(GREENVILLE, S.C.) – Cam Hausinger scored over five minutes into the 2025-26 ECHL Season to give the Greenville Swamp Rabbits an early lead, but the Utah Grizzlies, powered by Garrett Pyke’s pair of goals, ended up with a 3-1 win on Friday night.
Hausinger’s strike came early to celebrate the new season for the Swamp Rabbits, but was quickly answered to leave both teams deadlocked. At 5:18 of the first, Brent Pedersen found Jordan Power on the left blue line and watched him rifle a shot towards net front traffic. Hausinger caught a piece of Power’s shot and deflected it by Grizzlies goaltender Dryden McKay, giving the Swamp Rabbits a 1-0 lead. Garrett Pyke, however, leveled the playing field 71 seconds later at 6:29 when he collected a Mick Messner faceoff win on the left side of the Swamp Rabbits zone and zipped a shot off of a defender and in past Swamp Rabbits net-minder Mattias Sholl, tying the game at 1-1.
Both teams failed to score in the second, but notably, the Swamp Rabbits went on the penalty kill three times in the frame, staving each off. Eventually, Pyke broke through again halfway through the third period. At 7:49, from the exact same spot, he took a loosely rolling puck and flung it to Sholl, watching it squeak by to give the Grizzlies a 2-1 advantage (the goal was unassisted). Sholl kept it a one-goal game multiple times throughout the third, but despite his big saves and a few pushes from his skaters, Ty Voit found the back of the empty net in the final minute to seal a 3-1 Grizzlies win.
Mattias Sholl stopped 34 of 36 shots in the defeat (0-1-0-0). Of note on the Swamp Rabbits roster, Power’s assist was the first of his career, while Hudson Schandor and Kenta Isogai both celebrated their professional debuts. Tim Lovell also made his North American pro debut after playing in Finland last season.
The Swamp Rabbits transition from their home opener to their first road test, taking on the Savannah Ghost Pirates tomorrow night. Puck drop at Enmarket Arena is slated for 7:00 p.m. EST.
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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.
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