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ECHL Greenville Swamp Rabbits

Kelly Cup Playoffs Game 2 Preview: Swamp Rabbits at Jacksonville (5:00pm)

April 23, 2023 - ECHL (ECHL)
Greenville Swamp Rabbits News Release


Greenville Swamp Rabbits (1-0-0) vs. Jacksonville Icemen (0-1-0)

South Division Semifinal

April 23, 2023 | 7:00 PM | Kelly Cup Playoffs Game 2 | GVL leads series 1-0

Vystar Veterans Memorial Arena | Jacksonville, FL

Referees: Rocco Stachowiak (28), Marc-Olivier Phaneuf (23)

Linesmen: Logan Berkowitz (68), Davids Rozitis (90)

BROADCAST INFORMATION

Pregame Coverage begins at 4:45PM

LISTEN: Greenville Swamp Rabbits Broadcast Network

WATCH: FloHockey Live Stream

Voice of the Swamp Rabbits Mark Shelley (Play-by-Play) on the call

SWAMP RABBITS VS ICEMEN SERIES

Regular Season Record:

Overall: (5-4-2-0) Home:(1-3-2-0) Away: (4-1-0-0)

Last Meeting:

Game 1: April 21, 2023 - Greenville 4 at Jacksonville 1

All-Time Record:

(30-26-8)

All-Time Playoff Record:

(1-0-0)

QUICK BITS

A CHANCE TO TAKE TWO:

Greenville kept with tradition and won, yet again, at the Veterans Memorial Arena in Game 1 behind aggressive secondary scoring and a 25-save showing by Ryan Bednard. Friday's win saw two players, Alex Ierullo and Ethan Somoza, produce multi-point games with two points each. The three-goal victory equalled the Swamp Rabbits' largest win against the Icemen during the regular season and was their fifth win in Jacksonville. Game 1 ended with tempers flaring, setting the stage for an energetic Game 2 on Sunday, as the Rabbits look to take control of the series, and the Icemen look to level it.

SCOUTING THE ICEMEN:

Defense. That's been the key to Jacksonville's success over the last couple of seasons, and it is very much the case again as the Kelly Cup Playoffs get underway. Goals have come at a scarcity for opposing offenses, as the 4th-ranked defense in the ECHL allows just 2.88 goals per game. All season, then Icemen have run a trio of goaltenders, including Charles Williams, Olof Lindbom, and Parker Gahagen. As it stands, Gahagen remains in the AHL with the Hartford Wolfpack, but is eligible to join the Icemen for the postseason. Williams and Lindbom are more than capable of keeping up with a red-hot Rabbits offense and can be the deciding factors in games. Brendan Harris has done what few others have done against the Rabbits, score a hat-trick in the regular season. His six goals led the Icemen against Greenville over the 11-game series.

SHARING THE SCORING:

Game 1 saw four different Swamp Rabbits find the back of the net in the 4-1 victory. Ben Freeman scored a power-play goal to open the scoring before Josh McKechney, Joe Gatenby, and Alex Ierullo added to the totals. Ierullo's goal was the only one by a player who scored at least 20 goals during the regular season, which provided Head Coach Andrew Lord with much needed secondary scoring in the opening game of the series.

BEMIDJI BOYS LEAD THE WAY:

Two rookies were the top scorers for the Swamp Rabbits in the Game 1 win, as for Bemidji State Beavers Alex Ierullo and Ethan Somoza combined for four points in the opener. The two wingers combined for 126 points for the Rabbits offense during the regular season, with both surpassing the 20-goal mark. Ierullo and Somoza connected for the final goal of the game, Ierullo's first of the postseason.

GATOR GET GOING:

Joe Gatenby, while technically a rookie by ECHL standards, is no stranger to the Kelly Cup Playoffs. The Kelowna, BC native made an appearance in his third postseason tournament, having debuted for the Rabbits in the opening round last season and making four appearances in 2018 with the Atlanta Gladiators. Gatenby's third-period goal ensured that the blue-liner has recorded a goal in all three Kelly Cup Playoffs, recorded a goal and an assist in his two previous stints.

WELCOME TO THE POSTSEASON:

Friday's Game 1 was the first Kelly Cup Playoffs appearance for eight different Swamp Rabbits. On Greenville's second goal of the game, three first-time playoff performers combined for the tally, as Josh McKechney's first of the postseason was assisted by Colton Young and Brett Kemp.

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