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ECHL Greenville Swamp Rabbits

Swamp Rabbits Complete Comeback with 3-2 Shootout Win

January 3, 2016 - ECHL (ECHL)
Greenville Swamp Rabbits News Release


Manchester, NH - For the second straight afternoon, the Greenville Swamp Rabbits (17-12-5), proud ECHL affiliate of the New York Rangers and the AHL's Hartford Wolf Pack, stormed into Verizon Wireless Arena and earned a 3-2 shootout victory against the Manchester Monarchs (20-11-3).

Similar to Thursday's game, the Swamp Rabbits battled back with two goals late in the third period to force overtime. Jordan Knackstedt and Andrew Dommett each scored in regulation, while Knackstedt netted the only tally in a three-round shootout. Between the pipes, Mackenzie Skapski (1-2-1) was brilliant with 34 saves on 36 shots, including a stop on every chance he saw in the shootout on Sunday.

With the victory, Greenville extended its point streak to a season-best eight games (6-0-2) and has now produced at least one point in 10 of its last 11 outings.

BOX SCORE

After nearly 40 minutes of scoreless play, Darik Angeli put Manchester on the board late in the second period with his fourth goal of the season. Stefan Legein created a 2-on-1 rush with a lead pass to Angeli, where the Monarchs' forward carried the puck down the right wing, delayed in the circle to let Michael St. Croix slide by, and buried a snap shot off the right post and in past Skapski's glove. The opening tally came at 19:06 of the middle frame.

Manchester extended its lead at 3:06 of the third period when Derek Arnold capitalized on a breakaway. Following a turnover in the neutral zone, Arnold skated straight down the gut and placed a low forehand shot just under Skapski's glove.

With time running out in regulation, the Swamp Rabbits stormed back to even the game and keep their point streak alive. Dommett began the comeback at 15:45 of the third period with a shorthanded tally, and the first of his professional career. With St. Croix in the box for tripping, Sean Escobedo banked the puck to himself in Greenville's zone and started a rush into Manchester territory. He carried the puck to the left circle before backhanding a highlight-reel pass to Dommett at the doorstep for a one-time finish.

Nearly three minutes later, head coach Brian Gratz pulled Skapski for the extra attacker and it paid off at 18:52 of the third period. Scott Fleming slipped a cross-ice pass to Knackstedt in the left circle, where the veteran forced overtime with a perfectly placed shot into the top right corner above Doug Carr's glove.

The extra session provided thrilling end-to-end action and five combined shots, but no goals. In the ensuing shootout, Knackstedt recorded the only goal among six total shooters to help Greenville capture the victory.

The contest also saw a pair of tilts, including a lengthy bout between Charlie Dodero and Joe Diamond at 13:24 of the first period. In addition, Troy Donnay went head-to-head with Anthony Pisano in a heavy-weight fight at 7:18 of the middle frame.

Greenville finished the game 0-for-2 on the power play and 3-for-3 on the penalty kill. Carr halted 32 of 34 shots, while Manchester outshot Greenville 36-35.

Next Time Out: The Swamp Rabbits return to SANDLAPPER Securities Rink at the Bon Secours Wellness Arena on Thursday for a 7 p.m. puck drop against the Florida Everblades. It's another Thirsty Thursday featuring $2 domestic drafts during Hockey Happy Hour from 6-8 p.m. as well as $2 soft drinks, hot dogs and pretzels throughout the night. Limited $5 tickets are also available at the Bon Secours Wellness Arena box office while supplies last. Fans can follow all of the action live through ECHL.TV and the free Mixlr audio stream.

Get Social: Follow the Swamp Rabbits all season long and get behind-the-scenes coverage like never before on the team's official Facebook and Twitter pages.

Trolley On Over: Greenville's downtown trolley route has been extended to include a stop at the Bon Secours Wellness Arena. The expanded route will operate for all Swamp Rabbits' games taking place Thursdays through Sundays during normal trolley service hours.

Call 864-674-7825 or visit SwampRabbits.com for tickets. Bring a group of 15 or more out to a game and receive great discounts, merchandise offers and hospitality opportunities! Call a Swamp Rabbits Account Executive for more information! Get the latest Swamp Rabbits gear at the "Hop Shop" team store or visit the "Hop Shop" online at SwampRabbits.com/shop to browse the full collection of fan wear and novelties!

Check out the Greenville Swamp Rabbits Statistics

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