RABBITS RECAP: April 9th

Three. Games. Left. It all comes down to this weekend! A tight race for seeding and positioning in the bracket will conclude after the final weekend of the regular season.

Here's a look at what was, and what is to come, in this week's "Rabbits Recap"

REGULAR SEASON GAME 67 (Thursday, April 4, 2024)

Orlando Solar Bears 3, Greenville Swamp Rabbits 1

ORL: Luchuk-GTPPG in 3rd; Kersten-GWG in 3rd (1st Goal as Pro)

GVL: Prkusic-G; Greenway/Souch-Ast

GAME RECAP

REGULAR SEASON GAME 68 (Friday, April 5, 2024)

Orlando Solar Bears 5, Greenville Swamp Rabbits 1

ORL: Angeli-G, 2ast; Kersten-G, Ast; 139 PIM as Team

GVL: Somoza-5-on-3 PPG; Beauchamp/Coyle-Ast; 129 PIM as Team

GAME RECAP

REGULAR SEASON GAME 69 (Saturday, April 6, 2024)

Orlando Solar Bears 5, Greenville Swamp Rabbits 2

ORL: Gaudet-G, Ast; Fitzpatrick-46sv/48sh (W)

GVL: Beauchamp-SHG; Leahy-G

GAME RECAP

SOUTH DIVISION PLAYOFF RACE 2024 (As of 4/9)

• H2H reads "Games Remaining, Record head-to-head"
• Magic # is determined by 5th Place's maximum points plus one, minus team's current point total. Magic # goes down with every point gained by team in playoff position, and every point lost out on by first team out. Same principle is used for Home Ice #, except with 3rd Place team

UPCOMING GAMES

• Friday, April 12th vs Atlanta Gladiators - "Teacher Appreciation Night"
• Saturday, April 13th @ Savannah Ghost Pirates
• Sunday, April 14th vs Savannah Ghost Pirates - "Fan Appreciation Night" w/Specialty Jerseys

NOTES AND NUMBERS

BATTLE FOR THE DIVISION: With three games remaining in the season for most South Divsion teams in contention for the playoffs, the race to the finish line intensifies. Absolutely NOTHING is set in stone yet for the playoffs, with the 3rd and 4th place teams still in a heated battle for a chance to keep their seasons alive. Here's how the race to the playoffs looks AS OF APRIL 9TH:

• The Greenville Swamp Rabbits currently hold first by just a point over Jacksonville with three games remaining. The Swamp Rabbits play Atlanta for the final time at home on Friday, and then play a home-and-home against Savannah away on Saturday and home on Sunday to conclude the regular season. Against both teams, the Swamp Rabbits are a combined 19-4-0-0.
• The Jacksonville Icemen have a game-in-hand against the Swamp Rabbits, which is crucial and will be played on Wednesday night at Florida. If Jacksonville wins, they'll have first place heading into the last three games of the year this weekend. After going to Hertz Arena on Wednesday, the Icemen come home to battle the Savannah Ghost Pirates on Friday, and the Atlanta Gladiators on Saturday and Sunday. The Icemen are 10-1-0-0 against Savannah, and 4-4-1-0 against Atlanta, suffering a shutout loss to the Gladiators in their last meeting on April 3rd.
• The South Carolina Stingrays hold third, trailing Jacksonville by four points for second place in the South Division. The Stingrays have only two games remaining against the Florida Everblades this weekend. With some help on Wednesday from Florida and the weekend by Savannah and Atlanta, followed by a pair of wins against the Everblades, the Stingrays could find themselves somehow in the discussion for the final home-ice advantage position in the bracket for Round One. 
• Florida plays it's crucial game-in-hand against Jacksonville on Wednesday, and with a win could hold third place over South Carolina heading into their two head-to-head showdowns to close out the regular season. Florida held serve on claiming a share of the final spot, winning every game last week in tandem with Orlando.
• The Solar Bears took seven of a possible eight points against the Ghost Pirates and Swamp Rabbits last week, keeping up with the Everblades in rallying for the last playoff spot. Uniquely, Orlando plays its final two games outside the South Division: they play the Reading Royals to close out the regular season in Pennsylvania. Two wins against the Royals, and a ton of help from Jacksonville and South Carolina could give the Solar Bears a chance to squeak into the bracket before the regular season ends. 

THEY SAID IT

"You have to be physical out there, it's a dog-eat-dog game...you have to finish checks, and that goes for our most skilled players and our most rugged players. I think we've had that physical play alot this season. It's dipped off a bit here, so it needs to be better.

"I believe [hockey] the most competitive game in the world with how fast it is, how physical it is...walls all around us as well. It's that mindset of being a real team out there, a knowing this time of year that you'll have to play with bumps and bruises. There's a number of things that go into the game. We've had a heck of a season: 40+ wins, we're an extremely good team. Let's stay the course and play to our level."

-Head Coach Andrew Lord - on playing intense and recognizing what got the team to this position in the season

"We need more of that for sure. We need that fire, especially when it comes to playoffs because everything will be harder. We need to continue to come together as a unit. To see some of our smaller skilled guys step up for one another, its good for our group.

"We all know what we have to do: we have to get back to our game, get back to our identity. We need to get pucks deep, use our speed, but again, work as a unit. That's my message over the last couple of weeks, we need to step up for one another."

-#27, Anthony Beauchamp - on his team's defense of each other in Orlando, and what the team needs to finish strong into playoffs

"I was a litte nervous, in a new situation, obviously, but it was good. The size of the net is the same, the rink is the same, and guys put their skates on just like you do. You have to approach it as another game, but it was great to get my first one under my belt. Ultimately I was excited. The process to get here was great. You work your whole career to get to this point in playing professional hockey, so it was good to finally acoomplish that."

-#29, Logan Britt - on achieving his dream of playing in his professional debut on April 5th at Orlando