GREENVILLE, S.C) –Denis Smirnov potted the shootout winner right off the bat to stave off a Jacksonville Icemen comeback, giving the Swamp Rabbits a 5-4 win on Friday night.
The Swamp Rabbits jumped out hot to a 4-0 lead in the first period, the third time this season they’ve scored four times in a single frame. Neil Shea kicked off the quick strike offense with a blue line shot through traffic that skipped past Icemen goalie Michael Bullion, putting the Swamp Rabbits up 1-0 at 4:07 (Jake Murray and Ryan O’Hara assisted). Just 2:27 later, Ryan O’Reilly followed up with a spinning backhand shot that beat Bullion five-hole at 6:34 before being followed up by Cole Fraser 30 seconds later at 7:04 to immediately blow the doors open at 3-0. Bullion was removed from the Icemen net and replaced by Cameron Rowe, who took over for the rest of the game. Five minutes into his relief appearance, Ryan O’Hara rifled a shot off the crossbar that Rowe later batted into his own net, giving the Swamp Rabbits a 4-0 lead with 7:56 to play in the opening period. The scoring rally took place over 7:57 of action in the first.
Jacksonville started a rally of their own in the second, beginning with Colby Ambrosio early in the second. At 6:58, Ambrosio snuck behind the Swamp Rabbits defense and went uncontested on Swamp Rabbits net-minder Isaiah Saville, finishing with a backhand in close range to cut the deficit to 4-1. Tyler Kopff then jumped in and struck twice in the final minute of the frame to close the gap. With 40.7 seconds remaining, Kopff took an egregious turnover at the Swamp Rabbits blue line and fired a laser over Saville’s blocker shoulder, then wrapped around the net and snuck inside the near post with 13 seconds remaining to slash the Swamp Rabbits lead to 4-3 with 20 minutes remaining.
Eventually the Icemen completed their comeback late in the third period. With 3:42 left in the game, Adam McMaster snuck into the slot area of the Swamp Rabbits zone and beat Saville with a backhand past his blocker, squaring the game at 4-4 and setting up overtime.
Seven minutes of three-on-three wasn’t enough to decide a winner, leading to a shootout that once again featured only one goal. Denis Smirnov led the charge in the top of the first round, scoring the eventually winner after outlasting Rowe, then firing a wristshot just inside the far post. After Saville stopped Logan Cockerill in the first, watched Adam McMaster overskate the puck in the second, and stop Jacques Bouquot in the third round, the Swamp Rabbits escaped with a 5-4 win.
Isaiah Saville started for the first time since April 8th, and turned aside 36 of 40 shots in 67 minutes of hockey, plus a 3/3 showing in the shootout (11-12-3-1).
The Swamp Rabbits play their final two games at home, continuing with a rematch against the Jacksonville Icemen tomorrow, April 18th. Puck drop at Bon Secours Wellness Arena is slated for 3:05 p.m. EST for our “Downtown Doubleheader”, presented by Greenville Water, featuring a youth baseball jersey giveaway to the first 500 children 12 and under.
