FireAntz succeed despite injury-plagued season
Published on February 15, 2006 under SPHL (SPHL)
Fayetteville Marksmen News Release
[FAYETTEVILLE, N.C.] - The Fayetteville FireAntz of the Southern Professional Hockey League (SPHL) began the season on a tear, winning their first 13 games on home ice, while holding first place for a considerable portion of the season. Then, injuries started mounting, and the club has been battling to overcome them ever since.
A Tale of Two Seasons:
2005
The FireAntz got off to a great start to the 2005-06 season, sitting atop the SPHL at 19-6-2 on December 31st. They also got off to the fastest start in club history, going 10-2-2 in their first 14 games. They also enjoyed as much as an eight-point advantage over the Knoxville Ice Bears as late as December 26th.
The FireAntz overcame some adversity early as the team's leading scorer through the first 6 games Tyler Perry, who had 11 points at the time suffered a broken wrist on November 10th. Forward Nick Kormanyos then missed two weeks with a leg injury that occurred on November 15th. Forward Josh Welter, who after a scoreless opening night, went on a scoring binge, netting 13 goals and 12 assists, in his next 13 games, registering at least one point in each. After 14 games, on December 1st, he and linemate Rob Whidden (who had eight goals and seven assists at the time) each left the team, Welter to play in Germany and Whidden to return home for an undisclosed reason.
The FireAntz were able to overcome these adverse situations and keep winning. Solid goaltending by Glenn Ridler, who started the season 12-0-0, as well as offensive punch from Dean Jackson, the initial SPHL Player of the Month, tallied 12 goals and seven assists in his first 14 games. Scoring output from forwards Kory Baker, George Nistas, and Scott Corbett as well as the 1-2 defensemen punch of Mike Clarke and Mark Phenow would help keep the FireAntz ship sailing.
Eventually, however, injuries would catch up to the FireAntz, and they did starting with the turn of the calendar, to 2006.
2006
With the onset of the new-year came another rush of injuries that the FireAntz had a much more difficult time adapting to. After forward Troy Linna suffered a head injury on December 31st, the injuries began to pile up, once again.
Baker and Nistas, two-thirds of the club's top line and two of the team leaders in scoring both missed considerable time in January, and combined with the injury to Linna, the offensive firepower as well as the grittiness has been sorely missed. Since the beginning of the year, the FireAntz have gone 6-8-2, and are battling with Columbus for 2nd place, but only six points behind Knoxville for 1st place.
With the return of both Baker and Nistas as well as the return of Whidden and defending SPHL Goaltender of the Year and Rookie of the Year Chad Collins, combined with the additions of newcomers B.J. Stephens and Chris Ferguson, , things once again started looking up for the FireAntz by the start of February. The first week of the month, the club took five of six points in a three-game in three-night stretch. But the injury-bug, a now all-too common issue throughout the FireAntz' season, has struck once again.
After a compelling home victory over the Columbus Cottonmouths on Friday, February 10th, the FireAntz lost their next two games and potentially the services, once again, of Baker and Nistas.
Forward Kory Baker Out Indefinitely
Baker, who sustained an injury to his arm on February 10th, is out indefinitely. He will be out two weeks, minimum, and could be out for the remainder of the regular season. Nistas, who suffered an undisclosed injury on February 12th, is questionable for the FireAntz upcoming three-game road trip.
FireAntz Battle Tested
The FireAntz, through all of their injuries and adversity, have shown an ability to adapt and overcome. The club stands at 25-14-4 and are just six points behind Knoxville with 13 games to play in the regular season.
SPHL Stories from February 15, 2006
- Streaking Cyclones home Thursday and Friday - Twin City Cyclones
- FireAntz succeed despite injury-plagued season - Fayetteville Marksmen
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