ECHL Game Recap: Greenville Swamp Rabbits vs Atlanta Gladiators | 12/08/2024

The Atlanta Gladiators hosted a festive night at Gas South Arena on December 8th as they took on the Greenville Swamp Rabbits for “Sing for Santa” night. The event created a joyful atmosphere filled with holiday cheer, perfect for fans of all ages. Spectators enjoyed some spirited competition on the ice while celebrating the season with fellow fans. Santa himself was there for the ceremonial puck drop, adding an extra touch of magic to the evening. It was an exciting game and a wonderful opportunity to get into the holiday spirit.

Last Matchup:

The Atlanta Gladiators secured a 1-0 victory over the Greenville Swamp Rabbits on Saturday night at the Bon Secours Wellness Arena. Both teams were scoreless through the first two periods, with Atlanta outshooting Greenville. A key moment came in the second period when Gladiators’ goalie Ethan Haider denied a penalty shot by Patrick Moynihan. The game’s only goal was scored in the third period by Cody Sylvester, who capitalized on his own rebound. Blake Murray led the team with eight shots on net. Haider’s stellar performance, making 33 saves for his third professional shutout, was crucial in maintaining the lead despite a late push from the Swamp Rabbits. Haider is now tied for the most shutouts in the league. Dryden McKay also performed well for Greenville, stopping 31 of 32 shots he faced.

First Period

Tyler Drevitch took a shot on goal from the left, but Jacob Ingham made the save. Eric Neiley followed up with a strong attempt, which was also blocked. Neiley then fired another shot that deflected in front of Ingham, and on the rebound, the Gladiators found the back of the net just 90 seconds into the game. Joey Cipollone scored the goal with Neiley and Anthony Firriolo assisting. Atlanta was ahead 1-0 (1:30).

A risky attempt by Quinn Olson on DeRidder went high and over the target. Moments later, during a breakaway, the Gladiators almost scored against Ingham, but he successfully blocked Randy Hernández’s shot. Later, Patriks Marcinkevics took a shot at Ingham, who made yet another save.

The Gladiators passed the puck as Jackson Pierson found Carson Denomie, who took a shot through traffic. However, Ingham made the save just as the net came loose. It was a tense moment for the Gladiators when DeRidder briefly lost control of the puck, allowing Arvid Caderoth to come close to getting past him.

DeRidder skillfully cleared the puck after a shot from Greenville, successfully blocking further attempts from both Caderoth and Parker Bird. Although he went down following a shot, resulting in a delayed penalty, he quickly bounced back up. A penalty was called on Greenville’s Austin Saint for interference (14:08).

The Gladiators fought to maintain control of the puck, but the Swamp Rabbits struck decisively. Greenville had two strong shots that were turned away, allowing the Gladiators to clear the puck. A delayed penalty was called after some action at center ice, sparked by Firriolo’s hit on Olson. Bryce Brodzinski received a penalty for unsportsmanlike conduct at 17:46 sending the Gladiators to their second man advantage. Jarvis slipped past a Swamp Rabbits player while Greenville and the Gladiators tried to make the net but were unable to get a clear shot. As the game wound down, the Swamp Rabbits returned to full strength. Once out of the penalty box, Brodzinski took a shot at DeRidder, who successfully blocked the attempt.

Here the score at the end of the first, along with the the shots, goals, penalties, and powerplay results for the first period between Greenville and Atlanta:

Score:

• Greenville: 0
• Atlanta: 1

Shots:

• Greenville: 7
• Atlanta: 8

Penalties:

Austin Saint (Greenville): Interference on the Goalkeeper – minor (69.2) at 14:08.

Bryce Brodzinski (Greenville): Unsportsmanlike conduct – minor (75.2) at 17:46.

Powerplay Results:

• Greenville: 0/0
• Atlanta: 0/2

Second Period

At the start of the second period, the Gladiators aimed to keep their momentum going, while Greenville worked to gain some of their own. Greenville’s Singleton took a shot on goal, but DeRidder blocked the effort after it veered wide. Greenville took another shot on his net, but DeRidder closed that door as well. Greenville made their moves, but Atlanta kept the pressure on them defensively. Pierson passed the puck to Jarvis, who took a shot at Ingham but was denied.

