#benfreeman

Forward set to reprise role as Swamp Rabbits captain in 2024-25 Season By: Mark Binetti, Greenville Swamp Rabbits GREENVILLE, S.C. – The Greenville Swamp Rabbits, proud ECHL affiliate of the NHL’s Los Angeles Kings, announced today that Swamp Rabbits captain Ben Freeman is set to return for his fourth campaign in Greenville for the 2024-25 ECHL Season, his fifth as a professional. Freeman joins Austin Saint, Colton Young, Ben Poisson, and Arvid Caderoth at the forward position. He additionally joins Max Coyle and Joshua Karlsson on the blue line for the 2024-25 roster. Freeman heads back to the Swamp Rabbits following the best statistical output of his career. The 6’5”, 205-pound center played in all but two games in 2023-24 and set career highs with 14 goals and 34 points in his 70 contests. Freeman chipped in an additional goal and assist in six Kelly Cup Playoff games and was named the seventh captain of the Greenville Swamp Rabbits on January 19th. He played his 200th ECHL game on April 5th at Orlando. “I love Greenville as a city and am really excited about playing for Coach Mountain. From what I’ve seen and heard about returners and newcomers, we have a great core of players that will make this season both fun and competitive in pursuit of a Kelly Cup championship,” Freeman said of his return to the Upstate. “One thing I take pride in every year I’ve been here is the improvement in our regular season record. We’re super focused on building a playoff style of hockey so we can get out of the first round and make a deep run to the title, which is the goal from day one of training camp: create a culture in this team that focuses on player development and winning, above all else. “My expectation as captain is to emphasize that, while we’re all trying to get to the next level, we need to focus on being present,” he continued. “Winning is fun, but it can’t be done if everyone isn’t bought in. Winning creates opportunities, both short and long term, for all of us. Another expectation is to continue building personally. I’m always trying to get better, and I’m grateful I’ve seen that growth proportional with my output statistically. I can’t wait to get back to Greenville and look forward to another special year.” “Ben has become a major part of the fabric of this organization during his time here. It’s our goal to establish a core foundation of leadership going into the year and bringing Ben back was a major key in accomplishing that. Once that foundation is set, you have something you can build around, so Ben coming back in a major leadership role puts us in a great position to continue to grow an already great culture,” said Kyle Mountain, Head Coach/Director of Hockey Operations. “True leaders don't need a letter to do things the right way, and we saw not only Ben, but the rest of our captains, lead and demonstrate our core values day in and day out. Ben is respected throughout the room, and I think over time his confidence and conviction as a leader grew. “It's a never-ending process, but Ben has taken great steps to grow as both a player and a leader, and we know that trend will continue as long as he's in Greenville,” Mountain continued. “Ben's consistency is one of his best attributes, and he tends to play better hockey as the year goes on. Offensively, he's got the vision and skill needed to make plays, but he also has a willingness to get to the difficult areas to produce. Just as importantly, his defensive abilities allow him to be disruptive, create turnovers, and get pucks back in our possession. His well-rounded approach to the game, combined with his consistency, have made him a key component to our lineup. We expect more of the same moving forward and can’t wait to have him back in the Upstate.” A native of Falmouth, Maine, Freeman, 28, enters his fifth season of professional hockey and his fourth with the Swamp Rabbits. He begins 2024-25 three games shy of 200 with the Swamp Rabbits and two points shy of 100 with the team, amassing 37 goals, 61 assists, and 98 points in 197 contests. Freeman joined the Swamp Rabbits following the 2020-21 season, in which he made his professional debut with the Wheeling Nailers and later captured the 2021 SPHL President’s Trophy Championship with the Pensacola Ice Flyers. Before turning pro, he skated four years with the University of Connecticut in the NCAA, compiling 77 points in 135 games. As a senior, he captained the Huskies and claimed the 2020 Len Ceglarski Award, presented to the player most exemplifying the qualities of sportsmanship on the ice in the Hockey East conference. About the Greenville Swamp Rabbits … Acquired by Spire Sports + Entertainment (SS+E) in 2020, the Greenville Swamp Rabbits hockey team has been providing family-friendly, live entertainment at Bon Secours Wellness Arena since 2010. Formerly, the Greenville Road Warriors and 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. Greenville is an ECHL Premier ‘AA’ Hockey League member. GREENVILLE SWAMP RABBITS HOWLINGS Read the full article

