The Greenville Road Warriors take to the ice against the Wheeling Nailers for the second time in as many days tonight at 7:05 p.m. at the BI-LO Center. The Road Warriors are looking to improve their record on the week to 2-1-0 with a win against the Nailers tonight.
RECAPPING THE ACTION:
11/18/10 – GRW 4 – WHL 2
The Nailers were the first North Division team to visit the BI-LO Center this season and the Road Warriors happily gave them a less than warm welcome. After a scoreless first period the Road Warriors cashed in three times during the second period. Rookies Shane Harper and Marc-Olivier Vallerand scored 31 seconds apart early in the second period to give the Road Warriors the lead. Harpers’ goal was his third of the season and Vallerand’s was his fourth. Wheeling’s Ben Street halved the lead with seven minutes left to play in the second by tipping a point shot past Dov Grumet-Morris. Brendan Connoly restored Greenville’s two-goal lead 4:17 after Street’s goal with his team-leading ninth of the season. In the third Mark Voakes briefly gave Greenville a three-goal lead with a power play tally at 5:54. Kris Vernarsky responded for the Nailers by finishing off a 2-on-1 but Wheeling couldn’t manufacture any more offense and the Road Warriors skated away with the win. Grumet-Morris stopped 31 shots in the win.
WHAT’S ON TAP FOR TONIGHT:
Despite last night being the first meeting between the Road Warriors and Nailers it didn’t take long for animosity to build between the teams. Greenville’s Sean Berkstresser fought Wheeling’s Andrew Lord 51 seconds into last night’s game and Marc-Olivier Vallerand danced with David Marshall in the third. It was the first time this season that the Road Warriors had more than one fight in a game. With the clubs playing their second game against each other in as many days tempers could flare again tonight.
Greenville will continue to try to reel in the Gwinnett Gladiators this evening. Last night Greenville picked up its last game in hand over Gwinnett and pulled to within two points of first place with the win. The Road Warriors and Gladiators are tied with eight wins, but Gwinnett’s two extra overtime losses are the difference in the standings. The Gladiators are in Charleston tonight to face the Stingrays. A Road Warriors win tonight and a Gladiators loss would set up a showdown for outright control of first place in the South Division on Sunday.
Brendan Connolly will put his four-game goal scoring streak on the line tonight. Last night he tied Andrew Carroll for the longest goal streak by a Road Warrior this season, and also scored the game winning goal for the third consecutive Road Warriros win. His streak is the second-longest active current streak in the ECHL behind only Idaho’s Kael Mouillierat who has a goal in five straight. Connolly leads the Road Warriors in goals with nine and game winning goals with three. He is also the only Road Warrior to have a power play goal, power play assist, shorthanded goal, and shorthanded assist.
Please click here for Game Notes page 1.
Please click here for Game Notes page 2.
Please click here for Road Warriors player info.
Please click here for Nailers player info.
Tonight the Road Warriors continue their Thanks for Giving Weekend with a blanket drive to benefit Miracle Hill Ministries. Fans who bring a blanket to donate to the drive will receive a buy-one-get-one coupon good for the Road Warriors home game on December 15. The Road Warriors also offer their Friday Family Four-Pack tonight. The Friday Four-Pack features four gold-level tickets, four hot dogs, four drinks, four bags of chips, and four pretzels all for just $48. For more information contact the Road Warriors by calling 864-674-PUCK.
