LATE GOAL DOOMS SWAMP RABBITS, FORCES RUBBER MATCH TOMORROW

(ESTERO, Fla.) – John Parker-Jones notched a goal and a fight, and Carter Savoie blasted a power play goal for the Swamp Rabbits, but the Florida Everblades got a late goal from Jesse Lansdell to take a back-and-forth affair by a 4-2 score on Friday night. The loss ends the Swamp Rabbits win streak at three games, and puts them into the finale of their two weeks away from home at a 3-2-0-0 mark.

Two games in a row in Florida, and three overall, the Swamp Rabbits opened the scoring and led after 20 minutes, but not until after John Parker-Jones and Sean Allen duked it out at center ice eight seconds into the contest, setting the tone for another slugfest. The lone goal was credited to Carter Savoie who, while on his team’s first power play, rifled a blast from inside the blue line shortly after a faceoff win, sending a pass from Bryce Brodzinski over the shoulder of Everblades goalie Cam Johnson to put the Swamp Rabbits up 1-0 at 10:41 of the first frame (Brodzinski and Parker Berge assisted). Swamp Rabbits net-minder Dryden McKay stopped all nine shots he saw to keep Florida off the board for a fourth straight period.

Unfortunately, McKay’s goalless streak against the Everblades ended 61 seconds into the second, when a turnover into the corner came to Oliver Chau. The Everblades Captain maneuvered towards the net, faked a net-front pass, and slipped a backhand shot past McKay to square the game at 1-1 (Carson Gicewicz assisted). Not too long after, John Parker-Jones put the Swamp Rabbits back in the driver’s seat with a  Not too long after, John Parker-Jones put the Swamp Rabbits back in the driver’s seat with a cruise missile from inside the blue line that blistered over Johnson’s shoulder, giving the Swamp Rabbits a 2-1 lead at 3:23 of the second (Mikael Robidoux had the lone assist). The lead didn’t last into the midway point of the second, as the Everblades cashed in almost immediately on their second power play. At 7:57, just five seconds into the advantage, Alex Kile blasted a shot that was kicked away by McKay, but the rebound was pocketed by Colton Hargrove, tying the game at 2-2 (Kile and Cole Moberg assisted).

The game was a dogfight in the third period, with both teams trading chances, including the Swamp Rabbits with two shorthanded breaks and a net-front scramble. Ultimately, Florida got the needed go-ahead strike, with Jesse Lansdell throwing a puck with a backhand off a defender that arced over McKay and in to put Florida in the lead at 3-2 with 3:11 to play (Carson Gicewicz had the lone assist). With McKay on the bench for an extra attacker, the Swamp Rabbits tried to tie the game, but Oliver Chau found the empty net for his second of the game, putting away a 4-2 Everblades win.

Dryden McKay stopped 21 of 24 shots in the defeat (11-15-3-1).

The Swamp Rabbits conclude their three-game series against the Florida Everblades with a rubber match tomorrow on Saturday, February 8^th. Puck drop is slated for 7:30 p.m. EST at Hertz 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.