North Charleston, SC – Bretton Cameron completed a three-point performance with the game-winning goal on Saturday as the Greenville Swamp Rabbits (20-17-6), proud ECHL affiliate of the New York Rangers and the AHL’s Hartford Wolf Pack, defeated the South Carolina Stingrays (21-15-5), 4-3, in front of 10,350 fans at the North Charleston Coliseum.
Joey Holka also chipped in a goal and two assists as the Swamp Rabbits improved to 4-1-0 against the Stingrays this season.
The intensity picked up right off the draw when Tyler Elbrecht and Marcus Perrier dropped the gloves in line with the opening face. The tilt brought a hefty crowd to its feet, which the Stingrays used to score just 18 seconds into the contest. From behind the cage, David Pacan attempted a wraparound that was stopped by goaltender Allen York, but the second chance came right back to Pacan who lifted a shot past York’s blocker.
Greenville responded in a big way with three goals in the middle frame, including back-to-back tallies in a span of 1:46. Michael St. Croix tied the game at the 4:24 mark when he collected Scott Fleming’s pass in the slot, spun and forehanded a low shot through Vitek Vanecek’s five-hole for his eighth goal of the season. Elbrecht also received a helper.
Holka followed that up with his third goal of the season to give the Swamp Rabbits their first lead of the night at the 6:10 mark. Cameron created the chance when he skated down the left wing towards the corner and centered a pin-point pass to Holka at the back post, who shoved it in to make it 2-1. Andrew Dommett was also credited with an assist.
Less than two minutes later, South Carolina’s Marcus Perrier evened the game at 2-2 with his fifth tally of the season. Pacan set it up when he gathered the puck at the goal line and guided a pass below the right hash marks, where Perrier skated in and beat York’s glove with a one-time shot.
Joe Houk netted his first goal with the Swamp Rabbits at 17:00 of the second period, which put Greenville back on top. On a delayed penalty, Cameron corralled the puck deep in the Stingrays’ zone and brushed a feed to Houk below the right hash marks for a quick finish just inside the left post.
The pendulum continued to swing 65 seconds later when Wade Epp tied the game at 3-3 with his second goal of the season. The heavyweight defenseman gained possession at the left point, pulled back and let go off a wrist shot that sailed through traffic and into the cage.
Cameron capped the scoring just 1:44 into the third period with his 11th goal of the season to send Greenville to victory. Dommett carried the puck to the trapezoid and slammed on the brakes before centering a pass to a mad scramble. After pin-balling around in the low slot, the puck redirected to Cameron in the slot, where the Swamp Rabbits captain swept a forehand shot past Vanecek’s blocker for the game-winner.
Greenville went 0-for-3 on the power play and 1-for-1 on the penalty kill. Between the pipes, York earned his fourth win since coming off the injured reserve with 23 saves, while Vanecek halted 26 shots in the loss.
The Swamp Rabbits outshot the ‘Rays 30-26.
With Greenville Swamp Rabbits release
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