Defeated Dayton 4 games to 0
May 10, 2002
DATE - 05/10/02 Greenville ( 5) AT Dayton ( 2)
SCORE BY PERIODS
Greenville 1 2 2--5
Dayton 0 1 1--2
FIRST PERIOD -- Scoring: 1, Greenville-Rymsha 4 (power play) (Masa;
Pepperall) 9:11. Penalties: Masa, GRV (Interference), 3:00.
McCauley, DAY (Slashing), 4:31. Ling, DAY (Holding stick), 8:09.
Venedam, GRV (Hooking), 11:03. Williamson, DAY (Slashing), 13:36.
Keup, DAY (Spearing, Major, Game misc.), 17:37.
SECOND
PERIOD -- Scoring: 2, Greenville-Dessner 2 (power play)
(Pepperall; Masa) 9:13. 3, Greenville-Stewart 3 (game winner)
(short handed) (unassisted) 11:50. 4, Dayton-Gauthier 1 (power play)
(Ling; Mizzi) 18:59. Penalties: Rymsha, GRV (Tripping), 1:49. Nolan,
DAY (Slashing), 7:32. Sellars, GRV (Roughing), 11:19. Cummings, DAY
(Roughing), 11:19. Sellars, GRV (Roughing), 11:19. Williamson, DAY
(Ten minute misc.), 11:50. Dessner, GRV (Tripping), 18:31.
THIRD PERIOD -- Scoring: 5, Greenville-Gamache 15 (unassisted) 2:53.
6, Greenville-Rymsha 5 (Whitten; Pepperall) 3:15. 7, Dayton-Williamson
6 (Ling, Mizzi) 14:34. Penalties: Roy, GRV (High sticking), 11:21.
SHOTS ON GOAL
Greenville 12 17 7--36
Dayton 5 14 12--31
Power Play Conversions: Greenville - 2 of 5, Dayton - 1 of 6.
Goalies: Greenville-Garner (31 shots, 29 saves). Dayton-Goehring (
36 shots, 31 saves).
A: 4089. Referee: Koharski. Linesmen: Phillips;
Grrrowl win ECHL championship
By Adam
Davis
STAFF WRITER
DAYTON, Ohio -- When East Coast Hockey League training camps opened in
September, 29 teams began a
grueling journey that only one can complete.
On Friday night, after nearly eight months of blood, sweat and pain, the
Greenville Grrrowl found the ECHL's
Holy Grail.
The Grrrowl beat the Dayton Bombers 5-2 in front of 4,089 at the Nutter Center,
completing a four-game sweep
of the Kelly Cup Finals. The championship is the
first for the fourth-year Grrrowl franchise, and the finals sweep
is the third
in the ECHL's 14-year history.
"This is the best day of my life, I think," Steve Rymsha screamed.
"To come out and contribute with two goals
and an assist and sweep the
series, it's the best feeling in the world right now."
Jeff Dessner, Ryan Stewart and Simon Gamache also scored for Greenville, and
goaltender Tyrone Garner had
29 saves. Garner's postseason record was 12-2, and
he set a finals record with a 1.75 goals-against average.
"The whole game, I was as nervous as anything," said a beaming Garner.
"It was all over once we scored our fifth
goal, and you didn't know what to
do or how you were gonna celebrate. You just couldn't wait for the clock to hit
zero."
After the buzzer, a mass of Grrrowl players dog-piled Garner, dislodging the net
he had protected so well. The
celebration roughly resembled a rock concert mosh
pit, with more smiling.
Commissioner emeritus Pat Kelly presented his cup to captain Sean Venedam, and
the playoff MVP trophy was split
between Garner and Gamache, who scored 15
postseason goals.
"I don't think you could have denied one of them," Greenville coach
John Marks said.
As the celebration continued, Marks walked off the ice with his right arm around
majority owner Carl Scheer. They also
collaborated to win the 1996 ECHL title
with the Charlotte Checkers.
"The first one's always the biggest, I guess," Marks said, "but
it's been so rewarding to have another young group of
guys come from nowhere and
accomplish what they did."
The victory was especially gratifying for the veterans. Venedam and Stewart --
whose shorthanded goal made the score
3-0 11:50 into the second period -- have
been with the franchise since its inception. Martin Masa claimed his first
championship in his eighth ECHL season.
"It's unbelievable," Venedam said. "I can't say enough. I'll
never forget every one of these guys."
Said Masa: "I told everybody I will not leave this league without the Kelly
Cup, and my dream came true. I can't describe
the feeling right now."
In theory, the Grrrowl could have relaxed with a 3-0 series lead. Instead, they
played as if it were Game 7. Rymsha and
Dessner began the scoring with
power-play goals in the first and second periods, then Stewart gave the Grrrowl
full control.
Dayton's Jonathan Gauthier scored late in the second period, but Gamache and
Rymsha scored in the first 3:50 of the
third period to make it 5-1. Dayton's
Andrew Williamson scored long after the Bombers' goose had been cooked.
"We set the table, carved the turkey, ate the meal, and now we can sit back
and relax," Marks said with a smile.
"We were on a mission," Gamache said. "We wanted to finish it in
four, so we did."
Marks said the leadership and hard work of Venedam and assistant captains
Stewart and David Bell played a huge role in the
team's success. Several players
cited team chemistry as a major factor.
But Venedam had a more practical reason for the Grrrowl's Game 4 domination.
"(Winning) was imperative," Venedam said, smiling. "Friday night,
I'm not gonna lie to you. We wanted to party."