Gladiators Rally to Defeat Swamp Rabbits 4-2 at Home

The Atlanta Gladiators (21-22-4-2) secured a hard-fought 4-2 victory over the Greenville Swamp Rabbits (18-22-3-2) on Thursday night at Gas South Arena. A late surge in the third period propelled Atlanta to the win, as four different Gladiators found the scoresheet.

Drew DeRidder got the start between the pipes for Atlanta, while Dryden McKay manned the net for Greenville.

Game Recap

The Swamp Rabbits struck first on the power play after Gladiators forward Ryan Cranford was sent to the box midway through the first period. Bryce Brodzinski (14th) fired a precise shot past DeRidder’s blocker to give Greenville a 1-0 lead.

Atlanta responded early in the second period at 3:35 when Connor Galloway (3rd) capitalized on his own rebound to net his third professional goal. Jeremy Hanzel and Chad Nychuk assisted on the equalizer.

However, Greenville regained the lead at 8:37, once again on the power play. Brodzinski (15th) tapped in a backdoor feed from Stuart Rolofs just as Hanzel exited the penalty box, making it 2-1 in favor of the Swamp Rabbits.

Gladiators’ Third-Period Comeback

The Gladiators found another gear in the final frame, led by 24-year-old forward Michael Marchesan (6th), who rifled a shot from the perimeter past McKay’s glove to tie the game at two. Anthony Firriolo picked up the lone assist on Marchesan’s goal.

With less than two minutes remaining in regulation, Dominik Marcinkevics (2nd) scored his first goal as a Gladiator—and second of the season—putting Atlanta ahead for the first time in the contest.

Dylan Carabia (1st) sealed the victory in the dying seconds, burying an empty-net goal after a selfless pass from Carson Denomie.

Coach’s Thoughts

After the game, Gladiators head coach Derek Nesbitt praised his team’s effort, especially in the absence of key players.

“In this league, you don’t want to use having a ‘thin’ lineup as an excuse, but when you have your alternate captain [Cody Sylvester] and captain [Eric Neiley] out, you need guys to step up. We got just that from everybody tonight.. Overall, this was a nice win for the guys tonight.”

Between the Pipes

DeRidder stood tall for the Gladiators, stopping 26 of 28 shots in the win. McKay, despite making 32 saves on 35 shots, took the loss for Greenville.

Gladiators Add Offensive Talent with Alex Campbell

The Gladiators also announced the addition of forward Alex Campbell, who has been loaned to the club from the Milwaukee Admirals of the American Hockey League.

Campbell, 23, joins Atlanta after playing 18 games with Milwaukee this season, tallying six points (2G, 4A). The Chateauguay, Quebec native turned pro last year with the Admirals after a strong collegiate career.

He spent most of his college hockey tenure at Clarkson University, where he played alongside current Gladiators goaltender Ethan Haider. In his final collegiate season at Northeastern University, Campbell put up an impressive 42 points (22G, 20A) in 36 games. His 22 goals ranked among the best in the Hockey East Conference, trailing only NHL prospects Cutter Gauthier, Macklin Celebrini, Ryan Leonard, and Will Smith.

Campbell is expected to make his Gladiators debut in Savannah, wearing No. 13.

Looking Ahead

The Gladiators will aim to build on this momentum as they prepare for their upcoming matchups. With the addition of Campbell and a confidence-boosting win, Atlanta looks to climb the standings in the ECHL’s South Division.