#AlVictor

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BRYANT: HAT TRICKS BLOW OUT RUMBLE BEES 10-2

BY: Casey Bryant, Danbury Hat Tricks Danbury, CT - The Danbury Hat Tricks thoroughly dismantled the Battle Creek Rumble Bees 10-2 on Saturday night at the Danbury Ice Arena, posting double-digit goals for the first time in franchise history. Adam Howey stroke just 29 seconds into the contest on Tricks' goaltender, Tom McGuckin. The Hat Tricks answered back just over two minutes later off the stick of Jonny Ruiz. Gordy Bonnel gave Danbury their first lead of the night, but that lead lasted just shy of five minutes as a shorthanded goal would be buried by Toni Lampo of the Rumble Bees at 7:26. At 15:25 Phil Bronner would give the Hat Tricks the lead for good, as the Hat Tricks rattled off eight straight unanswered goals. Bronner and Nicola Levesque continued their red-hot scoring streak, Steve Mele found the back of the net, Ruiz would tack on his second of the game as Bonnel, Vlad Gavrik would tally two of his own and Brett Menton would net his first with the team. Fists would also fly multiple times throughout the game, as several bouts of fisticuffs ignited the arena. McGuckin made 21 saves en route to his first professional victory. "It's an emotional game, and I'm glad we kept that fire going," head coach Billy McCreary commented. "We stuck up for teammates, we battled hard and played the full 60 minutes. We don't let up, and I'm glad we played hard and played smart." The Hat Tricks will be on the road next week, visiting the Elmira Enforcers for a three-game set.

