OVERCOOKING WALLEYE

VERSUS

TOLEDO, OH – In the first ever meeting between the Road Warriors and Toledo Walleye, the Road Warriors battled back from an early deficit to pick up a 4-3 overtime win on Friday night. The win improved Greenville’s record to 30-17-2 on the season.

The Walleye didn’t show any signs of being road weary after a two-game southern road trip to Gwinnett last weekend. Toledo scored the first two goals of the game before it was five minutes old and left the Road Warriors playing catch up. Andy Bombach converted his 19th of the season at 3:02 to put the Walleye up 1-0 and that goal was followed by Dominic Osman at 4:51. Toledo kept the pressure on, particularly when Andrew Carroll went off for a roughing minor at 5:43. On the strength of that power play, Toledo was able to build up a 10-0 shot advantage through the first half of the period, but the Walleye did not extend their lead and the Road Warriors began to chip away. On a delayed penalty, Jimmy Kilpatrick fired a slap shot from the high slot that was tipped in by Sam Klassen at 9:36. It was Greenville’s first shot of the game, but pulled the Road Warriors within one of the Walleye. Nic Riopel made 14 saves in the frame to help Greenville stay within one goal.

Once they shook off their bus legs, the Road Warriors started to carry the play in the second period. The Road Warriors out-chanced the Walleye on the power play 3-0, registered 12 shots on goal, and converted one of those power plays into the tying goal. It was a nearly identical play as the Road Warriors first goal, only this time it was Kilpatrick tipping the shot past Joe Palmer’s blocker with the shot from the point coming from Mark Voakes. The goal came at the 10:59 mark and was the lone score in the frame. Riopel had to be sharp as the Walleye tested him with 13 shots in the period, and he was on point with each test he faced.

The Road Warriors wasted no time in the third period taking their first lead of the game. The Walleye defense went for an untimely line change and left Brandon Wong all alone on the right wing. As he drove down the open lane he lifted a hard and high wrist shot past Palmer on the blocker side just 44 seconds in. Voakes earned his second assist of the night on the goal and Blake Parlett chipped one in as well. The Road Warriors did the best they could to make the lead hold, but an Evan Rankin slap shot at 10:51 pulled the Walleye even. Greenville had to kill off two Toledo power plays in the final 10 minutes to make it to overtime and earn the one standings point for the tie at the end of regulation.

In overtime, Toledo registered one shot quickly off of the opening faceoff, but a save by Riopel and a quick headman pass by Shields sent Shane Harper in on a breakaway. The Road Warriors’ rookie shielded the puck away from the back-checking Jason Lepine and beat Palmer with a low wrist shot for his ninth goal of the season 27 seconds into the extra frame. It was Greenville’s fifth win in overtime or a shootout this season.

Riopel turned in 37 saves in picking up his 13th win of the season. The Road Warriors were 1-for-4 on the power play and 4-for-4 on the penalty kill.

Mark your calendars! The Road Warriors return home to battle the South Carolina Stingrays on Friday, February 18 at 7:05 p.m. at the BI-LO Center. The Road Warriors are teaming with Rotary Club of Greenville to host their first “Stop Polio Cold” game. The night features the Road Warriors wearing special red and gold jerseys which will be auctioned off live following the game. Proceeds from the jersey auction and that night’s ticket sales will be donated to Rotary’s “End Polio Now” campaign. You can also take advantage of the Friday Family Four Pack which features four tickets, four hot dogs, four pretzels, four bags of chips, and four sodas for just $48! Also, for information on group packages call 864-674-PUCK to speak to a Road Warriors group sales representative.