NFL, MLB, NHL, NBA, CFL stats



Federal Prospects Hockey League

Western Division Playoff Preview

February 28, 2013 - Federal Prospects Hockey League (FPHL) News Release


Barry Soskin is in the enviable position of knowing that one of the two Federal Hockey League teams that he owns, the Dayton Demonz or the Danville Dashers, will be playing in the Commissioner's Cup finals.

The FHL's two western-most teams meet in a best-of-five semi-final series starting Friday, March 1, 2013 at Hara Arena in Dayton and continuing the next night before moving to the David S. Palmer Arena on Friday, March 8, 2013 and Saturday, if necessary, on the ninth. If needed, the fifth game will be played in Dayton on Wednesday, March 13, 2013.

The victor will play the winner of the Danbury-1000 Islands series that begins in Connecticut on the eighth of March.

Dayton, the second consecutive expansion team to dominate the regular season in the Federal League after the New Jersey Outlaws did so last year on their way to a championship, has to be considered the overwhelming favorite in the playoffs.

The Demonz won 42 of 51 games for 123 points and a .804 win percentage with the second-place Whalers 40 points behind. The Whalers will close out their regular season with two road games against the Privateers this weekend.

Dayton led the league in power play goals with 59 (Danbury was second with 50) and power play percentage (26.58). The Demonz also led the FHL in fewest power play goals allowed (39) compared to Danville which gave up the most (58). 1000 Islands was first in penalty kill percentage (81.89) with Dayton right behind (80.60). The Dashers were far back at 73.15 percent.

Dayton, which had winning streaks of 12, 10, eight and five games, also led the FHL in goals scored with 320, one hundred more than second-place Danville which wound up playing three more games in the regular season.

The Demonz have the league's top three scorers in their lineup and six of the top ten.

Trevor Karasiewicz, who came to Dayton in the dispersal draft after the Williamsport Outlaws folded, wound up with 22 goals and an incredible 102 assists (+48) overall and scored six goals and had 33 assists in the 16 games he played for his new team. Ahmed Mahfouz, 24, scored 48 goals with 63 assists and was +53 in a breakout year, adding 160 minutes in penalties. Jason Hill also hit the century mark with 39 goals and 66 assists and was +40.

Team captain Jesse Felten (66 points, +32) had nine game-winning goals in the regular season.

Forwards Ryan Stern (69), Dustin Skinner (61) and Jonathan Juliano (59) were the point leaders for Danville.

The Demonz will also finish first in fewest goals allowed (183) if Danbury gives up one or more goals in its last two games.

Dayton goaltender Jeff Rose led the league in wins (22), goals against average (3.45) and save percentage (.912). Danville's Justin Sand won 11 times in 16 games with a 4.32 goals against average and a .893 save percentage. The Dashers were last in goals allowed with 268.

"I think we're gonna win this whole thing but they're gonna give us a tough series," said Dayton head coach Marc LeFebvre, referring to Danville. "It's a good rivalry."

Dayton and Danville met 21 times during the regular season with the Demonz winning 18 games but the Dashers were the only team to beat Dayton on its home ice in regulation time, 7-5, on Sunday, February 17, 2013. Dayton had only 11 skaters on the ice for that game which followed two road losses in which they had only 13 skaters available. Danville was also shorthanded the night it won in Dayton, bringing only 12 skaters due to call-ups and injuries. The only other home loss for the Demonz was in overtime (5-4) against 1000 Islands on December 22, 2012.

"We've been shorthanded with 11, 12 skaters for almost three weeks now...call-ups, injuries, suspensions," said LeFebvre a week before the regular season ended. "I think it's good to lose some games. Woke some guys up. We got to the point where guys thought we'd just walk in and they'd give us the three points."

Danville probably also thinks it's good for Dayton to lose some games such as three out of the next five.

"Yes, we can defeat Dayton. We have gone 1-1-1 with them [the road win on the 17th, a 3-1 home loss and a 6-5 shootout loss in Dayton] in the last three games and we were really short," wrote Danville co-captain Chris Affinati in an email.

Danville head coach and general manager Rob Schweyer guided the team to 21 victories, which is a tremendous improvement over last year when the Dashers won only six games.

"I've got a great bunch of guys," he said. "They've really shown me a lot of respect as I believe that I've shown to them and we've worked together as not necessarily a team but a family and a unit and so we've helped each other out."

The Dashers will need all that and more as they face a dominant and determined Dayton squad. Barry Soskin will be watching.

Check out the Federal Prospects Hockey League Statistics

• Discuss this story on the Federal Prospects Hockey League message board...

Federal Prospects Hockey League Stories from February 28, 2013


The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.


Sports Statistics from the Stats Crew
OurSports Central