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GAME 2 PREVIEW - GREENVILLE SWAMP RABBITS VS JACKSONVILLE ICEMEN

By: Mark Shelley, Greenville Swamp Rabbits Greenville Swamp Rabbits (1-0-0) vs. Jacksonville Icemen (0-1-0) South Division Semifinal April 23, 2023 | 7:00 PM | Kelly Cup Playoffs Game 2 | GVL leads series 1-0 Vystar Veterans Memorial Arena | Jacksonville, FL Referees: Rocco Stachowiak (28), Marc-Olivier Phaneuf (23) Linesmen: Logan Berkowitz (68), Davids Rozitis (90) BROADCAST INFORMATION Pregame Coverage begins at 4:45 PM LISTEN: Greenville Swamp Rabbits Broadcast Network WATCH: FloHockey Live Stream Voice of the Swamp Rabbits Mark Shelley (Play-by-Play) on the call SWAMP RABBITS VS ICEMEN SERIES  Regular Season Record: Overall: (5-4-2-0) Home:(1-3-2-0) Away: (4-1-0-0) Last Meeting: Game 1: April 21, 2023 - Greenville 4 at Jacksonville 1 All-Time Record: (30-26-8) All-Time Playoff Record: (1-0-0) ECHL STANDINGS  Standings QUICK BITS A CHANCE TO TAKE TWO: Greenville kept with tradition and won, yet again, at the Veterans Memorial Arena in Game 1 behind aggressive secondary scoring and a 25-save showing by Ryan Bednard. Friday's win saw two players, Alex Ierullo and Ethan Somoza, produce multi-point games with two points each. The three-goal victory equaled the Swamp Rabbits' most significant win against the Icemen during the regular season and was their fifth win in Jacksonville. Game 1 ended with tempers flaring, setting the stage for an energetic Game 2 on Sunday, as the Rabbits look to take control of the series and the Icemen look to level it. SCOUTING THE ICEMEN: Defense. That's been the key to Jacksonville's success over the last couple of seasons, and it is very much the case again as the Kelly Cup Playoffs get underway. Goals have come at a scarcity for opposing offenses, as the 4th-ranked defense in the ECHL allows just 2.88 goals per game. The Icemen have run a trio of goaltenders all season, including Charles Williams, Olof Lindbom, and Parker Gahagen. As it stands, Gahagen remains in the AHL with the Hartford Wolfpack but is eligible to join the Icemen for the postseason. Williams and Lindbom can keep up with a red-hot Rabbits offense and be the deciding factor in games. Brendan Harris has done what few others have done against the Rabbits, score a hat-trick in the regular season. His six goals led the Icemen against Greenville over the 11-game series. SHARING THE SCORING: Game 1 saw four Swamp Rabbits find the back of the net in the 4-1 victory. Ben Freeman scored a power-play goal to open the scoring before Josh McKechney, Joe Gatenby, and Alex Ierullo added to the totals. Ierullo's goal was the only one by a player who scored at least 20 goals during the regular season, which provided Head Coach Andrew Lord with much-needed secondary scoring in the series-opening game. BEMIDJI BOYS LEAD THE WAY: Two rookies were the top scorers for the Swamp Rabbits in the Game 1 win, as for Bemidji State Beavers, Alex Ierullo and Ethan Somoza combined for four points in the opener. The two wingers combined for 126 points for the Rabbits' offense during the regular season. Both surpassed the 20-goal mark. Ierullo and Somoza connected for the game's final goal, Ierullo's first of the postseason. GATOR GET GOING: While technically a rookie by ECHL standards, Joe Gatenby is no stranger to the Kelly Cup Playoffs. The Kelowna, BC native appeared in his third postseason tournament, having debuted for the Rabbits in the opening round last season and making four appearances in 2018 with the Atlanta Gladiators. Gatenby's third-period goal ensured that the blue-liner had recorded a goal in all three Kelly Cup Playoffs, recorded a goal and an assist in his two previous stints. WELCOME TO THE POSTSEASON: Friday's Game 1 was the first Kelly Cup Playoffs appearance for eight different Swamp Rabbits. On Greenville's second goal of the game, three first-time playoff performers combined for the tally, as Colton Young and Brett Kemp assisted Josh McKechney's first of the postseason. About the Greenville Swamp Rabbits … Acquired by Spire Sports + Entertainment (SS+E) in 2020, the Greenville Swamp Rabbits hockey team has provided family-friendly, live entertainment at Bon Secours Wellness Arena since 2010. Formerly the Greenville Road Warriors, the Swamp Rabbits are the highest-level professional minor league franchise in South Carolina. The Swamp Rabbits are the proud ECHL affiliate of the NHL's LA Kings and the AHL's Ontario Reign. Additionally, Greenville is a member of the ECHL Premier AA Hockey League. GREENVILLE SWAMP RABBITS JACKSONVILLE ICEMEN HOME Read the full article

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KEELEY: MARINERS WEEKLY: 2019-20 SEASON RECAP

