RALLY FALLS SHORT AGAINST GHOST PIRATES

(GREENVILLE, S.C.) – Tyson Fawcett scored shorthanded and Kyle Haskins added his first pro goal 85 seconds later in a second period rally, but it wasn’t enough to overtake the Savannah Ghost Pirates, who rode a 3-0 first period lead to a 5-2 win on Sunday.

Devon Paliani started the early Ghost Pirates rally with his first of two on the game. With 9:58 to play in the first, the puck was turned over in the Swamp Rabbits zone and worked around for a shot on started Kolby Hay, producing a rebound that was potted by Paliani to give Savannah a 1-0 lead (Pat Guay and Matt Choupani assisted). Just 2:37 later, a neutral zone turnover sprung a Ghost Pirates two-on-one, leading to Rylan Van Unen notching his first pro goal to double the lead to 2-0 with 7:21 left (Kyle Jeffers assisted). Towards the end of the period, the puck was lost in the Swamp Rabbits attacking zone, and the Ghost Pirates came up with numbers. Josh Davies scored in transition to make it a 3-0 lead with 1:10 left in the opening frame (Kyle Jeffers assisted).

Hay was removed for the game for Pierce Charleson, playing his fourth game in five nights and third straight. Charleson weathered a second period storm and got some run support, starting on the first Swamp Rabbits penalty kill. With 8:00 left in the second, the Swamp Rabbits went up on a three-on-one break, with Tate Singleton and Tyson Fawcett leading the charge. Singleton found Fawcett, who uncorked a one-time blast past Ghost Pirates goalie Keith Kinkaid, cutting the deficit to 3-1. Exactly 85 seconds later, Kyle Haskins tucked his first professional goal, powering in transition down the ice past his defender, and squeaked the puck past Kinkaid’s leg to make it 3-2 with 6:35 left in the second (Brent Pedersen and John Parker-Jones assisted).

Charleson continued to weather the storm and kept the Swamp Rabbits in it, but the team was unable to muster a tying strike late. Savannah countered with two empty net goals from Logan Drevitch and Devon Paliani to end the game, 5-2 for the Ghost Pirates.

Kolby Hay suffered the defeat, stopping 11 of 14 shots in the opening frame before being subbed out (1-5-1-0). Pierce Charleson stopped all 25 shots he saw in relief in 39:11 of work.

The Swamp Rabbits begin a home-and-home series with the Atlanta Gladiators starting this Friday, March 28^th. Puck drop for “Hockey & Hops”, presented by KW Beverage, 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.