SWAMP RABBITS GAIN POINT ON “STICK IT TO CANCER NIGHT”

(GREENVILLE, S.C.) – Bryce Brodzinski scored for a third game in a row and Dru Krebs tied things up in the latter stages of the second period, but the Savannah Ghost Pirates found the winner 51 seconds into overtime from Liam Walsh to claim a 3-2 win on Saturday over the Greenville Swamp Rabbits. The game served as the team’s annual “Stick It To Cancer Night”, presented by Bon Secours, and was the Swamp Rabbits first home game in 21 days.

Savannah garnered the only goal in the first 20 minutes of play, coming on special teams late. With 2:43 left in the first, Riley Hughes was parked in front of the net on the Ghost Pirates power play and redirected a Logan Drevitch shot past Swamp Rabbits net-minder Dryden McKay, putting Savannah up 1-0 heading into the break (Drevitch and Dennis Cesana assisted).

Both teams traded punches in the second period, eventually coming out deadlocked. Bryce Brodzinski started the scoring entries for the Swamp Rabbits, trailing Quinn Olson on a zone entry. With 7:57 left in the second, Brodzinski buried a drop pass from Olson past Ghost Pirates goalie Evan Cormier, squaring the game at 1-1. However, Savannah answered moments later when Reece Vitelli deflected a Connor Lovie shot past McKay, skipping into the net to put the Ghost Pirates back on top with a 2-1 advantage with 4:34 left in the second (Lovie and Keaton Pehrson assisted). If you blinked, you missed it, because 30 seconds later, Tyson Fawcett started a rush into the left side of the Ghost Pirates zone, and fired a shot that was turned aside by Cormier. Dru Krebs skated full bore into the rebound, and finished with a wrap around slam dunk into the open net to knot the game at 2-2 with 4:04 to go.

The third period proved to be fruitless in goalscoring in the final 20 minutes, prompting overtime. Just 51 seconds in, Liam Walsh unleashed a shot from the slot area that beat McKay, giving the Ghost Pirates the second point up for grabs via a 3-2 win.

Dryden McKay, starting his fifth straight game and his seventh in the last eight for the Swamp Rabbits, staved off 35 of 38 shots in the effort.

The Swamp Rabbits continue their home “three-in-three” tomorrow against the Wheeling Nailers, their first meetings since the 2020-21 ECHL Season. Puck drop on Sunday, February 16^th is slated for 3:05 p.m. EST at Bon Secours Wellness Arena. Sunday’s game is “Stomper’s Birthday”, presented by Big Air Trampoline Park, and features 18 different mascots celebrating Greenville’s favorite rabbit, including Sir Purr (Carolina Panthers, NFL), Stormy (Carolina Hurricanes, NHL), Sir Minty (Charlotte FC, MLS), Reedy (Greenville Drive, MiLB), and Mason (Columbia Fireflies, MiLB), and many many more!

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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.