BY: Ray Schmitt, Voice of the Greenville Road Warriors

The Greenville Road Warriors wrap up their regular season schedule tonight by paying the South Carolina Stingrays a visit. A Road Warriors win could potentially eliminate South Carolina from playoff contention.

The Road Warriors (41-24-6, 88 pts.) visit South Carolina (36-28-7, 79 pts.) today for the 16th, and final, meeting between the clubs this season. Fans can follow the action on America One or listening at  Greenvilleroadwarriors.com. Greenville is 12-3-0 this season against the Stingrays which includes a 5-2-0 mark at the North Charleston Coliseum. Tonight is the seventh of seven games between the Road Warriors and Stingrays in March. South Carolina’s 3-2 win last night snapped Greenville’s six-game win streak in the rivalry that dated back to February 7, 2012. Victories for either side have been hard to come by as five of the prior six meetings in March have been decided by only a goal, and three of those games have gone into overtime or a shootout. The last two games between the teams in North Charleston have been won in shootouts by Greenville.

Kelly Cup Playoffs Update

Elmira can clinch the Eastern Conference title on Saturday if:
Elmira wins

OR Gwinnett loses
OR Elmira loses in overtime/shootout AND Gwinnett wins in shootout

Gwinnett can clinch the Eastern Conference title on Saturday if:
Gwinnett wins AND Elmira loses in regulation
OR Gwinnett wins in regulation or overtime AND Elmira loses in overtime/shootout

South Carolina can clinch a berth in the Kelly Cup Playoffs on Saturday if:
South Carolina wins
OR South Carolina loses in overtime/shootout
OR Reading loses

Chicago can clinch a berth in the Kelly Cup Playoffs on Saturday if:
Chicago wins
OR Chicago loses in overtime/shootout AND Reading loses

Cincinnati can clinch a berth in the Kelly Cup Playoffs on Saturday if:
Cincinnati wins in regulation AND Reading loses

Reading can clinch a berth in the Kelly Cup Playoffs on Saturday if:
Reading wins AND Chicago loses
OR Reading wins AND South Carolina loses in regulation

Ontario can clinch the Pacific Division title on Saturday if:
Ontario wins
OR Las Vegas loses in regulation
OR Ontario loses in overtime/shootout AND Las Vegas loses

Las Vegas can clinch the Pacific Division title on Saturday if:
Las Vegas wins AND Ontario loses
OR Las Vegas loses in overtime/shootout AND Ontario loses in regulation

Who: Greenville Road Warriors at South Carolina Stingrays

What: Away Game #36, Season Game #72

When: 7:05 p.m.

Where: North Charleston Coliseum, 5001 Coliseum Dr.., North Charleston, SC 29418

NOTEWORTHY: 

• Greenville is one of three teams in the league (Alaska and Las Vegas are the other two) to have two skaters, Brandon Wong (31) and Marc-Olivier Vallerand (29) in the top ten in goals.
• Sean Berkstresser has 14 points (9G, 5A) in his last 21 games and Greenville is 12-6-3 over that span. Berkstresser is the only Road Warrior to play in every game this season.
• Greenville faces Florida in the first round if: Florida wins or Florida loses (OT or SO) and Wheeling loses (OT or SO). Greenville plays Wheeling if: Florida loses in regulation and Wheeling wins.
• Greenville (along with Elmira) is one of two teams in the league with a chance to win 20 home and road games this season.
• Bretton Cameron has seven assists in his last six games dating to March 16, 2012. His 17 assists in 29 games with Greenville are two more than his entire rookie season (53 games) with STK last season.

Click here for Game Notes Page 1
Click here for Game Notes Page 2
Click here for Road Warriors player info
Click here for Stingrays player info

Get ready for the Road Warriors’ run to the Kelly Cup! Greenville’s first home game of the opening round is Friday, April 6 at 7:35 p.m. at the BI-LO Center. Discounted playoff packages are on sale right now. With the playoff packages you can pay as you go throughout the playoffs and tickets start as low as $8.50 per game. Discounted tickets and preferred seating based on availability are also available for groups of 10 or more. Call 864-674-PUCK (7825) to get your 2012 Kelly Cup Playoffs tickets reserved today!

The post GREENVILLE KNOCKING HEADS WITH STINGRAYS first appeared on Howlings.

