(GREENVILLE, S.C.) – Jake Murray got the Greenville Swamp Rabbits on the board early, and Cam Hausinger extended his point streak to five straight games, but the South Carolina Stingrays, propelled on the goal-and-assist nights of Stan Cooley and Simon Pinard, snuck away with a 2-1 win on Saturday night.

Murray got the Swamp Rabbits on the board early, following the first of four fights on the night between the rivals (John Parker-Jones and Justin Nachbaur squared off 1:25 in). At 4:11, Patrick Polino entered the zone and rifled a cross-ice pass to Cam Hausinger, who waited for options. Hausinger identified Murray entering down the middle, hit him in the slot, and Murray finished with a wrister passed Stingrays goalie Garin Bjorklund, giving the Swamp Rabbits a 1-0 lead. Hausinger later fought Kyler Kupka, the game’s second fight, at the end of the first. 

The Stingrays answered over the midway point of regulation, the first of two sequences where Simon Pinard and Stan Cooley linked up. With 7:51 left in the second, Jacob Modry brilliantly blocked Cooley’s shot in the slot, but the rebound came right back to his tape immediately. Cooley slipped a quick shot past Swamp Rabbits net-minder Isaiah Saville transitioning to his near post, squaring the game at 1-1 (Pinard had the lone assist). The final two fights of the game at the end of the second featured Patrick Polino popping Jordan Klimek, and Josh Atkinson submitting Romain Rodzinski, but the latter two were assessed additional game misconducts, prompting their removal from the game prior to the third.

Pinard ultimately got the Stingrays ahead early in the final frame, eventually riding it to the win. At 6:32, Pinard snagged a rebound off of Saville in the net-front, out lasted the goaltender, and tucked it home to give the Stingrays a 2-1 advantage (Cooley and Connor Moore assisted). Looking to mount a comeback, the Swamp Rabbits efforts were cut short via a late penalty, which helped the Stingrays to their 2-1 victory.

Isaiah Saville, making his first start for the Swamp Rabbits since November 12^th, stopped 27 of 29 shots on his net (3-3-0-0).

The Swamp Rabbits now briefly take to the road again, playing against the Savannah Ghost Pirates in a morning game. Puck drop on Tuesday, January 13^th, is slated for 10:30am EST at Enmarket 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.