Greenville, SC – The Greenville Swamp Rabbits defeated the Atlanta Gladiators 5-1 at Bon Secours Wellness Arena in the 2026-27 season opener. Mike McNamee punched in a power play goal late in regulation to get Atlanta on the board and break the shutout bid for Greenville netminder Owen Flores.

The Gladiators and Swamp Rabbits renewed the I-85 Rivalry on opening night of the 2026-27 season, with both sides looking to start the season with two points in their back pocket. Matt Ginn, head coach of the Gladiators; and Chad Costello, head coach of the Swamp Rabbits, both returned to their squads for their second seasons behind the bench. Third year pro Ethan Haider, started in net for Atlanta, marking his third straight start for the Gladiators in a season opener. Owen Flores got the nod for Greenville, his Swamp Rabbits debut.

Both teams traded opportunities in the early going of the contest, but 10:11 into the first period it was the Swamp Rabbits who struck first. Using their speed to create open ice, Greenville was able to thread a cross-ice pass across the slot to Brendan Gorman to make it a 1-0 game. Hudson Schandor and Neil Shea factored in with the assists on the goal. The Gladiators had two power play opportunities later on in the period but were unable to convert. With 52 seconds left in the opening frame, John Prokop was called for an interference minor that carried over into the second period. At the conclusion of the period, Greenville led 1-0 and the shot count 12-8.

Greenville continued to use its speed to create turnovers and generate chances off the rush in the second period, bursting for two more goals after the Gladiators killed off the penalty to Prokop. After a goal for Branden Troock was called off midway through the period, the Swamp Rabbits were able to turn the momentum in their favor and executed quick passing plays to get the Gladiators out of position and score. First it was Neil Shea scoring 10:31 into the period from Schandor and Gorman to make it 2-0. Then it was Blake Bennett scoring 12:37 into the middle frame from Ryan McAllister and Ryan O’Reilly to make it 3-0. The Gladiators then killed off a penalty to Colton Friesen to make keep it a 3-0 deficit heading into the third, with the Swamp Rabbits leading the shot count 26-14.

The Swamp Rabbits tacked on another to make it a 4-0 hockey game 3:24 into the third, as Jack Brackett deflected a shot from Peter Tischke past Haider. The Gladiators drew a power play opportunity late in the third period and were able to convert, as Mike McNamee slapped in a rebound off a shot from Ethan Strang to make it a 4-1 score. McNamee’s tally came with 5:10 to play and was assisted by Strang and Prokop. Greenville popped in one more before all was said and done, as Mike O’Leary fired in a shot from a sharp angle from Michael Mastrodomenico and Jake Murray with 3:19 to go to make it a 5-1 game. That score held and the Swamp Rabbits emerged with the victory. 

The Gladiators went 1/3 on the power play and 3/3 on the penalty kill, as Ethan Haider stopped 31/36 shots faced in the loss. Owen Flores stopped 20/21 for Greenville. 

It will be a quick turnaround for the Gladiators as they head back into battle on October 17^th at Gas South Arena at 7:10 PM for the home opener against the Norfolk Admirals. A special ticket package including an exclusive Gladiators flag (12in x 18in) is available for purchase HERE!

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