(BOISE, Idaho) – Josh Atkinson extended his assist streak to five games and Ryan O’Hara potted a power play goal for the Greenville Swamp Rabbits, but the Idaho Steelheads came out with the second point in the shootout, taking the first-ever meeting between the clubs with a 3-2 shootout win on Wednesday night. While the loss ends the Swamp Rabbits winning streak at four, it extends their current point streak to five games, their longest of the season, and vaults them to 3-0-0-1 record through their six-game road trip.

The Steelheads came out with the only goal of the first period in the final two minutes, utilizing special teams in the effort. With 100 seconds left in the first, a Tim Lovell blue line pass for Parker Berge was off track and created a two-on-one down the ice for Grant Silianoff and Jordan Steinmetz. Silianoff elected to shoot it himself, and rifled a wrister by the glove of Swamp Rabbits goaltender Isaiah Saville to give the Steelheads at 1-0 lead.

The Swamp Rabbits stormed back in the second, but eventually left the frame deadlocked. Lovell got himself in the goal column for a third time this season during a chaotic offensive zone sequence, eventually pocketing a net-front loose puck past Steelheads goalie Ben Kraws to square the game at 1-1 (Ryan O’Reilly and Josh Atkinson assisted). Exactly 2:17 later on their second power play of the game, Parker Berge started a breakout with Dante Sheriff, who carried into the zone with speed. Sheriff fired a pass to Ryan O’Hara, who batted the puck out of mid-air with the shaft of his stick and pushed it past Kraws to give the Swamp Rabbits a 2-1 lead with 8:44 left in the second. Idaho got the last word after extended defensive zone time for the Swamp Rabbits, leading to Jaden Shields firing a shot from the left that beat Saville’s blocker to tie the game at 2-2 with 4:25 to play in the second (Jordan Steinmetz assistsed).

Both teams couldn’t find a winner in the third, prompting overtime in the first-ever meeting between the teams. The Swamp Rabbits had the best chance with a power play in the middle of the extra session, but couldn’t solve Kraws and the Steelheads, eventually leading to a shootout, the first one the Swamp Rabbits played in since their second game of the season, their first win at Savannah on October 18^th. 

It came down to the final round, as Brandon Hoffman and Ty Pelton-Byce of Idaho were thwarted by Isaiah Saville, and in turn Hudson Schandor and Kenta Isogai were denied by Ben Kraws. Kaleb Person fired a shot in close range past Saville to start the third round, putting the game on the stick of Keaton Mastrodonato. He couldn’t solve Kraws to extend the shootout, giving the Steelheads the second point and 3-2 win.

Isaiah Saville turned aside 22 of 24 shots, suffering the defeat, his first past 60 minutes this season (6-5-0-1).

The Swamp Rabbits continue their three-game series with the Idaho Steelheads on Friday, February 6^th. Puck drop at Idaho Central Arena is slated for 9:10 p.m. EST for game two of the set.

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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.