Game One — 22, November 2024 — South Carolina Stingrays at Swamp Rabbits
GREENVILLE, S.C. — Head coach of the Swamp Rabbits, Kyle Mountain, was absent during this game against the South Carolina Stingrays and the following game in Savannah due to a personal leave of absence regarding family matters. So, therefore, assistant coach Adam Dauda filled in for him during those two games as acting head coach.
Dryden McKay for Greenville and Seth Eisele for South Carolina would start in their respective nets.
1st Period
The Swamp Rabbits had good scoring opportunities in their offensive zone to start; however, the Stingrays’ defensive core was physical and positioned themselves appropriately to block shots by the home team. Although, a lot of defensive credit should go to Eisele for making 15 saves during this period.
Greenville drew the first power play at 5:44, but the team would almost immediately push it back to four-on-four after McKay played the puck out of the trapezoid. Neither team put a shot on net during this segment.
Further in the period, the Stingrays took two penalties in a span of over a minute, which sent the Swamp Rabbits on a 30 second 5-on-3 opportunity. However, with an extra man advantage or not, the Rabbits did not capitalise and open up the scoring.
Eisele made great saves, but the Swamp Rabbits were not putting in the work to shoot quality shots on goal, position themselves, or saucer pucks through open lanes. After twenty minutes, the game was tied zero-zero.
Shots on goal: SC 8; GVL 15
2nd Period
A goal would be scored during this period, as Joe Leahy opened the scoring for the Swamp Rabbits at 0:41 with a nifty backhander. Then, three minutes later, the Stingrays responded by tying the game when Charlie Combs netted it five-hole in an uncontested slot.
Several minutes in, the Swamp Rabbits gave away an opportunity to South Carolina in their own zone as Jamie Engelbert scored the tiebreaker at 14:11 from a trapezoid feed by Micah Miller.
Shots on goal: SC 11; GVL 14
3rd Period
Turnovers plagued the Stingrays, as the majority of this period seemed like a bounce-around game. After the halfway point, the Rabbits were still trailing by a goal, but a sign of life slowly creaked in as Tate Singleton would tie it up with 6:25 left from a blueline rocket.
With 36 seconds remaining in the period, Ben Freeman ripped one high on Eisele for Carter Savoie to tip it in and break the tie. Consequently, the Stingrays took a timeout to try and tie it up with Eisele pulled for the extra attacker.
However, the Swamp Rabbits held them off and took Game One of three in this three-of-three weekend showdown. Sticking to their depth, defending their zone, and letting shots fly into the netminders paid off for the Swamp Rabbits.
Total shots on goal: SC 27; GVL 45
Game Two — Swamp Rabbits at Savannah
SAVANNAH, GA. — On the following day, Saturday, 24 Nov., I took a short trip to Enmarket Arena to cover the Swamp Rabbits go head on against the Savannah Ghost Pirates with exclusive photos. For the goaltending, McKay would get his second straight start, while Keith Kinkaid would start for the Ghost Pirates.
1st Period
With a crowd of 7,500 spectators, the venue at Enmarket Arena was buzzing even before puck drop. Fans were eager for some action, and they certainly would get it.
In the first two minutes of play, Liam Walsh would net his first of the season and open up scoring. The goal jump started the club on home ice, as they would pressure aggressively in Greenvilles end with plenty of zone time.
While the Swamp Rabbits had some good zone entries, the Ghost Pirates clamped down on defensive coverage to snuff out any play on their netminder. Later in the frame, at precisely 14:00, Andre Anaia and Tate Singleton dropped the mitts in a good old-fashioned hockey fight.
Just as the crowd was already awake, they grew louder and louder as a result of the extracurriculars. Then, minutes later, after the Savannah PP was killed off, the Rabbits got on the board to tie the score when Colton Young, wearing the fishbowl, scored.
But as the tone seemed to have changed, the score would look much different seconds later, as Riley Hughes broke the tie and collected goal number 12 of this season. After twenty minutes, it was 2-1.
2nd Period
The Swamp Rabbits started the second slate with a tie goal, as Joe Leahy lasered one past Kinkaid and finished it off with a sliding celly. Then at 4:43, Ross Armour and his Ghost Pirates crew would capitalise on the PP and break the tie again.
Several minutes in, the Savannah club killed off a penalty and kept their short lead. But at 16:04, the game would get tied again, as Parker Berge would score — silencing the Ghost Pirates for the remainder of the period.
3rd Period
To finish off this game, the Swamp Rabbits had a strong period with incredible stability in their o-zone. At 6:35, Bobby Russell rockets one at the left-wing point for Brent Pedersen to tip in and break the tie.
Against his former team and on home ice, Pedersen netted the tie-breaking goal in a different sweater. Then, at 9:04, Tyson Fawcett would give his team a two-goal insurance lead from a long-range wrister on the power play.
But in a dire fashion, Riley Hughes netted a far off goal to cut the Swamp Rabbits’ lead to just a goal. The score was now 5-4 Greenville.
Kinkaid would be pulled at 1:34 for the extra attacker to usher in 6-on-5. Attempts were made in Greenville’s zone, and from a poor end zone execution with just 25 seconds remaining, the Swamp Rabbits drew a penalty to give the Ghost Pirates an opportunity to tie it.
However, the short amount of time to muster a tie wasn’t enough for the club, and so they would fall short against their division rivals.
Game Three — Icemen at Greenville
GREENVILLE, S.C. — After a four hour drive back to Greenville, the Swamp Rabbits finished off this three-in-three slate at home ice against the Jacksonville Icemen on Nov. 24. McKay got his third straight start, while Matt Vernon started for Jacksonville.
1st Period
For the start of the period, the Rabbits were attentive to their defensive zone coverage, offering big-bodied services to block plays and shots on McKay; a much better improvement than the last two games. At around 7:28, the Icemen turned the puck over, creating a near breakaway on their power play.
Ben Freeman would score a short-handed goal off a rebound from Tate Singleton’s initial shot on Vernon. Scoring would be nil until the mere end of the period.
On a rush created by Brodzinski in his d-zone, Stuart Rolofs would go on a rush with Pedersen, as Rolofs would backhand feed to Pedersen for him to tip it in near the crease. Then later on, with 13 seconds left in the period, Freeman would cross ice feed at the left-wing point to Bryce Brodzinski for him to rip it and score on an open net opportunity.
After 20 minutes, the Swamp Rabbits held a 3-nothing lead over the Icemen.
Shots on goal: JAX 12; GVL 13
2nd Period
Parker Berge netted a top-shelf goal at 16:12 to give his team a four-nothing lead over the visiting team. This was Berge’s third point in three games (2G-1A).
16 seconds before the buzzer, straight pandemonium broke out among the teams, as all ten players engaged in extracurriculars after Carter Savoie was roughed up by Ty Cheveldayoff. Freeman continued the altercation, and as such, would get a double-minor for roughing.
After forty, Greenville held a lead of 4-0.
Shots on goal: JAX 14; GVL 7
3rd Period
Greenville was defensively sound during this period, blocking and backchecking shots and plays before they reached McKay. Stuart Rolofs netted the fifth goal at 15:00 from a long-range wrister in the left-wing corner.
Ultimately, the Swamp Rabbits came out with win number three in this weekend three-in-three. Dryden McKay, in his third start of this series, collected another first star at home and a shutout win.
Shots on goal: JAX 15; GVL 13
Final Shots on Goal: JAX 41; 32 GVL
The Swamp Rabbits will return to hockey on Wednesday, Nov. 27 at Atlanta against the Gladiators.
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