BY: Ray Schmitt, Voice of the Greenville Road Warriors

The Greenville Road Warriors, in conjunction with the ECHL, announced today that center Justin Bowers has been named to the All-ECHL Second team.

This season Bowers has established new club records for points (77) and assists (58) in a season and continues to add to those totals. He is also the team’s all-time leader in points at 174 and counting. Bowers is tied for the league lead with 58 assists and is third in the league with 77 points. He leads the ECHL with 25 power-play assists and 32 power-play points. Bowers, who was named ECHL Player of the Month for January, also appeared in two American Hockey League games with Milwaukee.

Bowers becomes the third player in team history to receive a post-season ECHL award. For the 2010-11 season defenseman Wes Cunningham was named to the All-ECHL First Team and goalie Dov Grumet-Morris was named to the All-ECHL Second Team.

2011-12 All-ECHL Second Team

G – Joe Fallon, Las Vegas Wranglers (47 gms, 30-10-4, 2.39 GAA, .912 save pct.)

D – Andrew Hotham, Wheeling Nailers (49 gms, 8g, 33a, 41 pts., +11)

D – Johann Kroll, South Carolina Stingrays (61 gms, 8g, 23a, 31 pts., +19)

F – Justin Bowers, Greenville Road Warriors (67 gms, 19g, 58a, 77 pts., +1)

F -Dan Kissel, Alaska Aces (67 gms, 35g, 32a, 67 pts., +11)

F – Adam Miller, Las Vegas Wranglers (69 gms, 30g, 50a, 80 pts., +18)

Coach – Jason Christie, Ontario Reign

(Photo courtesy of echl.com)

The post HEY NOW JUSTIN BOWERS, YOU’RE AN ECHL 2ND TEAM ALL-STAR…GET YOUR GAME ON…GO PLAY! first appeared on Howlings.

BY: Ray Schmitt, Voice of the Greenville Road Warriors

The Greenville Road Warriors of the ECHL have been sold to Chestnut Street Sports, LLC, which is solely owned by Fred Festa, the club announced today.

“This is a very important transaction in solidifying the long term stability of the Greenville Road Warriors,” said Neil Smith, President and General Manager.  “Mr. Festa and his family are passionate about the sport of hockey which is what makes this announcement great news for all the Upstate hockey fans.”

Regarding the transaction, Festa commented “I’m very excited to have the opportunity to expand the Road Warriors brand from the foundation established by Neil Smith and Steve Posner.”

On Tuesday, March 27th, The Greenville Arena District Board unanimously approved the transfer of the arena lease to Chestnut Street Sports, LLC.

The ECHL Board of Governors unanimously agreed to the transfer of League membership via a conference call on Wednesday, March 28th.  Brian McKenna, ECHL Commissioner, stated, “On behalf of the ECHL and our Board of Governors, I would like to welcome Fred Festa as the new owner of the Greenville Road Warriors.  After looking at several markets, we are pleased Fred selected Greenville. We share his view that it is a vibrant market with great long term potential.  I would also like to thank Neil Smith and Steve Posner for bringing ECHL hockey back to Greenville and providing a very entertaining and competitive team over the past two seasons.”

The actual transaction will not be finalized until the Road Warriors Kelly Cup Playoffs are over at which time a press conference will be scheduled to meet the new ownership.

The post NEW OWNERS FOR ROAD WARRIORS first appeared on Howlings.

     VERSUS    

BY: Ray Schmitt, Voice of the Greenville Road Warriors

The Greenville Road Warriors were defeated by the South Carolina Stingrays 3-2 in their final home game of the regular season on Friday night. The loss left Greenville’s record at 42-24-6 on the season.

Click here for tonight’s box score.

Greenville got off to a lightning-quick start in the first period with Jeremy Gouchie scoring his sixth goal of the season on the game’s first shift. Jason Wilson centered a puck out of the right wing corner as he was falling down and Gouchie quickly snapped a shot past Daren Machesney. Chris McKelvie also helped set up the goal 31 seconds into the game. South Carolina responded with a power play goal from Maxime Lacroix that took a review from the officials to determine whether the puck fully crossed the line. The goal stood, but the game didn’t remain tied for long. Marc-Olivier Vallerand sizzled a one-timer past Machesney 5:12 after Lacroix’s strike to restore Greenville’s lead. The 5-on-3 tally was assisted by Justin Bowers and Blake Parlett. Nic Riopel stopped 12 Stingray shots in the first to keep Greenville in front.

