Swamp Rabbits Fall in Third Period to Ghost Pirates

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ECHL Greenville Swamp Rabbits

Swamp Rabbits Fall in Third Period to Ghost Pirates

December 22, 2024 - ECHL (ECHL)
Greenville Swamp Rabbits News Release


(SAVANNAH, Ga.) - Parker Berge tied the game in the middle of the third period for the Greenville Swamp Rabbits, but Devon Paliani had two net-front redirections in the final five minutes shifted the game to the Savannah Ghost Pirates, who won by a 6-3 count at Enmarket Arena on Sunday afternoon.

The Swamp Rabbits struck first in transition thanks to Bryce Brodzinski, who trailed behind in a zone entry sequence. Brodzinski buried a feed from Colton Young under the blocker of Ghost Pirates goalie Evan Cormier, giving the Swamp Rabbits a 1-0 lead 6:22 left in the first. Dryden McKay stopped all eight shots he saw in net for the Swamp Rabbits.

With 6:40 to go in the second, Austin Saint gave the Swamp Rabbits a 2-0 lead when he took a Mikael Robidoux poke pass and went on a shorthanded breakaway, five-holing Cormier to double the advantage. Shortly after, however, Savannah countered with special teams play of their own with Reece Vitelli sending a scrambling puck in front of McKay's net past the net-minder on the Ghost Pirates third power play of the game, halving the deficit to 2-1 with 3:10 to play (Ross Armour and Logan Drevitch assisted). Will Riedell squared the game at 2-2 with 42 seconds left in the frame, trailing behind a pack of bodies and finishing with a shot that skipped under McKay's leg pad (Liam Walsh and Drevitch assisted).

Savannah kept its momentum rolling with their first lead of the game, scoring while shorthanded. While on the Swamp Rabbits second power play of the game, Liam Walsh forced a neutral zone turnover and found Reece Vitelli, who notched his second of the game with a delay over the blue line and a wristshot that beat McKay blocker side to make it 3-2 Ghost Pirates with 11:54 remaining in the game. Parker Berge later returned fire to even the game up again at 3-3, finishing a Tate Singleton pass inside the blue line with a shot that ripped through traffic with 8:31 remaining in regulation. The Ghost Pirates ultimately got their go-head strike on the power play, the first of two net-front deflections from Devon Paliani with 4:28 left in the game to go ahead 4-3, tipping a Logan Drevitch shot past McKay. Paliani struck again with 97 seconds left in the game, this time deflecting a Zach Uens shot off of his shoulder and by McKay's glove to swing the game to 5-3. Liam Walsh ended the game with a shorthanded empty-netter to seal a 6-3 Ghost Pirates win.

Dryden McKay stopped 34 of 39 shots, suffering the defeat (8-8-1-0).

The Swamp Rabbits will now enjoy the Christmas break and come back to action with a "three-in-three", beginning on the road against the Atlanta Gladiators on Friday, December 27th. Puck drop at Gas South Arena is slated for 7:00 p.m. EST. Following the Atlanta showdown, the Swamp Rabbits come back for a pair of games against the Jacksonville Icemen with "Christmas Vacation Night" on Saturday, December 28th, and a dog-friendly game on Sunday, December 29th. Puck drop for Saturday is 7:05 p.m. EST and Sunday is 3:05 p.m. at Bon Secours Wellness Arena.

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