GREENVILLE, SC –The Greenville Road Warriors will ring in the new year with another chapter in the Palmetto State Rivalry against the South Carolina Stingrays tonight. Faceoff is scheduled for 7:05 p.m. at the North Charleston Coliseum.
RECAPPING THE ACTION:
12/29/10 – GRW 4 – S.C. 3 SO
For the first time this season the Road Warriors were able to pick up a win despite trailing heading into the third period. After a three-goal outburst in the second period by South Carolina, the Road Warriors found themselves down 3-2 heading into the final frame. Justin Bowers and Sean Berkstresser had given the Road Warriors a 2-0 first period lead by chipping a couple of rebounds past goalie Todd Ford. The Stingrays flipped the script, though, in the second and received goals from Josh Godfrey and Trent Campbell (2) to take their first lead of the game. Bowers found the equalizer in the third with his second goal of the game and with neither team reclaiming the lead in regulation it headed to overtime. In the extra session Greenville goalie Dov Grumet-Morris was peppered with eight shots but came through each time he was tested. The game then headed to a shootout and Greenville won the breakaway contest with goals from Mark Voakes, Brandon Wong, and Marc-Olivier Vallerand. Grumet-Morris turned away three of the Stingrays’ five shooters.
WHAT’S ON TAP FOR TONIGHT:
The Road Warriors wrap up their December schedule looking for their second straight 10-win month. Greenville was 10-4-0 in November and enters action tonight with a 9-1-1 mark in December. Each loss came against the Florida Everblades; a 3-2 shootout loss in Florida on December 8 and a 5-1 loss in Greenville on December 15. The Road Warriors are currently working on a four-game winning streak and a string of 11 consecutive road games with at least one standings point. The last time the Road Warriors lost in regulation on the road was on November 16, a 3-1 setback to the Stingrays.
Recent transactions have seen the Road Warriors swap a pair of rookie defensemen between the ECHL and AHL. Coming to Greenville from the Connecticut Whale is 6-4, 205-pound Lee Baldwin. Baldwin played one season of collegiate hockey at the University of Alaska-Anchorage before signing a pro contract with the New York Rangers this past spring. In 18 career AHL games Baldwin has one goal and 17 penalty minutes. Cullen Eddy, meanwhile, received his third call up to the Adirondack Phantoms. Under contract to the Road Warriors’ AHL affiliate, Eddy has four points (1G, 3A) through 16 games with Greenville while he has produced one assist in four games with the Phantoms.
After winning the first two meetings with South Carolina this week the Road Warriors have the chance to sweep the three-game set tonight and improve their standing as the best team in the ECHL against divisional opponents. Sixteen of Greenville’s 22 wins this season have come against the South Division with six wins over Florida and five each against Gwinnett and South Carolina. Gwinnett (3) has the most wins against Greenville while Florida (2) and South Carolina (2) aren’t far behind. The Road Warriors have an impressive .708 winning percentage in South Division games this season (34 of a possible 48 points).
Mark your calendars! The Road Warriors return to home ice on Sunday, January 2 to take on the Wheeling Nailers at 4:05 p.m. at the BI-LO Center. There will be a post-game skate with the Road Warriors that is free to anyone with a ticket to the game. There will also be skates to rent for anyone that does not have skates of their own. Group seating is still available and your group of 10 or more can enjoy discounts on the box office price, preferred seating based on availability, and other great benefits by calling 864-674-PUCK.