In the second period South Carolina put its offense in gear and out-shot Greenville 15-7 in the stanza. Riopel was strong with 14 saves, but Daniel Koger slipped a shot past him 90 seconds in to tie the score at two. Stingrays goalie Darren Machesney was making his first start since January 28 against Trenton, a 25-game absence, and he thwarted each shot he faced from Greenville in the second. The teams headed into the third with the score deadlocked at two.

The teams were more evenly matched in the third period and shots were dead even at 10 a side. Lacroix had the difference maker, though, as he picked up his second of the game at the 13:38 mark. It came as a result of South Carolina foiling a Greenville breakout attempt and a flip pass by Daniel Koger that put Lacroix in behind the defense. Greenville battled for the tying goal throughout the final minutes of the stanza, but even with Riopel pulled for the extra attacker couldn’t find the tying score.

With the Florida Everblades defeating the Gwinnett Gladiators on Friday it clinched a matchup between the Road Warriors and Everblades in the first round.

Riopel suffered the loss while making 35 saves on the night. Greenville was 1-for-3 on the power play and 3-for-5 on the penalty kill.

Get ready for the Road Warriors’ run to the Kelly Cup! Greenville’s first home game of the opening round is Friday, April 6 at 7:35 p.m. at the BI-LO Center. Discounted playoff packages are on sale right now. With the playoff packages you can pay as you go throughout the playoffs and tickets start as low as $8.50 per game. Discounted tickets and preferred seating based on availability are also available for groups of 10 or more. Call 864-674-PUCK (7825) to get your 2012 Kelly Cup Playoffs tickets reserved today!

The post BRING ON FLORIDA first appeared on Howlings.

BY: Ray Schmitt, Voice of the Greenville Road Warriors

The Greenville Road Warriors announced today that they have determined home dates for the opening round of the 2012 Kelly Cup Playoffs.

For the second straight season the Road Warriors have qualified for the Kelly Cup Playoffs and have secured home ice advantage for the first round. The Eastern Conference quarterfinal series is a best-of-five series in which the Road Warriors will play the final three games at home. Game Three will be held at the BI-LO Center on Friday, April 6 at 7:35 p.m. with Game Four to follow on Saturday, April 7 at 7:05 p.m. and Game Five on Monday, April 9 at 7:35 p.m. Games Four and Five will be played as necessary. The dates for playoff home games are set regardless of opponent.

At the playoff home opener on Friday, April 6 the Road Warriors will be giving away rally towels to the first 1,500 fans through the door. The rally towels are sponsored by Deaville Roofing and Construction, GEICO, and Konica Minolta. Also, the BI-LO Family Fun Section will be open to fans. To get up to four free tickets in the BI-LO Family Fun Section show your BI-LO BONUSCARD at the Breakaway Honda Ticket Office at BI-LO Center starting at 5:35 p.m. Tickets for the BI-LO Family Fun Section are available while supplies last.

Click here for information on Road Warriors Playoff Packages.Click here for the order form.

Fans have some different options to get their tickets and ensure they won’t miss the thrill of Road Warriors playoff hockey. Discounted playoff packages are on sale right now by calling 864-674-PUCK (7825). Playoff packages offer an option to pay as you go and save you as much as $5 per ticket per game. It’s the most convenient and affordable way to enjoy the playoffs. Individual game playoff tickets are also on sale right now. They can be purchased at the Breakaway Honda Ticket Office at the BI-LO Center, online through Ticketmaster.com, or over the phone at 1-800-745-3000. Individual playoff tickets start at just $10.

Mark your calendars! The Road Warriors are back at the BI-LO Center for their next home game on Friday, March 30 at 7:35 p.m. against the South Carolina Stingrays. Come out for Fan Appreciation Night. There are great giveaways scheduled throughout the night and the Road Warriors will wear their alternate green jerseys one last time. The jerseys will then be auctioned off live after the game. There are discounted tickets and preferred seating based on availability for any group of 10 or more that books in advance. Call 864-674-PUCK (7825) to book your group outing. Visit Greenvilleroadwarriors.com for more information.

The post WARRIOR PLAYOFF DATES ANNOUNCED first appeared on Howlings.