BY: Michael Keeley, Maine Mariners PORTLAND, ME: Here is a recap of key dates and events from the 2019-2020 season. Mar. 24, 2020 – Regardless of the hockey team one played, worked, or rooted for in 2019-20, it will be a season they’ll never forget. An abrupt end to the ECHL season cut down the Maine Mariners schedule to 62 games and took away what looked to be the first postseason appearance in franchise history. While we’ll never know how the 2019-20 season would have turned out in the end, the second season of Mariners hockey brought many exciting moments to the Cross Insurance Arena and the great hockey fans of Maine. Here are some significant moments that marked the shortened, but a memory-filled season that was. October 11th, 2019 vs. ADK: The Mariners open the season at home against the Adirondack Thunder, just as they did in their inaugural campaign. Unfortunately, history repeats itself and the Mariners suffered a 5-2 loss. Taylor Cammarata scores both Maine goals, attempting to bring them back from a 3-0 deficit late. October 19th, 2019 @ REA: The Mariners get their first win of the season, spoiling the Reading Royals home opener. Tom McCollum(who would ironically become a Royal later in the season), makes 44 saves, and the Mariners put up 5 goals in a 5-3 victory. This would turn out to be their lone win in Reading for the season. November 9th, 2019 vs. ADK: In front of the largest crowd of the season (4,588) on Military Appreciation Night, Jake Elmer nets the first of four Mariners hat tricks, leading the Mariners to a 5-1 win over Adirondack. November 11th, 2019 vs. REA: With Gritty in the building, the Mariners defeat the Reading Royals, 4-3 in overtime. Alex Kile scores the game-winning goal just 23 seconds into the extra period, his first goal of the season. Kile would prove to be a clutch OT player for the Mariners all season long. November 15th, 2019 vs. BRM: The Mariners honor NHL refereeing great, Maine Sports Hall of Fame inductee, and South Portland resident Wes McCauley, as they defeat the Brampton Beast, 6-3 despite letting a 3-0 lead slip away quickly late in the 2nd period. The win is the Mariners’ fourth in a row. November 26th, 2019 vs. WOR: After losing two of three in Norfolk, the Mariners return home before Thanksgiving to win a wild one in overtime, 5-4 in their first home meeting of the season with the Worcester Railers. Ryan Gropp scores two goals while Kile gets his second overtime winner in the span of 15 days. This turns out to be the final game for Railers head coach Jamie Russell, who is relieved of his duties the following day. December 6th, 2019 @ ADK: Jake Elmer registers his second hat trick against Adirondack in less than a month, capping it with the overtime winner to rescue the Mariners, who had blown a 4-1 lead. It was only Maine’s second-ever win at the Cool Insuring Arena but would turn out to be the start of a remarkable Mariners run in Glens Falls. December 7th, 2019 vs. ADK: Elmer continues his dominance of the Thunder, scoring the Teddy Bear Toss goal early, and adding his fifth goal of the weekend to later tie the game at 4 in the third period. Ty Ronning’s shorthanded goal is the game-winner and Elmer goes on to win ECHL Player of the Week honors. December 10th, 2019 vs. ADK: Francois Brassard makes his season debut and gets the win as Dillan Fox tips home a Brandon Crawley pass in the final minute of overtime to give the Mariners a 3-2 win and a three-game sweep of Adirondack. December 21st, 2019 @ ADK: The Mariners finish off back-to-back pre-Christmas 4-3 shootout wins in Adirondack when Taylor Cammarata scores in the fifth round to end it. Each game featured the Thunder tying it up late, but the Mariners getting the shootout bonus point. Maine goes into holiday break in sole possession of the fourth and final playoff spot in the North Division and a season-high four games above .500. January 3rd, 2020 vs. JAX: The Mariners and the Jacksonville IceMen meet for the first time ever, and Maine rallies from down 3-2 late in the 2nd to get a 5-3 win. Terrence Wallin’s first career hat trick leads the way as he scores one in each period, including the game-winner in the third. January 14th, 2020 vs. WOR: The Mariners snapped a five-game losing streak with a 3-2 win over Worcester at home. Rookie forward Mikael Robidoux enters the scene, stirring up physical play and drawing the Railers into penalties, ultimately allowing the Mariners to score back-to-back power play goals late in the 3rd to flip the score