ECHL Game Recap: Greenville Swamp Rabbits vs Cincinnati Cyclones l 01/29/2025

On Wednesday night, the Cincinnati Cyclones welcomed the Greenville Swamp Rabbits to Heritage Bank Center for their lone matchup of the regular season. The Swamp Rabbits entered the game with a record of 15-18-3-2, struggling in the South Division and sitting in last place, five points behind the sixth-place Savannah Ghost Pirates.

Cincinnati entered the matchup with a record of 15-21-5-0, fresh off a tough 3-0 loss to the Bloomington Bison last Saturday. In that game, Bison goaltender Yaniv Perets was stellar, stopping all 29 shots from the Cyclones.

Starting in net for Cincinnati was Pavel Cajan, while Dryden McKay was between the pipes for Greenville.

First Period:

Carter Savoie walloped a one-timer past Cajan just 1:13 into the game, capitalizing on a terrible turnover out of the defensive zone to give the Swamp Rabbits an early 1-0 lead.

Just a couple of minutes later, Marko Sikic of Cincinnati backhanded a rebound shot by Ryan McCleary past McKay, scoring his fifth goal of the season and leveling the game at 1-1 within the first five minutes.

Tristan Ashbrook of Cincinnati was later caught tripping deep in his defensive zone, sending the 23rd-ranked Greenville power play to the man advantage. However, they were no match for the pressuring Cincinnati penalty kill. With 2:57 to go in the first, Cincinnati got their first crack at the power play as Mikael Robidoux was caught hooking, but the Swamp Rabbits’ penalty kill was too much for the Cyclones. The period ended at 0-0, with Greenville leading the shot total 10-9.

Second Period:

Midway through the second period, Rhett Parsons and Mikael Robidoux dropped the gloves at center ice. Parsons eventually landed a right jab, sending Robidoux down to the ice.

With just over four minutes left in the second period, Josh Burnside delivered a gorgeous saucer pass to Lincoln Griffin during a two-on-one break. Griffin timed his shot perfectly, slapping the puck into the net and bringing the score to 2-1 in favor of the Cyclones.

The second later ended 2-1 in favor of the Cyclones.

Third Period:

The third line was flying all over the ice at the start of the third period. Mathieu Gosselin unleashed a wrist shot that deflected off McKay’s right glove and found the back of the net. That goal marked the second for the third line in the game and extended the Cyclones’ lead to 3-1.

While on a late-game power play, Greenville pulled their goaltender for a two-man advantage, which was later nullified after Carter Savoie was assessed an interference penalty with just under four minutes left in regulation. Remy Parker later iced the game, shooting the puck into an empty net and sending Cyclones fans home happy after a hard-fought 4-1 win.

Three Stars of the Game:

1) Mathieu Gosselin- One Goal, One Assist
2) Pavel Cajan – 31/32 Saves
3) Josh Burnside – One Assist

After falling behind 1-0 in the early minutes of the first, the Cyclones took control and dominated the game from that point on. Goaltender Pavel Cajan had another stellar performance, making 31 saves on 32 shots, helping to secure the crucial win and improving the Cyclones’ record to 16-21-5-0.

Marko Sikic and Mathieu Gosselin were also key on Wednesday night, each contributing a goal and an assist. The third line, featuring Sikic, Gosselin, and Chris Dodero, was great again, showing off their aggressive forecheck for a full 60 minutes. Their hard-checking mentality set the tone for the game and made them the best line on the ice in my eyes.

Cajan was exceptional in goal yet again, gloving most shots down and allowing very few second chances. The team’s defensive play was solid for about 57 minutes, limiting high-quality chances for the Swamp Rabbits and effectively clearing pucks out of their end. They also successfully went 2/2 on the penalty kill, which is a great sign of the squad staying more disciplined.

Looking ahead, the Cyclones will be back in action this Friday against the Wheeling Nailers and then face off against the Toledo Walleye on Saturday for the much-anticipated annual Teddy Bear Toss game at 4:00 PM EST.