CHARLESON NETS FIRST WIN IN WEEKEND OPENER AGAINST ATLANTA

(GREENVILLE, S.C.) – Carter Savoie notched a pair of goals and an assist, Austin Saint and Jack Brackett linked on the game-winner, and Pierce Charleson earned his first pro win on 31 saves as the Greenville Swamp Rabbits defeated the Atlanta Gladiators by a 5-3 score on Friday night.

Savoie’s night started less than a minute into the game, giving the Swamp Rabbits an early lead. Just 21 seconds in, Savoie slingshot himself from the right side of the zone, powered towards the net, and outlasted Drew DeRidder, slipping it by the Atlanta goaltender to give the Swamp Rabbits a 1-0 lead (Stuart Rolofs and Dustin Geregach assisted). Moments later, former Swamp Rabbit Ryan Francis netted his first as a Gladiator, transitioning up the ice off a defensive zone faceoff win. Francis tied the game with a wrist shot from the left that beat Swamp Rabbits net-minder Pierce Charleson, squaring the game at 1-1 with 7:38 gone by (Alex Young assisted). Playing off of first goals with new teams, Stepan Timofeyev got the Swamp Rabbits back on top on the team’s first power play of the game. With 9:29 left in the first, Timofeyev rifled a Dustin Geregach pass from the left and off of a defender, deflecting past DeRidder to give the Swamp Rabbits a 2-1 lead (Geregach and Savoie assisted).

Both teams exchanged blows in the second, but the Swamp Rabbits maintained their advantage after the break. Ryan Cranford briefly tied the game with 6:59 left in the second period, powering past his defender and finishing with a shot that went off the post and past Charleson to even the game at 2-2 (Brenden Datema and Ryan Francis assisted). However, Savoie was back on the scoresheet with his second of the game to re-establish the Swamp Rabbits lead. With 3:18 left in the second, Austin Saint finished serving a minor and bolted to the Swamp Rabbits bench, beating Jeremy Hanzel to the puck. Saint warded him off, created a two-on-none break, and found Savoie in the net-front for a point-blank tip-in to vault the Swamp Rabbits to a 3-2 lead.

Atlanta continued to challenge, but the Swamp Rabbits eventually found a gear to pull away. Kyle Haskins was called for a five-minute major and game misconduct for interference, eventually putting Atlanta to a major power play. Derek Topatigh, leading the Gladiators in power play points, found an equalizer with 8:35 gone by in the third when he snuck in off the blue line to the high slot and rifled the puck past Charleson to tie the game at 3-3 (Cody Sylvester and Carson Denomie assisted). Austin Saint later pulled back the lead for the Swamp Rabbits, not looking back for the rest of the game. Saint’s second point came with 6:35 left in the game when a puck came out of a scrum and in an open area to Jack Brackett. Brackett uncorked a shot that got redirected by Saint, pushing the Swamp Rabbits to a 4-3 lead. Brackett’s hand stayed hot, providing breathing room for the Swamp Rabbits with 2:57 left, uncorking a Ben Poisson pass off the back bar past DeRidder to give the Swamp Rabbits an eventual 5-3 win.

Pierce Charleson earned his first professional win, stopping 31 of 34 shots on net for the career milestone (1-2-1-0).

The Swamp Rabbits finish their “home-and-home” with Atlanta tomorrow afternoon. Puck drop is slated for 7:05 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.