      VERSUS          

BY: Ray Schmitt, Voice of the Greenville Road Warriors

The Greenville Road Warriors locked up home ice for the first round of the Kelly Cup playoffs by beating the South Carolina Stingrays 4-3 at the BI-LO Center on Tuesday night. The win improved Greenville to 41-23-6 on the season.

Click here for tonight’s box score.

Brandon Wong became the first player in Road Warriors history, and the fifth player in the ECHL this season, to reach the 30 goal plateau with a shot from a ridiculous angle. Perched just below the goal line on the left wing he banked a shot off of goalie Billy Sauer and in to lift Greenville to a 1-0 lead at 6:20. Blake Parlett and Bretton Cameron assisted. Greenville was given a golden opportunity to double the lead with a 40-second 5-on-3 power play a few minutes later but was unable to convert. Once back at full strength, the Stingrays mounted an attack. They launched seven shots Jason Missiaen’s way over the final half of the stanza, but couldn’t find the equalizer. Missiaen stopped 12 shots in all in the first.

The second period featured some fine work on the power play by both squads but the Road Warriors doubled up the Stingrays’ effort and took a two-goal lead into the third. Johann Kroll knotted the score with a wrist shot from the point with 13:06 gone by. Just over a minute later Billy Ryan initiated a collision with Missiaen that earned him an interference minor but also knocked Missiaen out of the game. The Road Warriors didn’t score on the ensuing power play, but Wong (17:28) and Justin Bowers (19:08) tallied on the advantage before the period expired. In relief of Missiaen, Nic Riopel stopped both shots he faced in just over five minutes of work.

South Carolina put together a furious rally early in the third period and picked up a pair of goals to knot the score. Andrew Cherniwchan scored his third as a pro at 8:12 to pull the ‘Rays within one and Billy Ryan potted the tying goal just 1:39 later. The score remained deadlocked until the Road Warriors pulled ahead on Sean Berkstresser’s 12th of the season. Wong tried to lift a backhander under the crossbar on a wraparound but Sauer slid across for the save. Perched on the doorstop, Berkstresser slammed home the rebound for the winning score.

Missiaen stopped 18 of 19 in his time while Riopel earned the win in stopping 11 of 13. The Road Warriors were 2-for-7 on the power play and 3-for-4 on the penalty kill.

Mark your calendars! The Road Warriors are back at the BI-LO Center for their next home game on Friday, March 30 at 7:35 p.m. against the South Carolina Stingrays. Come out for Fan Appreciation Night. There are great giveaways scheduled throughout the night and the Road Warriors will wear their alternate green jerseys one last time. The jerseys will then be auctioned off live after the game. There are discounted tickets and preferred seating based on availability for any group of 10 or more that books in advance. Call 864-674-PUCK (7825) to book your group outing. Visit Greenvilleroadwarriors.com for more information.

Get ready for the Road Warriors’ run to the Kelly Cup! Discounted playoff packages are on sale right now. With the playoff packages you can pay as you go throughout the playoffs and tickets start as low as $8.50 per game. Call 864-674-PUCK (7825) to get your 2012 Kelly Cup Playoffs tickets reserved today!

The post STINGERS STUNG first appeared on Howlings.

BY: Ray Schmitt, Voice of the Greenville Road Warriors

The Greenville Road Warriors kick off the final week of the 2011-12 season tonight when they host the South Carolina Stingrays. It’s the first of three games this week between the in-state rivals.

The Road Warriors (40-23-6, 86 pts.) host South Carolina (35-27-7, 77 pts.) today for the 14th of 16 meetings between the clubs this season. Fans can follow the action by watching America One or listening at Greenvilleroadwarriors.com. Greenville is 11-2-0 this season against the Stingrays which includes a 6-0-0 mark at the BI-LO Center. Tonight is the first game in Greenville between the Road Warriors and Stingrays since Friday, March 2, but is the fifth of seven between the teams in March. The 2-1 overtime win on Pink in the Rink was the second of five consecutive wins for Greenville over the Stingrays. The streak continued with wins in North Charleston on March 9, 10, and 16. Fans should expect a closely played game between these teams as three of the last four meetings have gone to overtime and none have been decided by more than two goals.

Kelly Cup Playoffs Update:

Greenville can clinch fourth place in the Eastern Conference playoffs with a win.
Gwinnett can clinch first place in the South Division if Greenville loses in regulation.

