GREENVILLE, S.C. –Jack Brackett scored twice as part of a 40-shot performance for the Greenville Swamp Rabbits, but the Jacksonville Icemen, beneficiaries of seven penalties and two multi-man advantages, tied the game late and won in a shootout, 4-3, on Saturday afternoon.
Both teams left the opening frame square at 1-1, with the Swamp Rabbits starting off hot again. Just 2:25 into the game, Jack Brackett picked up a pass off a turnover and bolted to the slot, finishing with a wrister that burned Icemen goaltender Cameron Rowe to put the Swamp Rabbits up 1-0 (Joe Prouty and Patrick Polino assisted). However, late in the frame, Denis Smirnov (holding the stick) and Parker Berge (unsportsmanlike conduct) were called for minors at the same time, putting the Icemen to a two-man advantage. With 84 seconds remaining, David Jankowski buried a bouncing puck next to the crease behind Swamp Rabbits net-minder Simon Latkoczy, squaring the game at 1-1 (Adam McMaster and Trevor Griebel assisted). The Swamp Rabbits went to the kill four times in the opening frame.
The Swamp Rabbits found a go-ahead strike late in the second period, carrying a lead after 40 in back-to-back games. With 82 seconds to play, Michael Mastrodomenico rifled a shot that bounced off of Rowe’s glove and right to Neil Shea, who potted the rebound to push the Swamp Rabbits to a 2-1 lead (Mastrodomenico and Ryan O’Hara assisted).
Brackett found another gear to create separation for the Swamp Rabbits, but the Icemen rallied late with more help from special teams. Brackett’s second tally came 6:39 into the third, nearly mirroring his earlier goal, except in transition and not a turnover to blow his wrist shot past Rowe in giving the Swamp Rabbits a 3-1 lead (Ryan O’Reilly and Patrick Polino assisted). Peter Tischke then responded late for the Icemen with 3:55 left in the game, rattling the puck from the side of the net off of traffic in front, deflecting behind Latkcozy and in to cut the Swamp Rabbits lead to 3-2 (Jaden Condotta and Dave Jankowski assisted). In the final two minutes, Berge was called for tripping and Ryan O’Reilly for slashing moments after, giving the Icemen, with Rowe pulled for the extra attacker, a six-on-three advantage for the final 85 seconds of the game. TJ Friedmann found a way to tie it with 25.2 seconds to play, with the puck pinballing off of a sea of humanity in the net-front past Latkcozy to send the game into overtime at 3-3.
The Icemen thought they won it 28 seconds into overtime, but the puck was deflected by a high stick and walked back after review. Overtime wasn’t enough to determine a winner, prompting a shootout for a second straight game. It went all the way to the bottom of the third round before someone scored, and it was Jacksonville’s Simon Labelle that ended it to give the Icemen a 4-3 win.
Simon Latkoczy, making his fourth appearance in the last five games for the Swamp Rabbits, stopped 24 of 27 shots in suffering the shootout defeat (0-1-0-2).
The Swamp Rabbits play their final game of the season tomorrow, April 19th. Puck drop at Bon Secours Wellness Arena is slated for 3:05 p.m. EST for our first-ever “Sensory Friendly Game”, featuring a calmer environment to cater to those with autism and sensory sensitivities.
