Road Warriors Weekly Report
April 7, 2015 - ECHL (ECHL)
Greenville Swamp Rabbits News Release
LAST WEEK'S RECAP
Overall Picture: The Greenville Road Warriors (37-29-4), proud ECHL affiliate of the New York Rangers and the AHL's Hartford Wolf Pack, won two of three games against Gwinnett last week to avoid elimination and continue their playoff push into the final week of the regular season.
The Road Warriors came out firing on Thursday and scored just 95 seconds into the contest when Anthony Luciani ripped a low shot inside the left post directly following a face-off for his team-leading 25th goal of the season. However, the Gladiators responded with back-to-back tallies from rookie Daniel Bahntge, his first two professional goals, to stun Greenville 2-1 at the Bon Secours Wellness Arena. It was just the fifth time all season the Road Warriors have fallen when scoring first.
On Friday, Greenville jumped out to an early three-goal lead, but was forced to battle down the stretch to preserve a 4-3 victory against Gwinnett at home. Bretton Cameron, Emerson Clark, Dallas Jackson and Sam Noreau each scored in the winning effort, while Jason Missiaen (16-15-3) stopped 27 shots between the pipes.
The series shifted to Duluth, Georgia on Saturday where the Road Warriors built an early lead for the third consecutive game, but had to scratch and claw in the closing stages to earn a 5-4 shootout victory against Gwinnett. Lucani (2g) and Josh Nicholls (1g, 1a) each produced a multi-point effort and Jackson netted the shootout winner in the fourth round.
With the victory, Greenville continues to hold the fifth spot in the East Division standings, four points behind Orlando for the final playoff position. The Solar Bears defeated Reading at home on Saturday. Consequently, the Road Warriors can tie Orlando in the standings if Greenville wins out (in regulation or overtime) and the Solar Bears do not earn another point. Greenville would hold the tie breaker (non-shootout wins) in that situation.
THIS WEEK'S GAMES
Friday, Apr 10th vs. Evansville (15-46-8), 7:00 p.m. - Pucks, Paws & Paladins Night
Saturday, Apr 11th vs. Gwinnett (19-44-7), 7:00 p.m. - Fan Appreciation Night
QUICK SHIFTS
News and Notes: Greenville is one win from its 200th franchise victory... Dean Stork is also one win from his 200th victory as a professional head coach... Michael St. Croix has 10 points (5g, 5a) in his last eight games... Kyle Jean played his 200th pro game last Thursday... Jeff Malcolm is 10th among ECHL netminders with a 2.52 goals against average and tied for fifth with a .919 save percentage... Chris McCarthy is fifth among league rookies with 185 shots.
Playoff Picture: The race for the final playoff spot in the East Division is down to a pair of teams, Greenville and Orlando. Florida, South Carolina and Reading have already clinched a playoff berth, while Elmira and Gwinnett have been eliminated. The Solar Bears control their own destiny with a four-point lead over the Warriors and one game in hand. Orlando needs to earn one point over its final three contests to secure a post-season berth. Greenville's only shot is to win out (in regulation or overtime) and hope the Solar Bears fall in regulation in their last three games to Florida. In that event, the Road Warriors would make the playoffs due to the league's first tiebreaker, which is non-shootout wins.
Shots on the House: The Road Warriors outshot Gwinnett 36-24 on Saturday and have now outshot their opponent in 10 consecutive games, dating back to March 13th. During that span, Greenville has produced 96 more shots (360-264) than its opponents. In addition, the Road Warriors are currently seventh in the league with 32.37 shots per game and 21-18-2 when outshooting their opponent.
"Helping" His Cause: With two helpers last week, Vinny Saponari moved into sole possession of second place on the Road Warriors' all-time single season assists list. Anthony Luciani has also entered the top five.
1. Justin Bowers - 59 assists ('11-12)
2. Vinny Saponari - 46 assists ('14-15)
2. Marc-Olivier Vallerand - 45 assists ('12-13)
4. Jimmy Kilpatrick - 44 assists ('10-11)
5. Anthony Luciani - 38 assists ('14-15)
East Division Standings
Florida Everblades (47-15-7) = 101 points in 69 games South Carolina Stingrays (44-20-7) = 95 points in 71 games Reading Royals (44-19-6) = 94 points in 69 games Orlando Solar Bears (36-23-10) = 82 points in 69 games Greenville Road Warriors (37-29-4) = 78 points in 70 games Elmira Jackals (32-31-7) = 71 points in 70 games Gwinnett G ladiators (19-44-7) = 45 points in 70 games
Follow: Keep up with the Road Warriors all season long and interact with other fans on the Official Road Warriors Facebook, Twitter, Pintrest and Instagram pages. F ans can also listen or watch every game live via ECHL.TV .
"Pucks, Paws & Paladins": The Road Warriors return to SANDLAPPER Securities Rink at the Bon Secours Wellness Arena this Friday for the penultimate game of the regular season against the Evansville IceMen. The 7:00 p.m. contest features "Pucks, Paws and Paladins Night" and all fans are encouraged to bring their pup to the game for free. Families can also take advantage of a great deal for the game by purchasing the Warrior Fun Pack! Get four (4) tickets, four (4) hot dogs, four (4) bags of chips, four (4) fountain drinks and two (2) Warriors drawstring bags for JUST $60!
Fan Appreciation Night: In a continued effort to prove that Upstate South Carolina is a true hockey community, the Road Warriors will attempt to draw the league's largest crowd of the season to the Bon Secours Wellness Arena for "Fan Appreciation Night" presented by Hilton Greenville this Saturday, April 11th. In addition to great ticket deals, all returning groups of 15 or more will qualify to receive an extra discount on group tickets for the game!
The evening will be highlighted by promotions and events that include:
The chance to win a trip for four (4) to Universal Studios in Orlando, Florida that includes airfare, hotel accommodations and park passes courtesy of Hilton Greenville.
The chance to win one of the Road Warriors' New York Rangers-style jerseys right off a player's back following the game.
Appearance by the Hanson brothers - Stars of the classic hockey movie, Slapshot.
Special appearance and National Anthem performance by FOX Carolina's Nicole Papay.
A pre-game Fan Fest on the plaza that will include live entertainment performed by the band, Hitmob, interactive games for kids, the chance to meet the Hanson brothers, and food and beverage specials.
The chance to win a VIP experience at the BMW Charity Pro-Am.
Special $10 Lower Level tickets available online via TicketMaster.com and at the Box Office both in advance and on game day.
Special $7.50 pricing on Upper Level tickets available at the Box Office in advance and day of game.
Prizes given away throughout the game.
For tickets or more information, please call a Road Warriors Account Executive at 864-674-PUCK or visit GreenvilleRoadWarriors.com/tickets-overview.html . F ans can listen or watch the games live via ECHL.TV .
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