Join the Road Warriors tonight for Two For Tuesday presented by BI-LO. Fans can show their BI-LO BONUSCARD at the Breakaway Honda Ticket Office at the BI-LO Center to receive one free ticket with the purchase of a ticket of equal value.

Who: Greenville Road Warriors vs. South Carolina Stingrays

What: Home Game #35, Season Game #70
When: 7:35 p.m.
Where: BI-LO Center, 650 N. Academy St., Greenville, SC 29601

NOTEWORTHY:

• Greenville is one of three teams in the league (Alaska and Las Vegas are the other two) to have two skaters, Brandon Wong (29) and Marc-Olivier Vallerand (28) in the top ten in goals.
• Sean Berkstresser has 13 points (8G, 5A) in his last 19 games and Greenville is 11-5-3 over that span. Berkstresser is the only Road Warrior to play in every game this season.
• The Road Warriors have a magic number of two to clinch the fourth seed in the Eastern Conference. Florida’s maximum point total is 87 so the Road Warriors clinch when they hit 88.
• Greenville (along with Elmira and Ontario) is one of three teams in the league with a chance to win 20 home and road games this season.
• Justin Bowers has gone four games without registering a point – his longest drought of the season. Prior to this skid he had not gone more than two straight games in his Road Warrior career without a point.

Click here for Game Notes Page 1
Click here for Game Notes Page 2
Click here for Road Warriors player info
Click here for Stingrays player info

Mark your calendars! The Road Warriors are back at the BI-LO Center for their next home game on Friday, March 30 at 7:35 p.m. against the South Carolina Stingrays. Come out for Fan Appreciation Night. There are great giveaways scheduled throughout the night and the Road Warriors will wear their alternate green jerseys one last time. The jerseys will then be auctioned off live after the game. There are discounted tickets and preferred seating based on availability for any group of 10 or more that books in advance. Call 864-674-PUCK (7825) to book your group outing. Visit Greenvilleroadwarriors.com for more information.

Get ready for the Road Warriors’ run to the Kelly Cup! Discounted playoff packages are on sale right now. With the playoff packages you can pay as you go throughout the playoffs and tickets start as low as $8.50 per game. Call 864-674-PUCK (7825) to get your 2012 Kelly Cup Playoffs tickets reserved today!

The post PUTTING THE STING IN STINGRAY FOR WARRIORS first appeared on Howlings.

BY: Ray Schmitt, Voice of the Greenville Road Warriors

The Battle of the Palmetto State highlights the Road Warriors‘ final week of the regular season. They square off against the South Carolina Stingrays three times and still have a chance to claim first place in the Eastern Conference.

Record: 40-23-6, 86 pts., 2nd place South Division

Leaders:
Goals – Brandon Wong: 29
Assists – Justin Bowers: 58
Points – Justin Bowers: 76
+/- – Brandon Wong: +20
PIMs – T.J. Reynolds: 187
PPG – Marc-Olivier Vallerand/#Jeff Prough: 9
SHG – Brandon Wong: 3
Wins – Jason Missiaen: 22
GAA – Jason Missiaen: 2.72
SVP – Jason Missiaen: .915

# = Not on current roster

Previewing the Upcoming Week:

3/27 & 3/30 vs. S. Carolina; 3/31 at S. Carolina – 7:35 p.m. & 7:35 p.m.; 7:05 p.m.,

Home vs. SC 6-0-0, Away vs. SC 5-2-0

• The Road Warriors won’t have to leave the Palmetto State in the final week of the season as they face off three times against the South Carolina Stingrays. Tuesday’s visit by South Carolina will be its first since March 2 when Greenville won 2-1 in overtime in the annual Pink in the Rink game. Since then the teams have played three times at the North Charleston Coliseum with the Road Warriors coming away victorious in all three. In the four prior meetings between Greenville and South Carolina this month three have had to go to overtime, and two into shootouts, to decide the winner. The Road Warriors enter the week needing to win all three games against South Carolina to have a chance to win the South Division and Eastern Conference while the Stingrays are just two points in front of eighth place Cincinnati.

Day-by-Day Schedule:

3/26/12 – Practice at The Pavilion, 9:30 a.m.

“Between the Pipes” radio show at Ford’s Oyster House and Cajun Kitchen, 7:00 p.m.

3/27/12 – * Pre-game skate at BI-LO Center, 10:00 a.m.

