SWAMP RABBITS CLAW BACK TO EARN POINT AGAINST WALLEYE

GREENVILLE, S.C. - Anthony Beauchamp capped off a three-goal scoring rally with a shorthanded goal to tie the game at 3-3 in the third, but Conlan Keenan provided the game-winner in overtime to give the Toledo Walleye the second point in a 4-3 overtime victory on Friday night. With the point gained in the comeback bid, the Swamp Rabbits magic number to clinch a playoff spot now sits at 10 with 13 games remaining in the season.

Toledo jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the opening 20 minutes on some opportune bounces, starting with Alexandre Doucet. Just 1:48 into the game, Riley Sawchuk forced the puck off of an offensive zone faceoff towards Jacob Ingham's pads in net for Greenville, and Doucet pocketed the rebound to put Toledo up 1-0 early (Sawchuk had the lone assist). With 2:34 left in the frame, Noah Prokop forced a turnover in front of the Swamp Rabbits net of Ingham, collected the puck, and fired it into a wide open cage to double the Walleye lead to 2-0 heading into the second.

The Swamp Rabbits built some energy on the power play early in the second, but were thwarted by a shorthanded strike from Toledo. At 7:43, Mitch Lewandowski took a turned over puck in neutral ice and skated into the Swamp Rabbits zone, two-on-one. Lewandowski elected to shoot and rifled a shot under the bar to vault Toledo to a 3-0 lead. Down, but not out, the Swamp Rabbits mounted their comeback, started by Tanner Eberle. With 6:10 left in the second, Eberle transitioned up the ice and took a neutral zone pass from Ryan Francis into the Toledo third down the left. Eberle uncorked a wrist shot that beat Toledo goalie John Lethemon's glove to get the Swamp Rabbits on the board, trailing 3-1 (Francis and Brett Kemp assisted). 

Kemp assisted the goal that started the rally and continued with one of his own in the first half of the final frame. At 6:42 of the third, JD Greenway launched a "Hail Mary" to Carter Souch, springing he and Kemp on an odd-man chance. Souch deferred to Kemp at the last second, who tapped his pass behind Lethemon to bring the Swamp Rabbits within striking distance, trailing 3-2 (Souch and Greenway assisted). Needing one more to force overtime, the Swamp Rabbits turned to their penalty kill and Anthony Beauchamp, who forced the eventual overtime frame. With 2:37 left in the game, Beauchamp turned on his afterburners in neutral ice, scooped up a loose puck, and blazed into the Walleye zone from the right wing. Beauchamp powered towards the net and five-holed Lethemon to tie the game at 3-3. Both teams couldn't find a late winner, and overtime was necessary to end the contest.

At 3:16 of the overtime period, Riley McCourt sent a shot off the cross bar that bounced right to Conlan Keenan. Keenan buried his chance into the open net and staved off the Swamp Rabbits come back, giving the Walleye a 4-3 overtime win.

Jacob Ingham stopped 29 of 33 shots in 62:55 of work, and despite the overtime defeat, has not lost in regulation in six starts over his last seven games (16-6-2-0). 

The Swamp Rabbits and Walleye rematch tomorrow night, March 16th, at Bon Secours Wellness Arena, with puck drop slated for 7:05 p.m. EST. Tomorrow's game is our St. Patrick's Day Game, presented by Helacious, featuring a specialty jersey that will be auctioned off postgame.

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