ESTERO, Fla. — The Savannah Ghost Pirates, proud ECHL affiliate of the Florida Panthers, fell 4–1 to the Florida Everblades in Game 2 of the South Division Semifinal on Saturday night at Hertz Arena.
Florida opened the scoring 3:27 into the first period when Kyle Betts found the back of the net from the slot to make it 1–0.
Savannah answered late in the period, as Nicholas Zabaneh set up Matt Koopman in front with 13.1 seconds remaining. Koopman chipped it home to tie the game 1–1, with Noah Carroll picking up the secondary assist.
The Everblades regained the lead 6:44 into the second period when Jesse Lansdell redirected a Zach Berzolla shot during a delayed penalty to make it 2–1.
Florida extended its advantage at the 12:52 mark of the period when Carson Gicewicz capitalized during a net-front scramble on the power play, giving the Everblades a 3–1 lead after two.
Anthony Romano sealed the win with an empty-net goal with 1:35 remaining in the third, securing the 4–1 final.
Cam Johnson earned the win for Florida, stopping 25 of 26 shots, while Vinnie Purpura made 39 saves on 42 shots for Savannah.
The series now shifts to Savannah, where the Ghost Pirates will host Game 3 at Enmarket Arena on Wednesday night. Puck drop is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. ET. Tickets and additional information are available at ghostpirateshockey.com. Savannah Taphouse is the official sponsor of the Ghost Pirates’ Kelly Cup Playoff run.
— GHOST PIRATES —
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