ROAD WARRIORS STUMBLE IN GAME ONE
GREENVILLE, SC – The Greenville Road Warriors struck first but ultimately fell to the Wheeling Nailers by a 4-3 count on Thursday night at the BI-LO Center. Wheeling took a 1-0 lead in the best-of-seven Eastern Conference semifinals series with Game Two scheduled for Friday night in Greenville.
The Road Warriors grabbed an early lead as they tried to win their third consecutive home playoff game. One minute and sixteen seconds into the game, Shane Harper took a centering feed from Brendan Connolly and whipped it past Wheeling goalie Peter Delmas and gave Greenville the 1-0 advantage. It was Harper’s first professional playoff goal. Wheeling bounced back well, though, and tied the game at 8:33 with a Tyler Murovich backhander that eluded Chris Beckford-Tseu. Shortly after, Greenville had a chance to reclaim the lead with a power play, but it went awry and Joey Haddad scored a shorthanded breakaway at 10:45 to put Wheeling up 2-1. Each team managed nine shots in the frame, but Delmas was one better than Beckford-Tseu.
Wheeling managed the only goal of the second period despite a 15-9 shot advantage that favored Greenville. Working low on the right wing, Tim Crowder spun a pass into the slot that Brandon DeFazio caught on his backhand. He turned the puck onto his forehand as he spun around and beat Beckford-Tseu high to the glove side at 6:09.
Greenville came out with more determination in its game to start the third period and climbed back within a goal very early on. A pass from behind the net by Justin Bowers set off a mad scramble at the net front. Marc-Olivier Vallerand slipped away from his defender and fed a backhand shot underneath Delmas and into the net at 4:46. Chris McKelvie’s fight with Alex Grant at 7:05 brought the crowd to its feet and energized Greenville’s attack. Harper had a good look from the left wing, but his shot was ruled to have hit the post and never fully crossed the goal line. Minutes after that a puck was loose behind Delmas, but Brandon Wong could not tap it home. Murovich then netted his second of the game with a long-range shot that beat Beckford-Tseu at 9:42 and restored Wheeling’s two-goal lead at 4-2. Two minutes and thirty eight seconds later Brendan Connolly forced a rebound past Delmas and drew Greenville to within one again, but despite pulling Beckford-Tseu for the extra attacker the tying goal never came.
Beckford-Tseu had 17 saves on the night while Greenville went 0-for-5 on the power play and 3-for-3 on the penalty kill.
Mark your calendars! The Road Warriors return to home ice Friday, April 15 to face Wheeling in Game Two of their best-of-seven Eastern Conference semifinals series at 7:35 p.m. at the BI-LO Center. There will be a pre-game block party at 5:00 with free food from Hoops and Hops, live music from Green Vegas, and half-priced beer. It’s also a SPINX Friday Family Four-Pack night where you can get four tickets, four hot dogs, four fountain drinks, four bags of chips, and four pretzels for just $48. There are also group tickets available for the game which feature discounted prices and preferred seating based on availability for groups of 10 or more. Call 864-674-PUCK to book your group.
