ESTERO, FL –The Greenville Road Warriors have not faced the Florida Everblades since November 13 when the ‘Blades’ record was hovering around the .500 mark. Tonight, though, the teams meet as South Division heavyweights with lengthy winning streaks on the line.
RECAPPING THE ACTION:
12/5 – GRW 5 – GWT 1
The Road Warriors were looking for a measure of retribution for a pair of early-November losses suffered in the Arena at Gwinnett Center at the hands of the Gladiators. The Road Warriors earned that measure, and then some, with a 5-1 win that improved their standing atop the South Division. Things got rolling with a breakaway goal by Brendan Connolly midway through the first period and snowballed in the second. After Gwinnett‘s Danick Paquette was whistled for a 5-minute major, and a game misconduct, for boarding the Road Warriors’ power play went to work. Mark Voakes scored just 12 seconds into the long power play, and just after a 5-on-3 had expired Blake Parlett snapped in a goal for a 3-0 lead. Brandon Wong finished off the power play fireworks with his fourth of the season with just under seven minutes left in the second. Gwinnett’s Tim Miller snuck a power play goal past Dov Grumet-Morris to break up the shutout bid and pull Gwinnett within one before the end of the second. Voakes, however, netted his second of the game near the midpoint of the third and prevented any late-game drama. Grumet-Morris earned the win with 35 saves.
12/4 – FLA 5 – CIN 3
Florida finished a stretch of 11 games against non-South Division opponents, as well as a five-game northern road trip, with a victory over the defending Kelly Cup champion Cyclones. Florida came out on top of a wild seven-goal first period with a 5-2 lead. And even though the ‘Blades’ offense did not produce a goal the rest of the way they had enough offense from the first to earn the two points. The win was Florida’s sixth in a row and was buoyed by 28 saves from rookie goalie Jaroslav Janus. The Everblades played the game two skaters short of the 16-man maximum allowed by the ECHL but their usual suspects were up to their regular tricks. Francis Lemieux, reigning ECHL Player of the Week, had two goals and two assists while league-leading scorer Mitch Fadden tallied three assists. Fadden’s 27 assists entering tonight’s game are as many points total as the Road Warriors’ leading scorer, Brendan Connolly, has earned.
WHAT’S ON TAP FOR TONIGHT:
It has been nearly a month (11/13) since the Road Warriors and Everblades last met. That game, won by the Road Warriors, improved Greenville’s record to 4-0-1 on the season against Florida and polished off a three-game sweep at the BI-LO Center. Tonight is Greenville’s first visit to Germain Arena. The game features the two hottest teams in the ECHL; the Road Warriors winners of seven straight and Florida which has won six in a row. Fans should expect to see fireworks when these teams meet as they boast combined six of the top ten scorers in the league. The are: Mitch Fadden (36), Francis Lemieux (31), Brendan Connolly (27), Matthew Pistilli (27), Justin Bowers (24), and Mark Voakes (23).
When the Greenville Road Warriors win this season they tend to do so in impressive fashion. In tight games, however, they have not enjoyed as much success. In games that are decided by at least three goals Greenville has a record of 10-1-0 but in games that are won by two goals or less its record dips to 6-4-1. The Road Warriors had their widest margin of victory in Dec. 2nd’s 7-1 win over the Gladiators. Average margin of victory for the Road Warriors this season is 2.81 while average margin of defeat is 2.17.
After snapping a three-game road losing streak to begin the season the Road Warriors have rattled off six consecutive wins away from the BI-LO Center and seven wins in a row overall. They are averaging 4.85 goals per game over the streak while giving up just 1.71 goals against. The Road Warriors are one ahead of Florida for the longest current winning streak in the league.
Mark your calendars! The Road Warriors return to home ice for three games next week.. They take on Gwinnett on Tuesday, December 14 with the Road Warriors offering their Twofer Tuesday for the first time this season. The deal gives you two center-ice tickets, two hot dogs, two sodas, and two boxes of popcorn for just $30! On Wednesday, December 15 the Road Warriors face the Florida Everblades. On tap that night is a military gift drive. For anyone who brings an acceptable gift to ship to our troops overseas the Road Warriors will reward fans with a buy-one-get-one free ticket coupon to that night’s game. Finally on Friday, December 17 Greenville squares off with Gwinnett in the Road Warriors’ first-ever Teddy Bear Toss. Bring a new, or gently used, and unwrapped stuffed animal to the game and toss it onto the ice after the Road Warriors score their first goal. All the tossed toys will be donated to the local chapter of Toys for Tots. Great group seats remain available for the games so call a Road Warriors group sales representative at 864-674-PUCK for more information. All three games next week begin at 7:05 p.m. at the BI-LO Center.
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