SWAMP RABBITS GAIN POINT IN HOME OPENING OVERTIME DEFEAT

(GREENVILLE, S.C.) – Stuart Rolofs announced his presence to the professional game with a three-point night in his debut, but Tyler Bird’s hat trick, including the overtime winner, propelled the Orlando Solar Bears to a 5-4 win over the Greenville Swamp Rabbits on Friday night. Opening Night, presented by Bon Secours, brought 6,658 fans to Bon Secours Wellness Arena to kick off the team’s 15^th season.

Rolofs’ big night started at 8:39 of the first on the end of the Swamp Rabbits first power play. Rolofs’ initial shot was blocked in front of him, but he stuck with the rebound and slipped an attempt under the leg of Orlando goalie Ryan Fanti to give the Swamp Rabbits a 1-0 lead, and himself his first professional goal (Bryce Brodzinski and Patrick Moynihan assisted, professional firsts for all involved). However, Orlando struck right back 53 seconds later when Ara Nazarian snuck the puck in close range of the net past Swamp Rabbits net-minder Dryden McKay, instantly tying the game at 1-1 (Jarrett Lee and Brian Chambers assisted). Patrick Moynihan, who collected his first pro point moments earlier, struck for his first professional goal to even the game. At 12:00 of the first, Parker Berge launched a blue line shot on a delayed penalty that was stopped by a body in front of the net. It came to Moynihan’s tape, and he slammed it home without hesitation to put the Swamp Rabbits up 2-1 (Berge and Rolofs assisted, both professional firsts). Orlando wouldn’t go down quietly, and capitalized on special teams to draw the game even after one. On the fourth Swamp Rabbits power play, Alex Frye deflected the puck past the Swamp Rabbits last defender and went on a two-on-one break down the ice with Spencer Kersten. He elected to keep it and slipped the puck past McKay’s leg pads to tie the game at 2-2 with 1:01 left in the period.

Orlando took the lead for the first time in the middle period, but both teams traded punches and left deadlocked with 20 to go. Tyler Bird notched the first of his big night at 6:31 of the second, burying a Brayden Low pass from behind the net in the slot area to push Orlando to a 3-2 lead (Low and Robbie Stucker assisted). The Swamp Rabbits struck back late in the frame thanks to the veteran play of Tyson Fawcett. With 37.3 seconds remaining, Stuart Rolofs knocked a defender off behind the net and found Fawcett on the short side. He roofed it over Fanti’s shoulder to square the game at 3-3 heading into the third (Rolofs and Berge assisted).

The back-and-forth continued and Orlando again pulled the lead back. Bird continued his big night with his second goal at 2:21 of the third period, potting a passing sequence from the slot area again to re-establish the advantage at 4-3 (Low and Aaron Luchuk assisted). Special teams reared its head one more time, and it was Colton Young of Greenville to again even the score. With 6:03 left, and the Swamp Rabbits on their fifth power play, Young took a drop pass from Carter Savoie and waltzed into the high slot. Uncontested, he fired a laser over Fanti’s blocker to square the game at 4-4, forcing overtime (Savoie and Bobby Russell assisted).

Bird finished his hot start to the year at 2:07 of overtime, capitalizing on a scrambly sequence to McKay’s blocker post and barely pushing the puck over the line to vault the Solar Bears to a 5-4 win (Luchuk and Scott Walford assisted).

Dryden McKay, in his Swamp Rabbits debut, stopped 32 of 37 shots on net (0-0-1-0). The Swamp Rabbits earned a point in their home opener for a third straight season with the overtime defeat.

The Swamp Rabbits now look to next Friday, October 25^th, for their first showdown against the South Carolina Stingrays. Puck drop for Project Search Night, presented by Bon Secours, is slated for 7:05 p.m. EST at Bon Secours Wellness Arena.

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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.