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ECHL Greenville Swamp Rabbits

Preview: Warriors Do It Big in Season Finale this Weekend

April 10, 2015 - ECHL (ECHL)
Greenville Swamp Rabbits News Release


OUT WITH A BANG: The Greenville Road Warriors (37-29-4), proud ECHL affiliate of the New York Rangers and the AHL's Hartford Wolf Pack, return to SANDLAPPER Securities Rink at the Bon Secours Wellness Arena this weekend for their final two games of the regular season. In addition to the on-ice action, the weekend finale will feature the most exciting promotional lineup thus far, including big-time giveaways, a pre-game Fan Fest and celebrity appearances.

PUCKS, PAWS AND PALADINS will headline tonight's contest against the Evansville IceMen at 7:00 p.m. All fans are encouraged to bring their pup to the game for free, and families can take advantage of a great deal 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 by CLICKING HERE .

FAN APPRECIATION NIGHT presented by Hilton Greenville is Saturday at 7:00 p.m. and will prove to be the must-see event in the Upstate. All red-level tickets in the lower bowl are just $10, and upper bowl seats start at $7.50. The fun kicks off with the Warriors Fan Fest featuring live entertainment by the band, Hitmob, and Hockey Happy Hour beginning at 5:00 p.m. on the Plaza. Food specials including .99 cent wings and beverage specials will be available outside and $2 food and beverage specials will be available at the concourse concession stands. In addition, the evening will feature an appearance by the Hanson Brothers from the movie, Slapshot, as well as a chance to win a trip for four (4) to Universal Studios Orlando, a VIP experience at the BMW Charity Pro-Am and other great prizes. CLICK HERE for a full list of the promotions and prizes on Fan Appreciation Night!

THE STORY COMING IN: The Road Warriors enter the penultimate game of the season tonight on a two-game win streak and fifth in the East Division standings, but eliminated from playoff contention following Orlando's victory against Florida last night. Greenville is six points behind the Solar Bears for the final playoff spot, but just four points remain on the table. In their last outing on Saturday, Anthony Luciani scored twice, while Josh Nicholls (1g, 1a) and Dallas Jackson (2a) each added a multi-point effort in a 5-4 shootout win at Gwinnett. Between the pipes, Jeff Malcolm made 20 saves on 24 shots. Tonight, the Warriors seek their third straight victory for the first time since a streak that spanned Feb. 13th - Feb. 15th (also against Gwinnett and Evansville).

WARRIORS VS. ICEMEN: Tonight's game marks the fifth and final meeting between the Warriors and IceMen this season, and the third at the Bon Secours Wellness Arena. The series is currently knotted at 2-2-0, but Greenville has won each of the last two matchups including a 6-3 victory in their last meeting on February 14th. Ryan Hegarty scored twice that day, while Vinny Saponari (1g, 2a) and Sean Escobedo each earned three points. The Warriors lead the all-time series 9-4-0.

VIEW FROM EVANSVILLE: The IceMen (15-46-9) have struggled mightily since the start of the season and enter tonight's contest with just one win in their last 13 games. In fact, Evansville sits in the basement of the Eastern Conference and has won just six games since New Year's. In their last outing on Wednesday, Justin MacDonald and Mark Anthoine each scored in a 3-2 overtime loss at Gwinnett. The club's active leading scorer Robin Soudek was held off the score sheet, and has now registered just one point in his last 10 games. The IceMen continue a six-game road trip tonight, and will end their season tomorrow at South Carolina.

WARRIORS VS. GLADIATORS: Saturday's contest marks the 11th and final matchup between Greenville and Gwinnett (20-44-7) this season, and the seventh at the Bon Secours Wellness Arena. It will also mark the fifth meeting in the last two weeks. The Road Warriors currently lead the season series 8-2-0 and the all-time series 39-24-5.

KILLING IT ON THE KILL: The Road Warriors' penalty kill has been solid in the last seven games, allowing just two goals since March 20th and going 20-for-22 during that span. Greenville's PK is currently 18th in the league this season (81.8%) and the team is 19-12-3 when not allowing a power-play goal.

QUICK HITS: Michael St. Croix has 10 points (5g, 5a) in his last eight games, since March 19... Anthony Luciani has three goals in his last three games and is tied for 21st in the league's scoring race (65 points)... Jeff Malcolm is 10th among ECHL goalies with a 2.52 goals against average and is tied for fifth with a .919 save percentage... Chris McCarthy is tied for fifth among league rookies with 185 shots.

TOUGH BREAK: The East Division's playoff picture became clearer yesterday when Orlando defeated Florida to clinch the final post-season berth. That result eliminated the Road Warriors, who join Elmira and Gwinnett on the outside looking in to the Kelly Cup Playoffs. It's a tough set of circumstances for Greenville, who is part of the most competitive division in the league. With 78 points, the Warriors would have already clinched a playoff berth under last year's format. They are currently seventh in the Eastern Conference.

SHOTS ON THE HOUSE: The Road Warriors have outshot their opponent in 10 consecutive games dating back to March 13th. During that span, Greenville has produced 96 more shots than its opponents (360-264) and has moved to seventh in the league with 32.27 shots per game. The Road Warriors are 21-18-2 when outshooting their opponents this season.

"HELPING" HIS CAUSE: With two helpers last week, Vinny Saponari grabbed sole possession of second place on the Warriors' all-time single season assists list. Anthony Luciani is also in 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)

Milestones

- Greenville is one win away from its 200th franchise victory

- Dean Stork is one win away from his 200th victory as a head coach

- Mike Banwell is two games away from his 200th professional game played

Affiliate Report

NHL: New York Rangers (52-22-7): Next at WSH - Saturday, 12:30 p.m. ET

AHL: Hartford Wolf Pack (38-23-9): Next vs. SPR - Tonight, 7:00 p.m. ET

Follow: Keep up with the Road Warriors all season long and interact wth other fans on the Official Road Warriors Facebook, Twitter, Pintrest and Instagram pages. F ans can listen or watch the games live via ECHL.TV .

For tickets or more information, please call a Road Warriors Account Executive at 864-674-PUCK or visit GreenvilleRoadWarriors.com/tickets-overview.html .

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