GREENVILLE, S.C. — The Greenville Swamp Rabbits hosted a three-in-three homestand over the weekend and President’s Day (Feb. 15-17). For the first game, the club hosted the Savannah Ghost Pirates for the final time of this season, as they would fall short in overtime 3-2 when Liam Walsh scored the game-winning goal.
Then, for the last two games, they hosted one of the best teams in the Central Division, the Wheeling Nailers, for a two-game stretch. Unlike their standing differential, the Swamp Rabbits came out in full force for both games, as they took both of these games in a needed fashion to keep up in the win column.
Game Two Highlights
The Swamp Rabbits were ballistic during this game, as a troubled overtime loss fueled the club to secure a needed win, with Carter Savoie racking up five points and securing the top goal scoring title for his team. In the first period, Carter Savoie opened the scoring on a breakaway just three minutes in.
Then, later in the first, Kaleb Lawrence made it 2-0 over Wheeling with a tuck-in goal past Jaxon Castor. In the second period, Savoie netted another goal, giving his team insurance.
But several seconds after the goal, the Nailers put something on the board and thus trailed by two goals — with Gabe Klassen scoring on Jacob Ingham. 40 seconds before the buzzer, Kyle Jackson decreased the deficit to just a goal and offered his Wheeling team breathing room heading into the third period.
Into the third, however, Miles Gendron scored his third goal of the season from a backhand pass by Savoie.
Nine minutes after, the Rabbits scored again, when Quinn Olson turned on the jets and went on a breakaway.
After sixty minutes, the Rabbits secured an incredible 5-2 win over a high-performing Wheeling team.
Game Three Highlights
Neither team lit the lamp during the first period, but Wheeling was definitely more aggressive defensively compared to the previous night. Going into the second frame, the Swamp Rabbits scored first but the goal was called off by referee Marc-Olivier Phaneuf for a kicking motion, and the call stood after a video review.
But minutes after, Quinn Olson onetimed a rocket past Sergei Murashev on the power play to open the scoring for Greenville. Shortly after, Carter Savoie made it 2-nothing from a close-to-crease, wrap-around goal.
Then in the third, the Nailers were quick to decrease the trail, as Kyle Jackson gave his team some breathing room to tie the game. However, that ambition wouldn’t go to plan, as the Rabbits held them off and secured a back-to-back win with a final score of 2-1.
The Swamp Rabbits return to action on Friday, Feb. 21 in Charleston against the South Carolina Stingrays.
ITR 26: 2 Nations Fighting – Inside The Rink
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