JACKSONVILLE, FLA – Friday night at the Veterans Memorial Arena in Jacksonville, the Greenville Swamp Rabbits jumped out to a 4-0 lead and then held off a comeback by the Jacksonville Icemen to take a 5-4 victory. The rematch came Saturday night between the two teams and this time, the Icemen got off to an early lead and never looked back to defeat Greenville 5-1.
After getting Friday night off, Mikhail Berdin got the start in net for the Icemen while Chris Nell started again for the Swamp Rabbits.
Jacksonville controlled the first period in the Saturday night rematch, limiting the Rabbits to only three shots on goal for the period. The Icemen, who only had six shots themselves in the period, got the only goal of the period when Sam Vigneault notched his first of the season on a power play, off assists from Kris Newbury and Justin Woods.
In the second period, Jacksonville would add to that lead when Garret Cockerill grabbed his fourth of the season, off assists from Trey Phillips and Wacey Rabbit at 3:04. Greenville got one of the goals back at 10:24 when, on the power play, Stephen Pierog scored off an assist from Jordan Sims. Scoring ended there, Jacksonville leading 2-1 after two.
Jacksonville would extend its lead back to two early in the third on Newbury’s third season, off assists from Maxime Fortier and Vigneault. That lead would hold up for most of the rest of the period. Greenville would pull Nell in an effort to get within one but Jacksonville’s Maxime Fortier scored on the empty net to put Icemen up 4-1 at 16:58. Greenville would again pull their goalie to give themselves a two-man advantage (Kole Sherwood was off for slashing) but Jacksonville’s Newbury ended the drama by the recording the team’s second empty net goal of the night. The short-handed goal made the final 5-1.
STATS: Penalty minutes were down from the night before, each team getting twelve minutes in penalties on six minors each… Jacksonville outshot Greenville in the game 25-18… Attendance was 6,239… Garret Cockerill led all players in the plus/minus category with a plus-4… The three stars of the game were all from Jacksonville. Sam Vigneault, Kris Newbury and Mikhail Berdin.
THE CALENDER AHEAD: Greenville holds home for their next game, which is a Wednesday night game against Norfolk.
Jacksonville will travel out west for the first time since the team relocated to Florida, traveling to Boise, Idaho to play the westernmost team in the ECHL, the Idaho Steelheads, in a two game tilt Friday and Saturday night.
Contact the author at kenneth.holdren@prohockeynews.com
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