SWAMP RABBITS FALL IN FINALE DESPITE 33 SAVES FROM McKAY

(ESTERO, Fla.) – Bryce Brodzinski brought the Greenville Swamp Rabbits back within one on a power play goal in the middle of the third period, but the Florida Everblades hung on thanks to two goals from Carson Gicewicz to claim a 3-2 win on Saturday night. The loss puts the Swamp Rabbits at 3-3-0-0 with one game remaining on their seven-game swing.

The Swamp Rabbits got on the board first for a fourth straight game, and from their hottest hand, but were countered late in the midst of special teams to send both into the dressing room knotted at a goal apiece. With 5:57 left in the first, Carter Savoie trailed a transition sequence started by Tate Singleton, and took a pass from Casey Dornbach entering the zone. Savoie rifled a laser over the shoulder of Everblades goalie Cam Johnson to score for a fourth straight game, and start the scoring entries for a fourth game out of six in this road trip, giving the Swamp Rabbits a 1-0 lead. However, with the Swamp Rabbits on their first power play, the Everblades counterpunched and tied the game. With 80 seconds remaining, Craig Needham tipped the puck in an open area and sent Carson Gicewicz up the ice, uncontested, from his own blue line and in. Gicewicz outlasted Swamp Rabbits net-minder Dryden McKay to even the game at 1-1.

The second period featured a multitude of penalties, primarily aimed at the Swamp Rabbits, resulting in Florida jumping ahead. Tyson Fawcett, while on a Swamp Rabbits penalty kill, drew a penalty shot at 8:12 of the second, but missed his attempt wide. Shortly after, Tate Singleton was assessed “five and a game” for cross checking, putting the Everblades on a two-man advantage for 93 seconds and a major power play for an additional 3:27 after. The Swamp Rabbits got out of the two-man disadvantage unscathed, but Kyle Betts deflected a Recce Newkirk shot from the backdoor behind McKay to give the Everblades their first lead of the game, 2-1, with 8:07 left in the second (Newkirk and Anton Malmström assisted).

Florida got some breathing room early in the third, with Gicewicz adding a second to his tally. With 4:16 played, Oliver Chau fired a close range shot on McKay that trickled behind, with Gicewicz poking the puck just over the line to push Florida’s advantage to 3-1 (Chau had the lone assist). Moments later, the Swamp Rabbits began to strike back, and got a power play goal to close the gap. With 12:45 left in the game, Bryce Brodzinski collected a Parker Berge pass on the right side and went towards a traffic build up to the Florida net. He fired a shot far blocker past a screened Johnson, bringing the team within striking distance down 3-2 (Berge and Carter Savoie assisted). McKay was pulled from his net for an extra attacker within the final 90 seconds of the game, but the Swamp Rabbits couldn’t muster a tying strike and fell 3-2 in the series finale.

Dryden McKay stopped 33 of 36 shots hurled on his net in suffering the defeat (11-16-3-1).

The Swamp Rabbits conclude their seven-game road swing on Thursday, February 13^th, against the Atlanta Gladiators before transitioning to a “three-in-three” at home. Puck drop for the road finale is slated for 7:00 p.m. EST at Gas South 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.