Road Warriors vs. South Carolina, 7:35 p.m.

3/28/12 – * Practice at BI-LO Center, 10:00 a.m.

3/29/12 – * Practice at BI-LO Center, 10:00 a.m.

3/30/12 – * Pre-game skate at BI-LO Center, 10:00 a.m.

Road Warriors vs. South Carolina, 7:35 p.m.

3/31/12 –   Road Warriors at South Carolina, 7:05 p.m.

4/1/12 – Off

The Road Warriors will have an announcement this week regarding their 2012 Kelly Cup Playoff schedule once the team’s first round opponent is known.

* Denotes an appearance/event that is not open to the general public.  The Road Warriors’ schedule is subject to change. It is recommended to contact the Road Warriors to confirm times of certain events, particularly practices.

Road Warriors Broadcast Information

All Greenville Road Warriors games are broadcast live online courtesy of America One. You can listen to every game for free by clicking on the “Listen Live” link located on the Road Warriors’ home page –  Greenvilleroadwarriors.com. The Road Warriors Pre-Game Show kicks off every broadcast 15 minutes prior to faceoff.

Recapping Last Week:

3/23 vs. Gwinnett: SOL 3-2

Box Score

• The Road Warriors collected the first two goals of the game courtesy of Sean Berkstresser and Brandon Wong. Berkstresser’s goal midway through the first was his 11th of the season and Wong potted his 29th with a shorthanded marker early in the second. Gwinnett, though, settled down defensively and limited Greenville to 10 shots on goal over the final 40 minutes of play. That was opposed to 15 Greenville shots in the first. Doug Jones pulled Gwinnett within one on a power play goal at 12:45 of the second and Joey Haddad capped the comeback with a power play goal at 19:51 of the third. After a scoreless overtime it was off to a shootout to decide the winner. Goalies Jason Missiaen and Marc Cheverie each allowed one goal in the first five rounds of the shootout, but in the sixth Cheverie stopped Bretton Cameron and Tyler Murovich scored on Missiaen to lift Gwinnett to the win.

3/24 vs. Gwinnett: L 2-3
Box Score

• For the third consecutive game against Gwinnett the Road Warriors scored the first goal of the game. Chris McKelvie hammered home a one-timer 7:43 into the first with assists from Jeremy Gouchie and Jason Wilson. Gwinnett earned the tying goal on a shot from Steven Mallaro at 17:01 of the first. The Gladiators then took their first lead of the night just over a minute into the second when Nikita Kashirsky snuck a wrist shot past Nic Riopel. With the teams playing four-on-four a few minutes later Wes Cunningham sprung Marc-Olivier Vallerand and he beat Marc Cheverie to tie the score. After the early flurry Riopel and Cheverie shut the offenses down until the third period. Near the midway point Paul Flache jammed a backdoor goal past Riopel and put Gwinnett back in front. The lead held up even in spite of a 6-on-3 Road Warriors power play over the final 26 seconds of the game.

Quick Hits:

• Brandon Wong has five goals in his last five games including three shorthanded goals. He leads the team in goals (29) and shorthanded goals (3). He currently ranks seventh in the league in goals. Marc-Olivier Vallerand’s 28 goals rank him 10th in the league and makes Greenville one of three teams (also Alaska and Las Vegas) with two skaters among the top ten in goals.
• Five of Greenville’s last 11 games have gone to overtime with four of those going to a shootout. The Road Warriors are 5-2 in overtime and 5-4 in shootouts this season. Their 16 overtime games are tied for fourth most in the league.
• Sean Berkstresser has posted 13 points (8G, 5A) over his last 19 games dating back to February 14, 2012. He has helped Greenville put together an 11-5-3 record over that span. His 27 points (11G, 16A) make for the second-highest total of his pro career. He is also the only Road Warrior to have played in every game this season.
• Greenville has a magic number of one to clinch the fourth seed in the Eastern Conference. The maximum points fifth place Florida can earn is 87 so by subtracting Greenville’s 86 points and adding one you get Greenville’s magic number. Greenville’s magic number is reduced any time Florida loses in regulation and the Road Warriors win or lose in overtime/shootout, or when Florida loses in overtime/shootout and Greenville wins in regulation.
• On Saturday Greenville has a chance to do something that no other team in the ECHL has done yet this season; win 20 games at home and on the Road. The Road Warriors’ 19 road wins currently rank second in the ECHL behind only Reading (21). Greenville’s 21 home wins rank fifth in the league. Elmira and Ontario also have a chance to pull off the feat with 19 road wins and two away games left on their schedules.