Greenville wins three of three on the road trip with one game remaining; the magic number to clinch now 17 By: Mark Binetti, Greenville Swamp Rabbits ORLANDO, Fla. – Ben Freeman broke a 1-1 deadlock late in the second period, and Jacob Ingham stopped all but one of 29 shots on net to help lead the Greenville Swamp Rabbits to a 2-1 win over the Orlando Solar Bears on Wednesday night. Because it came against Orlando, the win slashes the Swamp Rabbits magic number to clinch a playoff spot from 21 to 17 with 15 games remaining. Both teams left the first just as it started, deadlocked, but each team potted one goal in the first 20 minutes. Aaron Luchuck started off Orlando on the right foot 85 seconds into the game, cashing in a close-range rebound from the left past Swamp Rabbits net-minder Jacob Ingham, giving the Solar Bears an early 1-0 lead (Avery Winslow and Brayden Low assisted). Near the halfway point of the frame, Brannon McManus tied the game up for Greenville. With 9:14 gone by in the first, McManus, off of a d-zone faceoff, chipped the puck by his defender and skated up the ice uncontested. McManus fired a laser off the back bar of the net past Solar Bears goalie Evan Fitzpatrick to square the game at 1-1. Both teams skated without any additional fireworks for most of the second until Ben Freeman broke the tie late in the period. With 2:54 left, the Swamp Rabbits captain took the puck on the left wall and rifled a shot through traffic, bouncing off of an Orlando defender and into the net to give the Swamp Rabbits a 2-1 lead (Anthony Beauchamp and Ryan Francis assisted). The third period was a defensive war, with the Solar Bears hammering 13 shots on net in the last 20 minutes. The Swamp Rabbits stood tall and weathered a late push, with Fitzpatrick pulled for the extra attacker to finish a hard-earned 2-1 win. Jacob Ingham stopped all but one of 29 shots on net, winning his fifth consecutive start since February 18th (16-6-1-0). The Swamp Rabbits conclude their four-game road swing with a showdown against the Savannah Ghost Pirates tomorrow night. Puck drop for Thursday, March 7th, is slated for 7:00 p.m. EST from Enmarket Arena. About the Greenville Swamp Rabbits … Acquired by Spire Sports + Entertainment (SS+E) in 2020, the Greenville Swamp Rabbits hockey team has been providing family-friendly, live entertainment at Bon Secours Wellness Arena since 2010. Formerly, the Greenville Road Warriors and 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. Greenville is an ECHL Premier ‘AA’ Hockey League member. GREENVILLE SWAMP RABBITS HOWLINGS Read the full article

By: Mark Shelley, Greenville Swamp Rabbits GREENVILLE, S.C. – The Greenville Swamp Rabbits, the ECHL affiliate of the LA Kings, announced today that the club has signed returning forward Ben Freeman to an ECHL contract ahead of the 2023-24 campaign. Freeman, 27, returns to the Swamp Rabbits for a third season, having appeared in 127 games in the Navy and Orange between 2021 and 2023. In 65 games during the 2022-23 season, Freeman posted a career-high 13 goals and tied his career-high of 32 points before leading the Swamp Rabbits with four (4) goals and six (6) points during the 2023 Kelly Cup Playoffs. A native of Falmouth, Maine, Freeman has totaled 64 (23g, 41a) regular-season points while wearing a Greenville sweater. In his ECHL career, Freeman posted an additional seven (7) appearances while a member of the Wheeling Nailers during the 2020-21 season before winning a Presidents Cup with the SPHL's Pensacola Ice Flyers that same season. The Swamp Rabbits will open the 2023-24 Season presented by Bon Secours on Saturday, October 22, at Bon Secours Wellness Arena. Swamp Rabbits Full and Half Season Tickets for the 2023-24 season are on sale now at SwampRabbits.com or by calling (864) 674-7825. About the Greenville Swamp Rabbits … Acquired by Spire Sports + Entertainment (SS+E) in 2020, the Greenville Swamp Rabbits hockey team has been providing 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. Greenville is a member of the ECHL Premier AA Hockey League. GREENVILLE SWAMP RABBITS HOME Read the full article

Greenville started the game with the opening goal of the game just 4:03 into the first period, as Miles Gendron fed the puck to Nikita Pavlychev, who scored his second of the series. At 8:33, Ben Freeman shot the puck from the wing and beat Jacksonville's Charles Williams for the 2-0 lead. Williams would leave the game after allowing two goals on six shots and was replaced with Olof Lindbom. Jacksonville stopped the Swamp Rabbits' momentum with a Luke Lynch goal at 15:14. In the second, Craig Martin scored on a breakaway, tying the game for Jacksonville at 4:34. At 6:49, Jacksonville captured the lead as Ara Nazarian scored before Matt Iacopelli scored 60 seconds later to extend the Jacksonville lead. Finally, Brandon Fortunato scored a goal at 17:59 to give Jacksonville the 5-2 advantage. Greenville's offense responded in the third period, as Freeman sniped his second of the game into the Jacksonville net at 9:39. The Swamp Rabbits pulled within a goal as Carter Souch scored at 12:57. Despite a late 6-on-5 scenario, the Swamp Rabbits failed to find the tying goal at the final horn. Greenville's loss sees the Swamp Rabbits fall behind in the best-of-seven, South Division Semifinal 3-2 to the Icemen. The Swamp Rabbits and the Icemen meet again at the Vystar Veterans Memorial Arena in Jacksonville on Tuesday, May 2, for a 7 p.m. meeting in Game 6. Swamp Rabbits tickets can be purchased at SwampRabbits.com or the Bon Secours Wellness Arena Box Office. 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

