(JACKSONVILLE, Fla.) – Jack Brackett potted two goals, including the game-winner at 3:03 of overtime to lead the Greenville Swamp Rabbits to a 4-3 win over the Jacksonville Icemen on Saturday night, their first road game of the new year. The win gives the Swamp Rabbits sole possession of 4^th in the South Division, breaking the tie previously held by the Icemen.

Both teams skated to a scoreless deadlock after 20 minutes of play, with Pierce Charleson staving off 13 Jacksonville shots and Cameron Rowe denying nine Swamp Rabbits chances. Eventually, the dam broke with a quick scoring exchange. Just 1:58 into the second, John Spetz fired a blue line shot that was deflected by Dalton Duhart and skipped off of Charleson, giving the Icemen a 1-0 lead (Spetz and Jaden Condotta assisted). However, 30 seconds later, Parker Berge, from roughly the same area on the opposite side of the net, took a puck that deflected off a defender and sent it flying through traffic, beating Rowe over his shoulder to immediately tie the game at 1-1 at 2:28. Brackett’s big night started over the midway point of the second, when he forced a turnover on the attacking blue line, creating a two-on-one with Brent Pedersen. Pedersen gave back to Brackett, and, despite traffic and chaotic bouncing of the puck, stuck with the play and slipped it by Rowe in the slot to give the Swamp Rabbits a 2-1 lead. Cam Hausinger then provided more separation, beating the buzzer with 0:06 left when he buried a behind the net pass from Josh Atkinson, expanding the Swamp Rabbits lead to 3-1 entering the third (Atkinson and Hudson Schandor assisted).

The Icemen found a gear entering the final period, scoring 2:18 into the frame when Charleson took contact from the Icemen skaters that led to Garrett Van Whye’s tally in a net-front scramble, cutting the lead to 3-2. Despite the contact slowing Charleson down, the goal was upheld upon review. In the final minutes, Tim Lovell and Josh Atkinson committed hooking and slashing minors, respectively, putting the Icemen on a two-man power play, turning into a three-man advantage with the extra attacker, with 81 seconds left in regulation. With 12.2 seconds remaining, Matteo Costantini found a rebound from the left and rifled a shot through traffic, beating Charleson to square the game at 3-3 (Van Whye and Patrick Bajkov assisted).

After killing off the remainder of Atkinson’s penalty in overtime, the Swamp Rabbits fielded a defensive zone draw. At 3:03, Brackett turned on his afterburners, beat his defender, and finished his breakaway with his second of the night, winning the game 4-3 for the Swamp Rabbits.

Pierce Charleson turned aside 25 of 28 shots, earning his fifth win of the campaign (5-4-2-0).

The Swamp Rabbits finish their brief road swing on Monday, January 5^th, against the Orlando Solar Bears. Puck drop at the Kia Center is slated for 7:00p.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.