in their favor. January 24th, 2020 vs. WOR: Returning from the All-Star break after playing eight games in ten days, the Mariners explode for a franchise-best eight goals – three by Ty Ronning. They score three goals in a 58-second span in the 2nd period to pull away. Adam Huska makes his Mariners debut in between the pipes and makes 43 saves. January 29th, 2020 @ ADK: The Mariners win yet again in Glens Falls 3-0, as Connor LaCouvee picks up his third shutout in a span of 10 starts and his second in a row. Their win two nights later makes it six consecutive road victories over Adirondack. The streak goes to seven with another win in mid-February. February 1st, 2020 vs. ADK: In a partnership with Agren and Make-A-Wish Maine, the Mariners wear jerseys designed by 11-year-old “Wish Kid” Ellie LaBree, and take down the Thunder, 3-2 in OT. Michael McNicholas scores the golden goal, which improves the franchise’s all-time “extra time” record to 20-3-2 (W-OTL-SOL). February 7th, 2020 vs. WOR: LaCouvee makes 45 stops to lead the Mariners to a season-high five wins in a row, squeezing out a 2-1 victory over Worcester. The streak ends the following night, with a 3-2 OT loss to Brampton, but the point streak gets to six. February 11th, 2020 vs. BRM: The Mariners salvage the last of a three-game home set with the Brampton Beast when Alex Kile gets his third OT winner of the season with less than a minute remaining. This would turn out to be the final win on home ice for the Mariners in 2019-20. February 14th, 2020 @ NFL: The Mariners are on the wrong side of some ECHL history when the Newfoundland Growlers win their 19th consecutive home game, 5-1. The Mariners fall to 0-5-0-0 all-time at Mile One Centre, but the best is yet to come. February 15th, 2020 @ NFL: Morgan Adams-Moisan scores a late power play goal to break a 1-1 tie and end the Growlers’ streak before it can reach 20. Francois Brassard gets his first of consecutive wins in between the pipes as the Mariners go on to take three in a row in St. John’s, becoming the first team to ever do so against the Growlers. February 26th, 2020 @ REA: The Royals crush the Mariners, 8-0, the largest margin of defeat in franchise history. The Mariners play the game with just four defensemen due to injuries and the last moment illness to captain Zach Tolkinen. February 28th, 2020 @ WHE: The franchise’s first trip to Wheeling marks a homecoming for Mariners Head Coach Riley Armstrong, who was an assistant for the Nailers from 2016-18. Terrence Wallin scores a pair – including the beneficiary of a Nailers' “own goal,” and Greg Chase scores the game-winner in the 3rd. This becomes Maine’s final victory of the season. March 10th, 2020 vs. NOR: The fateful final game of the season, unbeknownst to anyone. The Mariners battled back from a pair of one-goal deficits but Norfolk’s J.C. Campagna scores on a breakaway with 2:05 left to hand the Mariners a 3-2 loss. The final goal of the Mariners’ season belongs to Cumberland native, Ted Hart. The Mariners' final record will read 32-26-3-1. They went 16-15-2-0 on home ice and 16-11-1-1 on the road (they had only 15 road wins in all of 2018-19). When the season halted, the Mariners were 11 points ahead of Adirondack for the fourth and final playoff spot in the North Division, and three points behind Brampton for third place. They had seven games remaining with Worcester, two with Adirondack, and one with Reading. CLICK HERE for a video recap of the 2019-20 season! 2019-20 Records: Overall: 32-26-3-1 Home: 16-15-2-0 Road: 16-11-1-1 vs. ADK: 12-4-0-0 vs. WOR: 7-2-1-1 vs. NFL: 5-6-0-0 vs. BRM: 3-2-2-0 vs. REA: 2-6-0-0 The Mariners used 42 different players this season: 23 forwards, 15 defensemen, and 4 goaltenders. 2019-20 Team Leaders: Points: Alex Kile (51) Goals: Terrence Wallin/Dillan Fox (23) Assists: Alex Kile (35) Games Played: Michael McNicholas (60) PIM: Mikael Robidoux (80) PPG: Terrence Wallin/Dillan Fox (5) SHG: Michael McNicholas (2) GWG: Terrence Wallin (7) Wins: Connor LaCouvee (20) GAA: Connor LaCouvee (2.75) SV%: Connor LaCouvee (.915) Notable League Ranks (Individual): Terrence Wallin – T-2nd, game-winning goals (7) Alex Kile – T-2nd, longest road point streak (12 games, 11/22/19-1/7/20) Connor LaCouvee – 4th, saves (1060), 4th, shootout SV% (.833), 13th, GAA (2.75) Ryan Culkin – 16th, points by a defenseman (33) Notable League Ranks (Team): Team, shorthanded goals against – T-3rd (4) Team, penalty kill – 6th (83.7%) Team, road penalty kill – 6th (85.5%) Read the full article