After the game started with an aggressive, offensive attack by the Swamp Rabbits, the Icemen broke the deadlock at 13:43, as Matt Iacopelli sped down the wing for his second of the series. Greenville tied the game in the second period at 13:51. Joe Leahy paddled his first professional goal into the Jacksonville net. Early in the third, the Swamp Rabbits captured their first lead of the game as Carter Souch's shot rebounded to Ben Freeman, who scored his second of the series just 2:21 into the period. Shortly after, at 3:35, Justin Nachbaur scored on the rebound, his first goal of the series to give the Swamp Rabbits the 3-1 lead. Greenville's goaltender Ryan Bednard made 11 saves in the third period, stopping 22 of 23 Jacksonville chances for his second win of the series. Greenville's win the Swamp Rabbits level with the Icemen at 2-2 in the best-of-seven South Division Semifinal. The Swamp Rabbits and the Icemen meet again at Bon Secours Wellness Arena on Saturday, April 29,  for Game 5. The puck drop is slated for 7:05 p.m. Swamp Rabbits tickets can be purchased at SwampRabbits.com or at the Bon Secours Wellness Arena Box Office. 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. Greenville is a member of the ECHL, Premier ‘AA Hockey League. GREENVILLE SWAMP RABBITS JACKSONVILLE ICEMEN HOME         Read the full article

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

Greenville and Jacksonville began their first-ever playoff meeting with an early flurry of chances at either end before the Swamp Rabbits began to pepper the Jacksonville net. The Swamp Rabbits broke the deadlock as Ben Freeman scored his first of the postseason at 14:10, tipping in an Ethan Somoza feed to the crease. However, tempers flared at the end of the period as both teams sent representatives to the box for roughing after the horn. After a scoreless second period saw the two sides shoot eight times each, the Rabbits added insurance with Josh McKechney's clean-up goal at 2:25. Moments later, at 3:39, Joe Gatenby walked a Dallas Gerads drop pass to the net and scored a backhanded goal for the 3-0 advantage. At 7:20, Jacksonville snapped Ryan Bednard's shutout bid as Craig Martin scored to cut the deficit to two. Late in the game, at 15:55, Alex Ierullo scored the empty-net goal to secure a 4-1 win. Bednard stopped 25 of 26 Icemen shots to earn his first postseason win. Greenville's victory gives it a 1-0 series lead against the Icemen in the best-of-seven South Division Semifinal. The Swamp Rabbits and the Icemen meet for Game 2 from the Vystar Veterans Memorial in Jacksonville on Sunday night at 5 p.m. Swamp Rabbits tickets can be purchased at SwampRabbits.com or the Bon Secours Wellness Arena Box Office. 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. Greenville is a member of the ECHL, Premier AA Hockey League. GREENVILLE SWAMP RABBITS JACKSONVILLE ICEMEN HOME Read the full article

By: Mark Shelley, Greenville Swamp Rabbits GREENVILLE, SC – The Greenville Swamp Rabbits, ECHL affiliate of the LA Kings, announced today the club's 24-man roster ahead of the 2023 Kelly Cup Playoffs presented by Godwin Lightning Protection, which begin on Friday, April 21. The roster, which consists of 14 forwards, eight defensemen, and two goaltenders, is as follows: Forwards: Anthony Beauchamp, Tanner Eberle, Ben Freeman, Dallas Gerads, Alex Ierullo, Brett Kemp, Josh McKechney, Brannon McManus, Miroslav Mucha, Justin Nachbaur, Nikita Pavlychev, Ethan Somoza, Carter Souch, Colton Young Defensemen: Ethan Cap, Joe Gatenby, Miles Gendron, Tyler Inamoto, Joe Leahy, Max Martin, Bobby Russell, Evan Wardley Goaltenders: Ryan Bednard, Luke Richardson Additionally, the Swamp Rabbits announced that defenseman Tyler Inamoto had been re-assigned to Greenville from the Ontario Reign. Inamoto recorded eight points (3g, 5a) in 36 games for the Swamp Rabbits during the regular season. The Swamp Rabbits begin the 2023 Kelly Cup Playoffs presented by Godwin Lightning Protection on Friday, April 21, at 7:00 p.m. in Game 1 against the Jacksonville Icemen at the Vystar Veterans Memorial Arena in Jacksonville, FL. The postseason appearance is the third consecutive playoff berth under Head Coach Andrew Lord. Tickets for all Swamp Rabbits home games can be purchased at SwampRabbits.com or by calling (864) 674-7825. 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 HOME Read the full article