ROAD WARRIORS WEEKLY #26: 4/11/11-4/17/11 

GREENVILLE, SC – The Greenville Road Warriors won the first playoff series in team history over Elmira and advanced to the second round of the 2011 Kelly Cup Playoffs last week. This week they will begin their best-of-seven series against the Wheeling Nailers with a pair of games at the BI-LO Center.

Kelly Cup Playoffs Record: 3-1-0

Regular Season Record: 46-22-4, 96 pts., 1st place South Division

Kelly Cup Playoffs Leaders:
Goals – Mark Voakes/Sam Klassen/Brendan Connolly: 2

Assists – Justin Bowers: 4

Points – Justin Bowers: 4

+/- – Sam Klassen/Chris McKelvie: +4

PIMs – T.J. Reynolds: 14

PPG – Mark Voakes/Brendan Connolly/Jimmy Kilpatrick/Brandon Wong: 1

SHG – None

Wins – Chris Beckford-Tseu: 2

GAA – Chris Beckford-Tseu: 0.41

SVP – Chris Beckford-Tseu: .978

Regular Season Leaders:
Goals –Marc-Olivier Vallerand: 28
Assists – Jimmy Kilpatrick: 44
Points – Jimmy Kilpatrick: 63
+/- – Brendan Connolly: +28
PIMs – T.J. Reynolds: 206
PPG – Jimmy Kilpatrick: 12
SHG – Marc-Olivier Vallerand: 4
Wins – Nic Riopel: 24
GAA – Dov Grumet-Morris: 2.32
SVP – Dov Grumet-Morris: .922

This Week:
4/14 & 4/15 vs. Wheeling, 7:35 p.m. – Regular Season Record: Home (3-0-0), Away (3-0-0) The first seed Road Warriors tangle with the fourth seed Nailers in a best-of-seven Eastern Conference semifinals series that begins this week at the BI-LO Center. The series follows a 2-3-2 format with Greenville holding the home ice advantage. Greenville advanced past the first round with a 3-1 series win over the Elmira Jackals while Wheeling downed the South Carolina Stingrays three games to one in the first round. Greenville will have to work hard to protect its home ice advantage against a Wheeling team that is 2-0-0 on the road in the playoffs. Greenville went two-for-two at home in the first round thanks to a defense and goaltending that limited Elmira to one goal in over 146 minutes of play. Both teams feature strong defenses with Greenville giving up 2.25 goals against per game and Wheeling at 2.50. Greenville was 6-0-0 against Wheeling in the regular season and out-scored the Nailers by a 26-11 margin. That might not mean much in this series, though, because eight players on Wheeling’s current roster did not participate in the regular season series. They include top playoff goalie Peter Delmas (3-1-0, 2.38 GAA, 0.908 SVP) and high-scoring forward Paul Crowder (4 GP, 2G, 3A, 0 +/-, 2 PIMs).

Day by Day:
Mon. 4/11: Off
Tues. 4/12: Practice at the BI-LO Center, 10:00 a.m.

Wed. 4/13: Practice at the BI-LO Center, 10:00 a.m.

Thurs. 4/14: Road Warriors vs. Nailers, 7:35 p.m.

Fri. 4/15: Road Warriors vs. Nailers, 7:35 p.m.
Sat. 4/16: Off

Sun. 4/17: Off

Day-by-Day schedule subject to change.
Broadcast Schedule:
Thurs. 4/14: Road Warriors vs. Nailers, 7:35 p.m.

Fri. 4/15: Road Warriors vs. Nailers, 7:35 p.m.

All Road Warriors radio broadcasts can be heard online for free courtesy of America One. Point your browser to www.greenvilleroadwarriors.com and click “Listen Live” to join Ray Schmitt on the broadcasts. Road Warriors fans can also watch Internet TV broadcasts of the games by clicking here. All broadcasts begin 15 minutes prior to face off with the Road Warriors Pregame Show. Fans can also email Radio Ray and have their questions read during the broadcast! Send your questions to grwradioray@gmail.com.

Last Week: (3-1-0)

4/5 at Elmira: W 5-2

The Greenville Road Warriors had a strong effort on the power play and took a 1-0 series lead for their efforts. Scores by Jimmy Kilpatrick and Brandon Wong in the first period staked Greenville to a 2-0 advantage in the game. Kilpatrick’s goal came with a 5-on-3 advantage and Wong scored with one second left in a 5-on-4. Elmira’s Justin Donati trimmed the lead to one early in the second but Brendan Connolly and Mark Voakes tallied for Greenville to pad the lead to 4-1 heading into the third. Nic Riopel notched 13 saves on 14 shots to keep Greenville comfortably ahead and Marc-Olivier Vallerand potted an empty-net goal with 16 seconds remaining to seal the win.

