ECHL Greenville Swamp Rabbits

Road Warriors Weekly

December 2, 2014 - ECHL (ECHL)
Greenville Swamp Rabbits News Release


LAST WEEK'S RECAP

Overall Picture: The Greenville Road Warriors (11-9-0-0), proud ECHL affiliate of the New York Rangers and the AHL's Hartford Wolf pack, concluded a season-long, eight-game road trip last week with stops in Wheeling, WV and Reading, PA for the first time this season. On Wednesday, the Road Warriors nearly clawed back from an early three-goal deficit, but the comeback came up short in a 4-2 loss to the Wheeling Nailers at WesBanco Arena. Winger Emerson Clark earned a +1 rating and scored Greenville's second goal of the contest, and now sits second on the team with six goals this season.

After the Thanksgiving holiday, Greenville returned to action on Friday and received a 34-save performance from goaltender Jason Missiaen, but fell to the Reading Royals 5-2 at Santander Arena. The Road Warriors got revenge one night later by scoring a season-high eight goals en route to an 8-3 victory over Reading. Five of the team's eight goals were scored in a span of just 7:10 in the second period, which also marked a season high for goals in a period this season. Forwards Sean O'Donnell (2g, 2a) Tyler Brown (2g) and Trevor Parkes (2g) each scored twice, while Vinny Saponari (1g, 2a), Ryan Hegarty (2a) and Paul Rodrigues (1g, 3a) also earned multi-point efforts. In addition, Jeff Malcolm made 26 saves between the pipes and has now won nine of his last 12 games.

THIS WEEK'S GAMES

Thursday, December 4th vs. Orlando (11-8-2-0), 7:00 p.m. ET - Thirsty Thursday*

Friday, December 5th vs. Orlando (11-8-2-0), 7:00 p.m. ET - Teddy Bear Boss**

QUICK SHIFTS

Malcolm in the Middle: A second-year pro, goaltender Jeff Malcolm has earned nine wins in his last 12 starts with a 2.00 goals against average (GAA) and .928 save percentage during that span. In addition, the 25-year old is 9-4-0 overall this season and sits seventh in the league with a 2.23 GAA and .921 save percentage. Malcolm is also 4-0-0 at the Bon Secours Wellness Arena this season with an impressive 1.47 GAA, .945 save percentage and one shutout. A native of Lethbridge, Alberta, Malcolm notched six shutouts over four seasons at Yale University, including a 36-save effort in the title game of Yale's 2013 Frozen Four Championship.

Saponari Continues to Impress: Winger Vinny Saponari has scored in four of his last six games (4g) and now leads the Road Warriors with seven goals this season. Last year, Saponari earned a career best 15 goals, 18 assists and 33 points in 58 games with the Milwaukee Admirals of the American Hockey League. Saponari was drafted in the fourth round (#94 overall) by the Atlanta Thrashers in the 2008 NHL Entry Draft.

"Plus", there's this... : During last Saturday's contest in Reading, the Road Warriors saw a season-high 10 different players record at least a +1 rating. Among those, center Shawn O'Donnell set a new ECHL season-high with a +6 rating after chipping in on four of Greenville's eight goals (2g, 2a). The Road Warriors are led by Saponari and defenseman Sean Escobedo who both own +7 ratings this season.

Comeback Kids: The Warriors have earned over half (6-of-11) of their wins this season after trailing at some point in the game. Greenville's success in coming from behind is largely due to a potent third-period offense that has outscored opponents 27-18, including 13-7 following the 10-minute mark of the third period. The Warriors also boast a league-high four wins (4-8-0) when trailing after two periods.

East Division Standings

Florida Everblades (12-3-0-1) = 25 points in 16 games Elmira Jackals (11-5-0-1) = 25 points in 19 games Orlando Solar Bears (11-8-2-0) = 24 points in 21 games Greenville Road Warriors (11-9-0-0) = 22 points in 20 games Reading Royals (9-6-1-1) = 20 points in 17 games South Carolina Stingrays (7-9-0-4) = 18 points in 20 games Gwinnett Gladiators (6-10-1-0) = 13 points in 17 games

* Thirsty Thursday: The Road Warriors return to SANDLAPPER Securities Rink at the Bon Secours Wellness Arena on Thursday for a 7:00 p.m. face-off against the Orlando Solar Bears. The Warriors are offering a special $5 ticket deal at the Box Office while supplies last! It's also Thirsty Thursday featuring domestic beers, hot dogs, fountain drinks and pretzels for just $2!

**Teddy Bear Toss: Friday, December 5th is the Warriors' annual "Teddy Bear Toss" benefiting Toys for Tots! All fans are encouraged to bring a stuffed animal to the game to throw onto the ice after the Road Warriors score their first goal. Each stuffed animal will then be collected and donated to Toys for Tots. It's also the Warriors' annual "Sing for Santa" game! Enjoy school choirs performing holiday favorites during the first intermission. The Warrior Fun Pack is available for Friday's game! This great family value pack includes four (4) tickets, four (4) hot dogs, four (4) bags of chips, four (4) soft drinks and two (2) Warriors drawstring bags for just $60! Visit GreenvilleRoadWarriors.com for more information or to purchase the Warrior Fun Pack.

Check out the Greenville Swamp Rabbits Statistics



ECHL Stories from December 2, 2014


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