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KUHN: GREENVILLE EARNS WEEKEND SPLIT WITH NORFOLK

Rabbits score three unanswered goals in a big road win BY: Jordan Kuhn, Greenville Swamp Rabbits BOXSCORE NORFOLK, Va. — The Greenville Swamp Rabbits recovered from allowing the first goal with three unanswered tallies and got timely goaltending from Jeremy Helvig in a 3-2 win over the Norfolk Admirals on Saturday night at the Scope. The win split the weekend with the South Division opponent. Johno May notched the game-winning goal at the 4:22 mark of the second period. Michael Pelech stripped the puck at the defensive blue line and started a two-on-one break. May took the pass and wired a shot over former Swamp Rabbits goaltender Brandon Halverson to give the Swamp Rabbits the 3-1 advantage—a lead they would never relinquish. Helvig stood on his head in the final moments, even while fighting off a cramp, with his best save held for last. Brothers Josh and Ben Holmstrom looked to connect on a back-door passing play, but Helvig stretched out the left leg pad to deny the last gasp opportunity for the home club. Down 1-0, it took one opportunity on a breakaway for Liam Pecararo to pull even. Sent on his way on a breakaway by Travis Howe, the team's leading scorer split the defense and shot the puck upstairs. The puck deflected off of Halverson's glove hand and into the net to tie the game about seven minutes into the first period. Kamerin Nault gave the Swamp Rabbits the lead five minutes later. A faceoff win led to a chance from the point by Chad Duchesne. The shot turned into a slingshot pass off the end boards to Nault, whose backhander went upstairs for the go-ahead goal. Alex Rodriguez's goal got the Admirals back within a goal on the power play early in the third period, and even while outshot 19-4, Helvig and the defense continued to block shots and keep Norfolk off the board, even among a night where three-point nights in the standings were commonplace. The win in the standings was also a moral victory for the Swamp Rabbits, who played with just nine forwards and five defensemen, as injury and illness forced the team's hand. The Swamp Rabbits will host three of the next four games at the Bon Secours Wellness Arena starting on Wednesday, December 11 against the I-85 rival Atlanta Gladiators. Tickets are available at SwampRabbits.com. Get Social: Follow the Swamp Rabbits and get behind-the-scenes coverage like never before on the team’s official Facebook and Twitter pages! Contact a Swamp Rabbits Account Executive at 864.674.PUCK (7825) for information on 2019–20 ticket plans, special group rates, and hospitality opportunities and secure your seats today! Get the latest Swamp Rabbits gear by visiting the “Hop Shop” online at Shop.SwampRabbits.com to browse the full collection of fan wear and novelties! Read the full article

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KEELEY: (SAT) MARINERS LOAN KILE TO UTICA COMETS

Maine leading scorer returns to AHL for the second time in his career BY: Michael Keeley, Maine Mariners PORTLAND, ME – November 10, 2018 – After scoring his seventh goal in ten games, Mariners forward and leading scorer Alex Kile was loaned to the AHL’s Utica Comets after the game on Friday night in Worcester. Kile scored a power play goal to help the Mariners defeat the Railers, 3-2 in overtime and gets his second opportunity to play in the AHL, after previously having suited up for the Rochester Americans.