Related
Mitch Beck
Related posts
Top picks
WOLF PACK SUFFER UGLY LOSS TO P-BRUINS IN GAME 2
By: Alex Thomas, Hartford Wolf Pack PROVIDENCE, RI – The Hartford Wolf Pack were forced to settle for a split in Providence, as the Bruins roared back to take Game 2 6-0 at the Amica Mutual Pavilion on Friday night. The series, now tied 1-1,…
WOLF PACK TAKE GAME ONE OF SEMIS IN P-TOWN
By: Shay Costa, Howlings PROVIDENCE, RI – The Hartford Wolf Pack’s Anton Blidh scored 1:28 into the third period to give the team a 4-3 road win against his former team, the Providence Bruins, in Game One of the Atlantic Division semifinal in front of…
WOLF PACK GET 3-PT NIGHT FROM PITLICK IN GM 1 WIN
By: Alex Thomas, Hartford Wolf Pack PROVIDENCE, RI – Tyler Pitlick picked up three points on Wednesday night as the Hartford Wolf Pack marched into the Amica Mutual Pavilion in Providence and took Game 1 of their best-of-five Atlantic Division Semifinals series. The Wolf Pack…
PREGAME: WOLF PACK HOPE TO BUILD ON WIN OVER B’S
By: Alex Thomas, Hartford Wolf Pack PROVIDENCE, RI – The Hartford Wolf Pack and Providence Bruins meet tonight for Game 2 of their best-of-five Atlantic Division Semifinal series at the Amica Mutual Pavilion in Providence. The puck drop is set for 7:05 p.m., and coverage…
WOLF PACK SUFFER UGLY LOSS TO P-BRUINS IN GAME 2
By: Alex Thomas, Hartford Wolf Pack PROVIDENCE, RI – The Hartford Wolf Pack were forced to settle for a split in Providence, as the Bruins roared back to take Game 2 6-0 at the Amica Mutual Pavilion on Friday night. The series, now tied 1-1,…
WOLF PACK TAKE GAME ONE OF SEMIS IN P-TOWN
By: Shay Costa, Howlings PROVIDENCE, RI – The Hartford Wolf Pack’s Anton Blidh scored 1:28 into the third period to give the team a 4-3 road win against his former team, the Providence Bruins, in Game One of the Atlantic Division semifinal in front of…
WOLF PACK GET 3-PT NIGHT FROM PITLICK IN GM 1 WIN
By: Alex Thomas, Hartford Wolf Pack PROVIDENCE, RI – Tyler Pitlick picked up three points on Wednesday night as the Hartford Wolf Pack marched into the Amica Mutual Pavilion in Providence and took Game 1 of their best-of-five Atlantic Division Semifinals series. The Wolf Pack…
PREGAME: WOLF PACK HOPE TO BUILD ON WIN OVER B’S
By: Alex Thomas, Hartford Wolf Pack PROVIDENCE, RI – The Hartford Wolf Pack and Providence Bruins meet tonight for Game 2 of their best-of-five Atlantic Division Semifinal series at the Amica Mutual Pavilion in Providence. The puck drop is set for 7:05 p.m., and coverage…
ORLANDO ENDS SWAMP RABBITS SEASON
Swamp Rabbits show life late, but Orlando pulls away to win the series BY: Mark Binetti, Greenville Swamp Rabbits GREENVILLE, SC– Jaydon Dureau’s two-goal night spearheaded a 5-1 Orlando Solar Bears win over the Greenville Swamp Rabbits on Tuesday to win the South Division Semifinals…
SWAMP RABBITS ANSWER BACK IN GAME 2
Eberle nets game-winner; three multi-point performers shine in win BY: Mark Binetti, Greenville Swamp Rabbits GREENVILLE, SC—Tanner Eberle broke a deadlock in a wild third period to headline the Greenville Swamp Rabbits’ Game 2 win over the Orlando Solar Bears by a 4-2 score on Monday…
SWAMP RABBITS DROP GAME 1 in OT
Spencer Kersten ends a 72-minute game to steal Game 1 from Greenville By: Mark Binetti, Greenville Swamp Rabbits GREENVILLE, S.C. – Spencer Kersten ended a marathon goalie duel to give the Orlando Solar Bears a lead in the South Division Semifinals, 1-0, over the Greenville…
SWAMP RABBITS SCHEDULE FOR SOUTH DIVISION SEMIFINALS
Swamp Rabbits and Solar Bears begin a best-of-seven series this Sunday in Greenville By: Mark Binetti, Greenville Swamp Rabbits GREENVILLE, S.C. – The Greenville Swamp Rabbits, proud ECHL affiliate of the NHL’s Los Angeles Kings, announced the full schedule for the 2024 Kelly Cup Playoffs…