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Generals Playoff Intelligence Report

April 7, 2003 - ECHL (ECHL)
Greensboro Generals News Release


UPCOMING WEEK: As of Monday, the Greensboro Generals only know one thing for sure. They'll have a chance to win their Northeast Division Semi-Final series against the Roanoke Express on Tuesday night at 7:05 at the Roanoke Civic Center. After that game, all bets are off. There are plenty of possibilities for the week ahead, though. Should the Generals fail to knock Roanoke out of the playoffs on Tuesday, they will play a deciding fifth game of the series on Wednesday night. Should that game be necessary, it will be held at 8:30 p.m. at the Triangle SportsPlex in Hillsborough, NC. All tickets for that game will be $15.00 and will not go on sale until 9:00 a.m on Wednesday at both the Generals business offices (NOT the Greensboro Coliseum box office) and at the Triangle SportsPlex. The SportsPlex is approximately 40 miles east of Greensboro, at Exit 165 off of Interstate 85, just after it splits with Interstate 40.

Should the Generals defeat Roanoke either Tuesday or Wednesday, they will advance to the Northeast Division Finals against either the Atlantic City Boardwalk Bullies or the Trenton Titans. Atlantic City currently leads their best of five series 2-0, with game three being played tonight in Trenton. Dates for the divisional finals are not firmed up as of press time, but if the Generals end up facing Atlantic City, they would host Game 3 and Game 4 (if necessary) between Wednesday, April 16 and Friday, April 18. All playoff games can be heard live on WPET AM-950 and online at www.greensborogenerals.com.

LAST WEEK:

4/3 ROANOKE 2, GREENSBORO 7 ¨ The Generals pasted the Express to take a 1-0 lead in the best-of-five series. Greensboro had a balanced attack, getting their seven goals from seven different players. Mike Bayrack and Jay Murphy led the way with a goal and two assists each, while Matt Turek, Sam Ftorek, and Bryan Richardson each posted a goal and one assist. Rod Aldoff and Kevin Grimes tallied the other Generals goals, while Daniel Berthiaume held the fort in net, stonewalling 38 of 40 shots against his former team. The Express got their goals last night from Chad Mazurak and Joe Dusbabek.

4/4 ROANOKE 3, GREENSBORO 1 ¨ The Generals' offense that was so potent in game 1 couldn't repeat their performance the following night. Roanoke grabbed a 1-0 lead midway through the first period and held it at the break. The Express increased the advantage to 2-0 after two periods, and it went to 3-0 early in the third. The Generals put tremendous pressure on the Roanoke net in the third period, getting their one goal on the power play from Sam Ftorek, but despite 26 shots in the final frame, that would be the only time they solved goaltender Evan Lindsay. Despite the loss, Generals netminder Daniel Berthiaume played very well, stopping 39 of 42 shots.

4/5 GREENSBORO 3, ROANOKE 2 ¨ The Generals' signature this season has been winning in come-from-behind fashion, and that's exactly what they did in taking game 3 at the Roanoke Civic Center. Roanoke scored early for a 1-0 lead, but despite five power play chances in the first period, including a 5-on-3 advantage for nearly two minutes, that was all they could get in the first period. The lead swelled to 2-0 early in the second, and the Express seemed primed to increase their lead with another power play late in the period. However, the Generals got on the board with a shorthanded goal from Rod Aldoff, providing them momentum heading into the final period. The Generals came out flying in the third, with Bryan Richardson tying the game 2-2 just over a minute in. With Greensboro holding a power play minutes later, Pete Gardiner made the Express pay by redirecting an Aldoff feed into the net. Daniel Berthiaume made the lead stand up, making 30 saves as the Generals put the Express on the brink of elimination.

PRACTICE SCHEDULE:

Tuesday: 10:00 – 10:45 @ IceHouse of Greensboro.

Wednesday: 10:00 – 10:45 @ IceHouse of Greensboro.

Thursday – Saturday: To Be Announced.

NOTABLES:

¨ The Generals are playing their first playoff series in the franchise's four-year history. Rod Aldoff scored the franchise's first ever post-season goal.

¨ The Generals 3-1 loss on Friday snapped an eight-game winning streak and a ten game home winning streak, dating back to the regular season. Both of those streaks are franchise records. The Generals last home loss was to Roanoke on January 30.

¨ Pete Gardiner's game-winning goal on Saturday was his first goal of the year against his former team in nine games.

¨ Mike Bayrack and Jay Murphy are tied for the team lead with five points in the first three games of the series. They both have scored one goal and four assists.

¨ The Generals have been short-handed within the first 70 seconds of all three games in the playoffs.

¨ Greensboro has six players with three or more points in the first three games of the series.

¨ Eleven different players recorded a point in Thursday's game 1 victory.

THE FRONT LINE: The Generals coaches show The Front Line airs live tonight on WPET 950-AM from 6:00 – 7:00 from Jack Astor's Bar and Grill on High Point Rd. Join Generals head coach Rick Adduono and broadcaster Arley Johnson for a look back at last week and a preview of the week ahead. Generals players appear weekly on the show, tickets will be given away at Jack Astor's, and fans can call in their questions to coach Adduono at (336) 275-9738.

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