VERSUS 
WHEELING, WV – The Greenville Road Warriors concluded their four-game northern road trip with a rock-solid 2-0 win over the Wheeling Nailers on Sunday night. Greenville won each of its four games on the northern trip and improved its record to 13-5-1.
Not wanting to play catch up for the fourth game in a row the Road Warriors cashed in a quick goal in the first period. Mark Voakes found himself all alone between the circles as Jimmy Kilpatrick hit him with a crisp pass. Voakes wasted no time in firing off a quick wrist shot that beat Nailers goalie Mattais Modig low to the blocker side. Voakes’ seventh goal of the season was also set up by Trevor Glass and came just 2:09 into the game. Wheeling applied pressure from there and out-shot Greenville for a majority of the period. With some help from Dov Grumet-Morris the Road Warriors killed off Wheeling’s lone power play in the period and carried the 1-0 lead into the first intermission.
Greenville out-shot the Nailers in the second period 10-9, but it was Wheeling that had the better of the scoring chances. Neither stat mattered as Modig and Grumet-Morris denied all comer and left the score as it was after the first period; with Greenville leading 1-0. The Nailers had the lone power play in the frame when Sam Klassen was sent off for holding at 7:53. Grumet-Morris had a few timely saves on the Wheeling power play but saved his best for the end of the period. With the Road Warriors looking to change skaters inside of the final minute of the frame, they gave the puck away to the Nailers on the left wing. Mike Gershon was open in the slot and laid a heavy one-timer on the goal but Grumet-Morris took it right to the chest and did not allow a rebound.
With the game still very much up for grabs in the third period the Road Warriors turned to one of their most trusted sources to provide some insurance. With the Nailers working on their third power play of the game Brendan Connolly blocked a shot from the point and as he shook loose of the Nailers defender, Paul McIlveen chipped the puck into open ice. Connolly raced up ice, caught the puck, and laced a wrist shot over Modig’s blocker to give Greenville a two-goal advantage. It was Connolly’s team-leading 11th goal, and second shorthanded goal, and it extended his point streak to 11 games. With Connolly scoring at 9:41 the only question remaining was if Grumet-Morris could keep the Nailers off of the scoreboard. He did just that by turning aside all 15 shots he faced in the frame to earn his first shutout of the season.
Grumet-Morris was 33-for-33 on save opportunities and built his personal winning streak to four games. The Road Warriors were 0-for-1 on the power play and 3-for-3 on the penalty kill.
Mark your calendars! The Road Warriors will battle the Gwinnett Gladiators for first place in the South Division on Thursday, December 2 at 7:05 p.m. at the BI-LO Center. It will be a Dollar Drink Thursday, as well, with select fountain drinks and draught beers on sale for just $1! There is great group seating available for Thursday’s game and your group of 10 or more can save on the box office price, receive preferred seating based on availability, and much more by booking in advance. Call 864-674-PUCK to speak to a Road Warriors group sales representative.
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