Marchesan took a shot, but the puck was deflected by Ingham. Atlanta’s Derek Topatigh then fired another shot, which was blocked by Greenville. A delayed penalty for tripping was called on Atlanta’s Topatigh, granting Greenville their first power play of the evening at 5:36. Atlanta battled for possession, pushing the puck out of their zone and down to the other end of the ice. Patrick Moynihan attempted a shot, but it was thwarted. They returned to full strength shortly after.

A near goal by Atlanta captured the fans’ attention when Topatigh had an opportunity of his own to nearly find the net. Dominiks Marcinkevics passed to Dylan Carabia, whose shot was blocked by Ingham. Ingham later made another save as the net came off, after a shot by Firriolo forced Ingham to come out of the net to make the save. Hernández was nearly there, but Ingham made the save. Murray also had a chance and received the same treatment.

Greenville’s Tyson Fawcett had an opportunity to score, but DeRidder managed to block the shot effectively. After the attempt, tensions flared between Saint and Drevitch, causing emotions to rise among both teams, with several players joining the argument. DeRidder thwarted the chance as Greenville’s Young and Bird made follow-up attempts, but DeRidder successfully secured the puck.

Brodzinski’s attempt was cut short by D. Marcinkevics, resulting in an intense clash between Hernández and a Swamp Rabbit. Thankfully, both players quickly regained their balance and were back on their skates in no time. A referee restrained a Swamp Rabbit that was eager to provoke Drevitch after a play, but Greenville’s John Parker-Jones ended up in the penalty box for slashing (14:04).

After both teams made a line change, a shot was taken at Ingham, who skillfully made the save and redirected the play to the other end. Cranford then took a shot at Ingham, but this attempt was thwarted as they quickly returned to full strength shortly afterward.

With less than two minutes left, DeRidder made a save on the shot as Atlanta pushed the puck back into Greenville’s zone to make the clear. With seconds left, a near bounce of the puck on a shot by Pierson got past Ingham but went wide. The period closed with no change on the scoreboard.

Penalties:

Third Period

An early attempt by Greenville was effectively thwarted by DeRidder right after the faceoff. Atlanta re-engaged with Greenville when Sylvester and Cipollone generated chances during a 2-on-1 situation. Firriolo was knocked down by Parker-Jones. A turnover at center ice resulted in no scoring for Greenville, as their shot missed the net, going far to the right. Bobby Russell called for a penalty for high-sticking against Denomie at 3:21.

The Gladiators surrounded the net, searching for an opening in Ingham’s defense. Their chance almost came when Denomie fired a shot that narrowly hit the post. Tyler Drevitch then took a shot on goal, but Ingham secured it with his glove. Atlanta managed to push forward into Greenville’s territory, yet Marcinkevics’ attempt was thwarted.

Greenville found the net as DeRidder made the initial save, but the puck later slipped through. The goal was scored by Bobby Russell, unassisted, at 9:01, resulting in a tied game with just over half a period left to play. Moments, later Cranford attempted a shot from an angle, but Ingham successfully stopped it. The Gladiators found themselves down a man after Jarvis is called for tripping (11:40).

With a man advantage, the Swamp Rabbits took the lead as Olson skillfully scored against DeRidder, making the score 2-1 in favor of Greenville. Just moments later, the Gladiators answered back, finding the net against Ingham while also earning a power play. Topatigh secured the goal with Dominiks Marcinkevics assisting, tying the score at 2-2 (12:36). Cipollone took a shot, but Ingham deflected it. Later, DeRidder made his own save as Greenville worked the puck.

Game Summary

Three Stars of the Game

1. J. Flynn (GVL)
2. D. Topatigh (ATL)
3. Q. Olson (GVL)

Key Players

Greenville:

• J. Flynn: 1 goal, +2 rating
• Q. Olson: 1 goal
• B. Russell: 1 goal
• J. Ingham: 28 saves on 30 shots

Atlanta:

• J. Cipollone: 1 goal
• D. Topatigh: 1 goal
• E. Neiley: 1 assist
• D. DeRidder: 21 saves on 24 shots

Greenville’s strong third period secured their victory, overcoming Atlanta’s early lead and maintaining their composure to clinch the win.