ECHL Greenville Swamp Rabbits

Swamp Rabbits Salute Fans with 3-2 Win in Home Finale

April 8, 2016 - ECHL (ECHL)
Greenville Swamp Rabbits News Release


Greenville, SC - Michael St. Croix netted the go-ahead goal with less than six minutes remaining on Friday, lifting the Greenville Swamp Rabbits (29-32-10), proud ECHL affiliate of the New York Rangers and the AHL's Hartford Wolf Pack, to a 3-2 win against the Atlanta Gladiators (33-31-7) in their home finale at the Bon Secours Wellness Arena.

Brian Hart and Charlie Dodero also scored for the Swamp Rabbits, which helped snap a five-game slide on SANDLAPPER Securities Rink. Greenville finished the season 14-14-8 at home.

The Swamp Rabbits produced a 1-0 advantage early in the first period with Hart's 10th goal of the season. It was set up by Greg Amlong in the defensive zone, who directed a long lead pass to the opposite blue line, where Garett Bembridge corralled the puck and found a streaking Hart at the left hash marks. There, the rookie forward guided home a forehand shot past the left leg pad of goaltender Kent Patterson at the 2:08 mark.

Greenville padded its lead in the second period when Dodero matched his number with his second tally of the season. Following a clean faceoff win by Hart in the right circle, Dodero smashed a one-timer past Patterson from the blue line for a 2-0 advantage at the 14:54 mark. With the only assist, Hart (1g, 1a) registered his first professional multi-point game.

The Gladiators responded less than a minute later to cut their deficit in half. Former Greenville forward Thomas Frazee ripped a shot from the top of the right circle that Tyler Elbrecht denied, but Frazee stayed with it and ripped a second chance over Alain Valiquette's glove for his 16th tally of the season at the 17:41 mark.

Atlanta knotted the game at 2-2 in the third period with Justin Buzzeo's 11th goal of the season. In a similar play to Frazee's goal, Amlong deflected Buzzeo's first shot from the slot, but the puck bounced back to the Gladiators' forward in the right circle where he buried it over Valiquette's glove at 13:38.

St. Croix secured the game-winner just 43 seconds later on a breakaway chance in transition. Following a turnover in the Swamp Rabbits zone, Chris Leone moved the puck to Justin DaSilva who found St. Croix behind Atlanta's defense. From the blue line, St. Croix turned on the jets, skated directly down the slot and finished a backhand shot past Patterson's right leg pad for his 11th goal of the season at the 14:21 mark. Leone's assist was his first professional point.

Greenville finished the game 0-for-1 on the power play and 3-for-3 on the penalty kill. Valiquette (5-4-0) earned the victory with 30 saves, while Patterson (14-13-4) halted 29 shots, but suffered his seventh straight loss (0-6-1).

Shots were even at 32-32.

Next Time Out: The Swamp Rabbits conclude the 2015-16 season tomorrow night with a 7:05 p.m. rematch against the Atlanta Gladiators at the Infinite Energy Center in Duluth, Georgia. Fans can follow all of the live action via ECHL.TV or the Mixlr audio stream.

Check out the Greenville Swamp Rabbits Statistics



ECHL Stories from April 8, 2016


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