Kile, 24-years-old, became the first player in Mariners history when he signed a contract in late June. He came out of the gate flying, scoring four goals in the first four games of the season, including a goal in each of the team’s first three home games. On October 21st, he scored the game-winner in the franchise’s inaugural victory against Newfoundland and later sealed the game with an empty-net goal. His power play goal on Friday night was his team-leading seventh goal (also team-leading third PP tally). Kile is tied with Drew Melanson for the team points lead, with nine. The winger from Troy, MI has 12 games of experience at the AHL level with the Rochester Americans. After finishing his NCAA career at the University of Michigan, Kile suited up in 11 games during the 2016-17 season, scoring two goals with one assist. He appeared in one game for the Amerks last season, spending the bulk of 2017-18 with the Cincinnati Cyclones (Rochester’s ECHL affiliate). Kile joins goaltender Connor LaCouvee as players under contract with the Mariners to be loaned to Utica. The Mariners host the Worcester Railers tonight at 6:00 PM at the Cross Insurance Arena. It’s Marvel Super HeroTM night and Military Appreciation presented by Martin’s Point Health Care. Martin’s Point is also sponsoring a camo drawstring bag giveaway to the first 2,000 fans through the gate. Single game tickets are on sale now at MarinersOfMaine.com or by calling the Trusted Choice Box office at 207-775-3458. Read the full article

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KUHNS: BRASSARD'S DAGGER GOAL RAISES SWAMP RABBITS OVER WALLEYE

Swamp Rabbits capture three out of a possible four standings points BY: Jordan Kuhns, Greenville Swamp Rabbits GREENVILLE, S.C. — The Toledo Walleye found a way to erase yet another one-goal deficit in the third period, but it was the Greenville Swamp Rabbits who had the last laugh. A go-ahead goal from Austen Brassard with four minutes left in the third period staked the Swamp Rabbits to the lead, and an empty-netter put the finishing touches in a 4-2 win on Saturday night at the Bon Secours Wellness Arena. On a dump-in play, defenseman Sean Flanagan retrieved the puck and whipped a quick pass out to Brassard, who found himself wide open in front of the goal, and his high wrist shot found a hole through Kaden Fulcher to give Greenville the lead. Three minutes later, Johno May scored into the empty net to seal up the win and establish a two-goal lead. Flanagan picked up an assist on the goal as well. Toledo, down 2-1 heading into the third period, continued to press throughout the final frame looking for the response. A quick play after a Greenville defensive zone turnover proved costly. A.J. Jenks took a feed in front and ripped a shot short side over the shoulder of Garrett Bartus to tie the game at two apiece. It was Jenks' second goal of the weekend and his third point. Both teams exchanged tallies in the opening period. Dylan Sadowy started his hot start to the season for Toledo while shorthanded. He broke up a play at the blue line on the penalty kill, stripped the puck away from Trevor Owens and danced the net to smash home the wraparound to start the scoring. It took a turnover of Toledo's to even the score, as Stephen Pierog jumped on a Toledo turnover and buried the biscuit to tie the game at one. May scored his first of the game following a healthy hit from Flanagan in the defensive zone. Pierog stretched the ice with a perfect pass, and May executed the triple deke to the forehand to give Greenville the 2-1 lead heading into the third period. The third period had its fair share of rough stuff, but the entire game had a massive amount of it. The Swamp Rabbits received eight power play opportunities after the Walleye committed 12 infractions for 35 minutes. Greenville took 37 minutes in penalties on nine infractions. Bartus was strong in net for Greenville, picking up his first win in a Swamp Rabbits uniform, and his 80th professional victory with 30 saves on 32 opportunities fired his way. Fulcher ended the night with 20 saves on 23 shots on goal. The win was the first for head coach Kevin Kerr behind the bench for the Greenville Swamp Rabbits, and his first ECHL victory as a head coach. The Swamp Rabbits head to the road to take on two South Division rivals—the Atlanta Gladiators and the South Carolina Stingrays—next weekend. Catch all of the action on the Swamp Rabbits Broadcast Network (mixlr.com/swamp-rabbits). Get Social: Follow the Swamp Rabbits and get behind-the-scenes coverage like never before on the team’s official Facebook and Twitter pages! Contact a Swamp Rabbits Account Executive at 864.674.PUCK (7825) for information on 2018–19 ticket plans, special group rates, and hospitality opportunities and secure your seats today! Get the latest Swamp Rabbits gear by visiting the “Hop Shop” online at SwampRabbits.com/shop to browse the full collection of fan wear and novelties!   Read the full article