Upcoming Events:

• Tuesday, March 27: Road Warriors vs. South Carolina, 7:35 p.m. – BI-LO Two For Tuesday. Bring your BI-LO BONUSCARD to the Breakaway Honda Ticket Office at the BI-LO Center prior to Tuesday’s game to get one free ticket with the purchase of another ticket of equal value.
• Friday, March 30: Road Warriors vs. South Carolina, 7:35 p.m. – Fan Appreciation Day. There are great prizes and raffles on tap throughout the night on Friday when the Road Warriors play their final home game of the regular season. They will wear their alternate green jerseys for the final time and they will be auctioned off live after the game. Fans can also take advantage of the Spinx Family Four-Pack which features four tickets, hot dogs, fountain drinks, and bags of chips for $48.
• Early April: Kelly Cup Playoffs! The Road Warriors have qualified for the playoffs for the second straight season and playoff packages are on sale right now. There are options to pay as you go and playoff packages start at $8.50 per seat per game. Call 864-674-PUCK for information on playoff tickets.

The post ROAD WARRIORS WEEKLY RELEASE: 3/26-4/1/12 first appeared on Howlings.

      VERSUS      

BY: Ray Schmitt, Voice of the Greenville Road Warriors

The Greenville Road Warriors lost in their final meeting of the season with the Gwinnett Gladiators, 3-2, on Saturday night at the BI-LO Center. The loss dropped Greenville’s record to 40-23-6.

Click here for tonight’s box score.

The Road Warriors snagged a 1-0 lead for the second straight game when Chris McKelvie sizzled a one-timer past Marc Cheverie 7:43 into the game. The goal was McKelvie’s third of the season with assists going to Jeremy Gouchie and Jason Wilson. The goal gave goalie Nic Riopel a comfort zone to work with as he made his first home start since December 29. The Road Warriors could not hold onto the lead through the frame, though, as Steven Mallaro squeezed a slap-shot past Riopel on the glove side at 17:01.

In the second Nikita Kashirsky spotted Gwinnett a one-goal lead when he scored from the right wing with 1:03 gone by. Greenville didn’t wait long to respond as Marc-Olivier Vallerand took a homerun pass from Wes Cunningham and raced in on a breakaway against Cheverie. His wrist shot scored low to the blocker side and knotted the game at two. Riopel and Cheverie shut down the offenses from there and the game went into the third period deadlocked at two.

Gwinnett’s Paul Flache restored its lead just before the third was halfway over. He came out from behind the Greenville net and tapped home a backdoor feed from Pat Galivan for his seventh goal of the season. The Road Warriors put the pedal down in an effort to find the tying goal and managed to assail Cheverie with 12 shots in the stanza. The most furious few came in the last minute as Greenville had a 6-on-3 skater advantage with Gwinnett taking back-to-back penalties and Riopel pulled for the extra attacker. Cheverie, however, stopped all of Greenville’s attempts and sealed the win.

Riopel stopped 35 shots in sustaining the loss. The Road Warriors were 0-for-3 on the power play and 5-for-5 on the penalty kill.

Mark your calendars! The Road Warriors are back at the BI-LO Center for their next home game on Tuesday, March 27 at 7:35 p.m. against the South Carolina Stingrays. Come out for Two-For Tuesday presented by BI-LO. Fans can show their BI-LO BONUSCARD at the Breakaway Honda Ticket Office at the BI-LO Center to get a free ticket when they purchase a ticket of equal value. There are discounted tickets and preferred seating based on availability for any group of 10 or more that books in advance. Call 864-674-PUCK (7825) to book your group outing. Visit Greenvilleroadwarriors.com for more information.

Get ready for the Road Warriors’ run to the Kelly Cup! Discounted playoff packages are on sale right now. With the playoff packages you can pay as you go throughout the playoffs and tickets start as low as $8.50 per game. Call 864-674-PUCK (7825) to get your 2012 Kelly Cup Playoffs tickets reserved today!

The post TWO CHANCES – NO WINS – ROAD WARRIORS LOSE SECOND STRAIGHT TO GLADIATORS first appeared on Howlings.

