On Friday January 15th, the Greenville Swamp Rabbits met once again with a nearby opponent in the the South Carolina Stingrays.
As the game got underway, it was Max Zimmer and Bryce Reddick off to the races, this giving the Swamp Rabbits an early 2-0 lead. While that lead held for most of the frame, it was winger Mark Cooper who responded right back, getting his team on the scoreboard while cutting the deficit. That would be all after the first 20 minutes of action.
Onwards to the game’s second frame, Greenville winger Luc Brown increased their lead back to two goals before forward Cam Askew drew the Stingrays within one for a second time. At that point, they would trail 3-2. Before the frame came to a close, South Carolina and Greenville would both score once more with power play goals from Greg Meireles and Dylan Steman.
In the third and final period, Darien Craighead tied the game up at four, which forced the matchup into sudden death overtime. During the extra frame, it was forward Matthew Bradley, who scored the game-winning goal, which would see them defeat the visiting Stingrays, 5-4.
In the second of two games the next day, the two teams met again at Bon Secours Wellness Arena. Doing so on January 16th, this game was dragged past the clock, as it concluded in a shootout.
Looking at the opening frame, it was Darien Craighead who would get things going with a power play goal to put the Stingrays up early. He put the puck in the net with four minutes left on the clock. That was all the action for the first, as both teams exited for the first intermission.
Just 25 seconds into the second, the Greenville Swamp Rabbits would come out swinging, as Liam Pecararo put his team on the scoreboard with a power play goal to tie the game up at one. With a second advantage a few minutes later, Greenville forward Matthew Wedman pushed his team past the Stingrays, giving them a 2-1 lead. Just before the period concluded, Askew tied up the game during a Stingrays power play. That would do it through two periods of play.
Into the game’s third and final period, Jordan Klimek, about halfway through, regained the lead for Stingrays, now leading Greenville 3-2. As the game progressed, in the final two minutes, forward Matt Bradley scored to tie the game up at three. That, much like the night before, meant that the Stingrays and Swamp Rabbits would enter sudden death overtime.
During the extra frame, both teams kept their eyes on the prize, and resulting from that, a silent seven-minute frame. That forced the two to a shootout, where Mason Morelli scored the lone goal, playing hero for the Stingrays.
Greenville remains home on Friday night, as the team gets set to host Orlando and Jacksonville. Puck drop at Bon Secours Wellness Arena is scheduled to fall at 7:05pmET. Puck drop will be the same time on Saturday, while game two against the Icemen is scheduled for 3:05pmET.