4/6 at Elmira: L 3-6

The Road Warriors were shorthanded a season-high 11 times and could not overcome the Jackals’ offensive firepower which left the series even at one game each. After Eric Lampe opened the scoring just over five minutes in, the Road Warriors answered with first-period goals by Brendan Connolly (PP) and Sam Klassen to take a 2-1 lead. That lasted until the final minutes of the second when Justin Donati knotted the game at two each. In the third, Elmira scored four times, including two empty-netters and a 5-on-3 PPG, and the Road Warriors could not rally from the deficit. Mark Voakes brought the Road Warriors within one at 18:25 but that was as close as they would get. Nic Riopel sustained the loss while making 25 saves.

4/8 vs. Elmira: W 2-0

In the first ECHL playoff game at the BI-LO Center in five years, the Road Warriors gave the home fans plenty to cheer about as they took the series lead. Chris Beckford-Tseu’s 18-save effort highlighted the win and Chris McKelvie’s first professional playoff goal provided all the offense Greenville would need. After killing off a pair of early Jackals power plays, McKelvie won a defensive zone faceoff that led to a 2-on-1 rush with Marc-Olivier Vallerand. Vallerand’s pass hit McKelvie in the slot and he whipped a shot past Marco Cousineau for a 1-0 Greenville lead. Greenville had to kill off four penalties in the second period, including 42 seconds of a 5-on-3, to keep the lead intact. The Road Warriors then turned in a masterful defensive effort in the third period and limited Elmira to three shots on goal. Sam Klassen added an empty net score with 26 seconds left to play and sealed the win.

4/9 vs. Elmira: OTW 2-1

The team that scored first had won each of the first three games of the series between Greenville and Elmira, so Saturday’s start wasn’t what Greenville had been hoping for. Yannick Tifu opened the scoring at 9:29 of the first period with a slap shot from the left wing that eluded Chris Beckford-Tseu. Nine saves by Marco Cousineau kept Elmira ahead through the first, but Greenville’s first shot of the second drew the Road Warriors even. Sam Klassen sent a shot from the point that was tipped in by Andrew Rowe 58 seconds into the frame. After Rowe’s goal, Cousineau put on a show with 38 saves through the end of regulation and into the second overtime frame. Beckford-Tseu, while not as busy, matched Cousineau save-for-save and gave Greenville its chance to win. Sean Berkstresser cashed in that chance by sweeping a shot past Cousineau off of a faceoff at 6:22 of the second OT session. It was Berkstresser’s first career playoff goal.

ONE-TIMERS:
Scoring Streaks:
Goals:

Assists:

Points:

·    S. Klassen, 3 games (2G, 1A); 4/6-4/9

·    S. Berkstresser, 2 games (1G, 1A); 4/8-4/9

·    C. McKelvie, 2 games (1G, 1A); 4/8-4/9

Quick Hits:

· Road Warriors have gone two games without a power play goal and are unsuccessful in their last 12 power play opportunities. This has come after a 3-for-4 outing in Game One at Elmira.

· Sam Klassen’s current three-game point streak is the second longest of his career. He had a four-game streak (4A) from 2/22/11 to 2/28/11. Klassen currently leads ECHL defensemen in playoff goals with two and is tied for second in points (3).

· Chris Beckford-Tseu currently leads ECHL playoff goalies in goals-against average (0.41) and save percentage (0.978). The 26-year-old netminder is 6-1-0, including playoffs, since joining the Road Warriors on March 18.

· The Road Warriors have been assessed the most minor penalties (27) of any team in the Kelly Cup Playoffs. In the regular season only five teams were shorthanded fewer than Greenville’s 318 times.

· The Road Warriors are 9-2-0 over their last 11 home games dating back to March 4, 2011. Over that span they have out-scored opponents by a 42-24 clip.

Mark your calendars! Don’t forget about these upcoming promotions:
4/15 vs. Wheeling, 7:35: For Game One against Wheeling the Road Warriors will be offering up select draught beers and fountain drinks for $1 on a Dollar Drink Thursday! Prior to the game visit the plaza at the Charter Business entrance for the pre-game block party. There will be live music from Lions of Zion, free food, and half-priced beer!

4/16 vs. Wheeling, 7:35: For Game Two against Wheeling the Road Warriors will be giving away rally towels courtesy of Wells Fargo! Prior to the game visit the plaza at the Charter Business entrance for the pre-game block party. There will be live music from Green Vegas, free food, and half-priced beer!