BY: Ray Schmitt, Voice of the Greenville Road Warriors

The Battle of I-85 between the Greenville Road Warriors and Gwinnett Gladiators has reached its pinnacle with tonight’s game in Greenville kicking off the final two-game series of the season between the clubs.

The Road Warriors (40-22-5, 85 pts.) host Gwinnett (38-18-11, 87 pts.) today for the 16th of 17 meetings between the clubs this season. Fans can follow the action by watching on America One or listening at  Greenvilleroadwarriors.com. Greenville is 7-6-2 this season against the Gladiators which includes a 6-1-0 mark at the BI-LO Center. The Road Warriors have lost their last three games to Gwinnett including a 3-1 setback on March 6 in Greenville which broke the Road Warriors’ nine-game home winning streak against the Gladiators. Despite that loss, Greenville has been a dominant team at home against Gwinnett and has out-scored its rival by a 26-16 margin in their seven prior games. Dating back to last season the Road Warriors are 12-4-0 at home against Gwinnett.

KELLY CUP PLAYOFF CLINCHING SCENARIOS:

Kalamazoo can clinch a berth in the Kelly Cup Playoffs on Friday if:

• Kalamazoo wins in regulation/overtime AND Reading loses in regulation

Wheeling can clinch a berth in the Kelly Cup Playoffs on Friday if:

• Wheeling wins in regulation/overtime AND Chicago loses AND Reading loses

South Carolina can clinch a berth in the Kelly Cup Playoffs on Friday if:

• South Carolina wins in regulation/overtime AND Chicago loses in regulation AND Reading loses in regulation

Florida can clinch a berth in the Kelly Cup Playoffs on Friday if:

• Florida wins  AND Chicago loses in regulation AND Reading loses in regulation

Fans coming out to the game will enjoy the the perks of the Spinx Family Four-Pack as well as the BI-LO Family Fun Section. The Family Four-Pack features four tickets, hot dogs, fountain drinks, and bags of chips for just $48. For the BI-LO Family Fun Section, if you show your BI-LO BONUSCARD at the Breakaway Honda Ticket Office window starting two hours prior to faceoff you can get up to four complimentary tickets. Quantities are limited.

Who: Greenville Road Warriors vs. Gwinnett Gladiators

What: Home Game #33, Season Game #68
When: 7:35 p.m.
Where: BI-LO Center, 650 N. Academy St., Greenville, SC 29601

NOTEWORTHY:

• Brandon Wong scored the third hat trick in team history and tied the team record for points in a game with four when he put up three goals and an assist last Sunday vs. Cincinnati.
• T.J. Reynolds leads Road Warriors defensemen at +13 and has been even or better in every game in March. He had a season-high +2 for the ninth time last Sunday vs. Cincinnati.
• The Road Warriors have a magic number of six to clinch the fourth seed in the Eastern Conference. Wheeling’s maximum point total is 90 so the Road Warriors clinch when they hit 91.
• Marc-Olivier Vallerand has 10 points (4G, 6A) in his last 12 games with Greenville including two goals Feb. 14 vs. Gwinnett.
• Greenville has owned Gwinnett in the first period this season and holds a 14-8 scoring advantage. The second has belonged to Gwinnett with a 20-14 margin while the third is dead even at 14-14.

Click here for Game Notes Page 1
Click here for Game Notes Page 2
Click here for Road Warriors player info
Click here for Gladiators player info

Mark your calendars! The Road Warriors are back at the BI-LO Center for their next home game on Saturday, March 24 at 7:05 p.m. against the Gwinnett Gladiators. Come out for Pucks and Paws night presented by Cleveland Park Animal Hospitals and Upstate Veterinary Specialists! It’s the Road Warriors annual game where fans can bring their dogs with them to the game, and if you have a small dog under 20 pounds be sure to call 864-250-4765 to register it for the Small Dog Derby. There are discounted tickets and preferred seating based on availability for any group of 10 or more that books in advance. Call 864-674-PUCK (7825) to book your group outing. Visit Greenvilleroadwarriors.com for more information.

Get ready for the Road Warriors’ run to the Kelly Cup! Discounted playoff packages are on sale right now. With the playoff packages you can pay as you go throughout the playoffs and tickets start as low as $8.50 per game. Call 864-674-PUCK (7825) to get your 2012 Kelly Cup Playoffs tickets reserved today!

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