brandon Estes assisted). Despite seven combined power plays during the middle frame, neither team was able to capitalize on its respective advantages. The Swamp Rabbits killed off four penalties, extending their current penalty-kill streak from 22 to 25 in just one period over the course of 12 consecutive games. The kill kept the game within striking distance, allowing the Swamp Rabbits to tie it late in the second. With 1:12 remaining, Tanner Eberle shot the puck straight on net, but it was anxiously blocked by Papirny. With a loose puck in the crease hacked at by Ethan Somoza, Ben Freeman pushed the fluttering puck over the line amidst a net-front scramble to square the game at 2-2 entering the second intermission (Somoza and Eberle assisted).

Both teams skated to a scoreless final frame unable to find a winner, forcing overtime. Carter Souch sealed the Swamp Rabbits victory when he collected a save by Bednard and skated up ice, creating a two-on-one break with Brannon McManus charging the middle lane. Souch elected to shoot, and rifiled a wrister from the top of the circle that beat Papirny at 2:07 to close the game, a 3-2 Swamp Rabbits win.

Ryan Bednard stopped 26 of 28 shots, earning 20 wins in a season for the second time in his ECHL career (20-10-0-0). Bednard now improves to 4-0 in overtime, and gives the Swamp Rabbits a 6-3 record overall in three-on-three sudden death this season.

The Swamp Rabbits continue their “three-in-three” this weekend with the start of a home-and-home pair of games against the South Carolina Stingrays. Puck drop for Friday, March 29th, is slated for 7:05 p.m. at Bon Secours Wellness Arena. Tomorrow’s game is “Girls Night Out”, presented by Waves Express Car Wash, featuring a pre-game party on the Furman Plaza at 5:00 p.m.

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About the Greenville Swamp Rabbits …
Acquired by Spire Sports + Entertainment (SS+E) in 2020, the Greenville Swamp Rabbits hockey team have been providing family friendly, live entertainment at Bon Secours Wellness Arena since 2010. Formerly the Greenville Road Warriors, the Swamp Rabbits are the highest-level professional minor league franchise in South Carolina. The Swamp Rabbits are the proud ECHL affiliate of the NHL's LA Kings and the AHL's Ontario Reign. Greenville is a member of the ECHL, Premier ‘AA’ Hockey League.