WARRIORS FLATTEN STINGRAYS IN OT

VERSUS  

GREENVILLE, SC – In yet another dramatic overtime finish the Greenville Road Warriors picked up a 4-3 win in extra time over the South Carolina Stingrays on Saturday night. The win improved Greenville’s 32-19-2 on the season.

The Road Warriors came into the game looking for their second straight win in the Palmetto State Rivalry and got off to a great start with an early first-period goal from Shane Harper. Off of a defensive zone faceoff, Harper raced to a loose puck at center and darted behind the Stingray defense. His low wrist shot beat Shane Owen low to the glove side at the 3:55 mark and was his 12th goal of the season. Less than a minute after taking the lead Greenville found itself in penalty trouble and was shorthanded by two men with Jimmy Kilpatrick and Sam Klassen in the penalty box. Rob Ricci converted the advantage into a goal at 5:32 and tied the game at one. Nic Riopel had eight saves in the period to keep the game even after the first 20 minutes.

Greenville started to sway momentum in its favor with a quick start to the second period. A three-on-two rush nearly put the Road Warriors back in the lead as Sean Berkstresser created a rebound chance for Connor Shields, but his backhand shot glanced off of the post. The chance didn’t register as a shot on goal, but nine others were sent on Owen but Riopel’s former junior teammate was up to task each time. Riopel matched him with six saves and the stage was set for a wild third period.

A power play chance early in the third looked like Greenville’s chance to take control of the game. It turned out to be the complete opposite, though, as Trent Campbell scored shorthanded at 6:13 to give the Stingrays their first lead of the night. It took just 4:30 for Greenville to find the tying goal as Klassen whipped a wrist shot past Owen for his third of the season. Fellow rookie Chris Clackson potted his first goal at the BI-LO Center by crashing the net and flipping a rebound home at 13:53 and restored Greenville’s one-goal lead. The Road Warriors tried to make the lead last to the final horn, but a giveaway in their defensive zone gave Tommy Goebel a golden chance with 1:40 left to play and his high, hard wrist shot hit twine behind Riopel and sent the game to overtime.

In the extra frame the Stingrays nearly ended it in the final minute on a 2-on-1 rush. Rob Ricci left a drop pass in the slot for Matt Scherer and his initial wrist shot was padded away by Riopel. The save of the game, though, came on the rebound as the Road Warriors’ goalie scrambled to his left and prevented a winning goal. Immediately after the save the Road Warriors took off on a rush of their own and Shields took a pass behind every Stingray defender. On the breakaway, Shields used a deke to the backhand to find some open net and slid it in with eight seconds left to play. It was Shields’ 16th goal of the season.

Riopel earned the win with 23 saves while the Road Warriors 0-for-3 on the power play and 5-for-6 on the penalty kill.

Mark your calendars! The Road Warriors return to home ice to battle the Gwinnett Gladiators on Tuesday, December 22 at 7:05 p.m. at the BI-LO Center. It will be the final Twofer Tuesday of the season! Fans can get two center ice tickets, two hot dogs, two boxes of popcorn, and two sodas for just $30. The Twofer Tuesday offer can be bought at the BI-LO Center Box Office. Groups of 10 or more who plan to attend the game should call the Road Warriors at 864-674-PUCK to book in advance. Groups get discounts off the box office price, preferred seating based on availability, and other great benefits.