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ECHL Greenville Swamp Rabbits

Weekend Preview: Swamp Rabbits Head North for Three Straight

February 26, 2016 - ECHL (ECHL)
Greenville Swamp Rabbits News Release


THE STORY COMING IN

The Greenville Swamp Rabbits (24-21-7), proud ECHL affiliate of the New York Rangers and the AHL's Hartford Wolf Pack, tear through the North Division this weekend with three straight games beginning tonight with a 7:35 p.m. puck drop against the Wheeling Nailers (25-21-5) at WesBanco Arena. Greenville and Wheeling are currently tied for ninth in the Eastern Conference, one point behind Elmira, with 43 days left in the regular season. The Swamp Rabbits enter this weekend's slate looking to snap a three-game skid after falling to South Carolina in three straight games last weekend, including a 2-1 setback in their last outing on Sunday. Jordan Knackstedt scored his 12th goal of the season in the third period but Stephan Vigier responded with the game-winner in the final 90 seconds. Greenville hasn't lost four straight games since Oct. 30 - Nov. 8 when the club dropped six in a row.

ROAD TRIPPIN'

Overall, the Swamp Rabbits continue a four-game road swing this weekend with their first trip through the North Division in 2015-16. It will also be the most grueling road trip of the season with three games in three days, spanning three different cities, two countries and 1,922 miles. After tonight's game in Wheeling, West Virginia, the Swamp Rabbits will pack up and head northwest to Toledo, Ohio to face the Walleye at Huntington Center on Saturday. The weekend concludes on Sunday with the team's first-ever trip to Canada, where the Swamp Rabbits will play Brampton at the Powerade Centre (40 minutes from Toronto). Greenville is 13-11-1 on the road this season and has won seven of its last 11 games away from Bon Secours Wellness Arena.

THE MATCHUPS

Friday's contest is the only meeting between the Swamp Rabbits and Nailers this season. Greenville went 4-1-0 against Wheeling last season and is 13-6-2 in the all-time series dating back to 2010. On Saturday, the series shifts to Toledo, Ohio where the Swamp Rabbits and Walleye will also meet for the first, and only, time this season. Greenville went 3-0-0 against the Walleye in 2014-15 and is 15-2-1 all-time. The Swamp Rabbits and Brampton Beast wrap up a busy weekend of action Sunday afternoon with their inaugural meeting.  

VIEW FROM WHEELING

Following a six-game road trip in which the Nailers went 5-1-0, Wheeling returns to WesBanco Arena tonight as one of the hottest teams in the Eastern Conference. The club has won four straight games and eight of its last 10 overall, climbing to second in the North Division standings. Last time out, Wheeling responded from an early three-goal deficit on Saturday to beat Brampton 5-4 in overtime. Forward Adam Krause scored twice, including the game-winner at 2:08 of the extra session, while the team's leading scorer Riley Brace chipped in three assists. Mathew Maione was left off the score sheet but continues to lead all ECHL defenseman in points (36), assists (30) and shots (156). Wheeling begins a three-game homestand tonight.

HOLY TOLEDO!

Head coach Derek Lalonde's club has won five of its last six games entering the weekend and continues to hold the top spot in the North Division. Toledo is coming off of back-to-back home wins including a 2-0 victory against Kalamazoo in its last outing on Sunday. Shane Berschbach scored the eventual game-winning goal just 10:41 into the first period and added an assist for the multi-point effort. Berschbach ranks sixth in league scoring with 51 points, while A.J. Jenks leads the ECHL with 182 shots. Between the pipes, Jeff Lerg stopped all 24 shots he faced and claimed his second shutout of the season. Lerg also improved to fourth among all ECHL goaltenders in goals-against-average (2.10) and save percentage (.927). The Walleye are in the middle of a five-game homestand and Saturday's contest will mark Toledo's first game against a South Division opponent this season.  

FROM NORTH OF THE BORDER

The Brampton Beast have lost five straight games entering the weekend and rank last in the Eastern Conference with 41 points, six behind 13th place Norfolk. Scott Jacklin and Brandon Marino each scored in Brampton's last outing on Sunday, but the Beast couldn't hold off Adirondack and suffered a 5-2 setback at home. Marino leads the club with 41 points and 28 assists in 40 appearances, while Chris Auger paces Brampton with 18 goals. One of the few bright spots for the Beast this season is its home power play which currently ranks seventh in the ECHL at 19.3%. Brampton is 0-3-2 against South Division opponents this season.  

MR. 900

Garett Bembridge may be a fresh face in Greenville, but he is far from new to professional hockey. In his second game with the Swamp Rabbits last Sunday, after being acquired in a trade with Rapid City on Feb. 18, the 15-year veteran made his 900th professional appearance, a milestone which few ever achieve. Bembridge has played 326 ECHL games during that span with eight teams. The 34-year-old also boasts 244 games of AHL experience including seven contests with Hartford, where he began his career in 2001. In addition, Bembridge has international experience in Italy, Japan and Germany.  

EASIER TO PRONOUNCE THAN PRODUCE

Fourth-year forward Darian Dziurzynski has been the Swamp Rabbits' most consistent threat over the last five games, recording six points (2g, 4a) during that span. He's also registered at least one point in five of his last seven contests and now ranks fifth among active Greenville scorers with 27 points (14g, 13a) this season. Dziurzynski's 14 goals are tied for the team-lead with Scott Fleming (active players).  

QUICK HITS

Jordan Knackstedt has five goals and eight points in his last seven games... Scott Fleming leads the team in assists (24), points (38), plus-minus (+15) and power-play goals (5)... Greenville is 14-1-2 when leading after two periods... The Swamp Rabbits are tied for fourth in the ECHL with 14 games being decided beyond regulation... Greenville is second in the league with 28 games being decided by just one goal (15-6-7), including three of its last five.

AFFILIATE REPORT

New York Rangers (35-20-6, 2nd Metropolitan): Next at Dallas - Tomorrow, 5 p.m. ET

Hartford Wolf Pack (26-23-2, 6th Atlantic): Next at Lehigh Valley - Tonight, 7 p.m. ET

SOUTH DIVISION

1. Florida Everblades (34-16-2) = 70 points in 52 games

2. South Carolina Stingrays (31-17-6) = 68 points in 54 games

3. Atlanta Gladiators (28-19-6) = 62 points in 53 games

4. Greenville Swamp Rabbits (24-21-7) = 55 points in 52 games

5. Orlando Solar Bears (23-20-7) = 53 points in 50 games

SCOUTS WANTED

The Swamp Rabbits return to the Bon Secours Wellness Arena on Saturday, Mar. 5 at 7 p.m. to face the Atlanta Gladiators. It's Scout Night presented by Duke Energy featuring discounted lower bowl tickets for all scout groups by calling 864-674-PUCK (7825). Special edition Scout Night patches are also available for just $1. In addition, families can take their Swamp Rabbits' experience to new heights with the all-new GSP Airport Fun Zone package. At every Saturday home game through the end of the regular season, fans are encouraged to purchase discounted adult tickets for just $10 in the GSP Airport Fun Zone (Section 119) and receive up to four (4) complementary kids tickets courtesy of the Greenville Spartanburg International Airport. Seats are limited and can be purchased online through SwampRabbits.com!

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!

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