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Aces Are First National Team In Playoffs, Five Teams Battle For Three West Spots

March 28, 2005 - ECHL (ECHL) News Release


Beating Las Vegas 3-1 on Saturday, Alaska became the first team in the West Division and the first team in the National Conference to secure a berth in the Kelly Cup Playoffs. The top four teams in the West Division qualify for the postseason.

The Aces are 42-17-8 with 92 points, six points ahead of Long Beach at 39-20-8 and Bakersfield at 38-20-10 and nine points ahead of Idaho at 38-21-7. Fresno is in fifth place at 36-22-8 and 80 points, six points ahead of San Diego at 34-26-6.

Needing five points to clinch first place and the top seed in the division, Alaska, which is 23-4-4 in its last 31 games, travels to Long Beach on Friday and to Fresno on Saturday. The Aces have won the last two times at Long Beach and are 2-1-0 on the road and 4-1-1 overall against the Ice Dogs. Alaska has won its last two meetings with Fresno and is 3-0-0 on the road and 4-1-2 overall against the Falcons.

Long Beach hosts Alaska on Friday and Victoria on Saturday before traveling to Fresno on Sunday. The Ice Dogs are 1-1-1 at home and 2-2-2 overall against Alaska and 4-0-0 at home and 9-0-0 overall against Victoria. Long Beach has won its last four games against Fresno and is 2-0-0 on the road and 5-1-0 overall against the Falcons.

Bakersfield will host Fresno on Friday before traveling to Las Vegas on Saturday. The Condors are 3-1-0 at home and 4-2-3 overall against Fresno and are 1-2-0 at Las Vegas and 4-4-0 overall against the Wranglers.

Defending ECHL champion Idaho will host San Diego on Wednesday, Friday and Saturday. Idaho is 10-0-4 in its last 14 games and 17-1-4 in its last 22 games while San Diego is 12-18-3 on the road. The previous four meetings have been in San Diego and Idaho won the last time to improve to 1-3-0 against the Gulls. Fresno, which is 2-4-1 in its last seven games and winless in its last three home games, travels to Las Vegas on Tuesday and Bakersfield on Friday before hosting Alaska on Saturday and Long Beach on Sunday. Fresno is 4-0-0 on the road and 7-1-0 overall against Las Vegas and 1-3-0 on the road and 5-4-0 overall against Bakersfield. The Falcons are 0-3-0 at home and 3-3-1 overall against Alaska and 0-2-0 at home and 1-5-0 overall against Long Beach.

Seven Points Separates Six Teams In North Division

Playing the only game in the North Division on Sunday, Atlantic City beat Johnstown to slide past Reading into first place. The Bullies are 38-21-8 with 84 points, one point ahead of Reading at 38-20-7 and 83 points and two points ahead of Trenton at 36-20-9 and 81 points. Toledo is 37-23-5 and 79 points and holds the fourth and final playoff berth ahead of Peoria at 36-22-7 and 79 points. Wheeling is in sixth place at 36-24-5 and 77 points.

Atlantic City, which has played two more games than the five teams which are chasing it, will host Wheeling on Wednesday and Peoria on Friday before traveling to Reading on Saturday. The Bullies are 3-0-1 in the last four meetings with Wheeling, but are 0-0-3 at home and 4-0-4 overall against Wheeling. Atlantic City is winless in its last six games against Peoria and 0-3-0 at home and 1-6-0 overall against the Rivermen. The Bullies have won the last three meetings with Reading and are 3-1-0 at Reading and 6-2-0 overall.

Reading travels to Dayton on Friday before hosting Atlantic City on Saturday and Peoria on Sunday. The Royals are 3-2-0 at home and 6-2-0 overall against Dayton, which won 2-1 at Reading on Thursday. Reading is 0-1-2 in its last three meetings with Atlantic City and 1-2-1 at home and 2-3-3 overall against the Bullies. The Royals are 2-0-0 at home and 4-2-0 overall against Peoria.

Riding a four-game winning streak, Trenton hosts Peoria on Wednesday and Saturday while traveling to Wheeling on Friday. The Titans, who have won four home games in a row, are 0-0-1 at home and 0-3-2 overall against Peoria. Trenton won the last meeting with Wheeling to improve to 1-2-0 at home and 1-4-2 overall against the Nailers.

Toledo, which is 6-1-1 in its last eight games, hosts Dayton on Wednesday and Johnstown on Friday before traveling to Wheeling on Saturday and Dayton on Sunday. The Storm is 4-0-1 at home and 8-0-1 overall against Dayton and 4-0-0 at home and 6-2-0 overall against Johnstown. Toledo is 1-1-1 at Wheeling and 4-2-1 overall against the Storm.

Winning four games in a row and six of its last seven, Peoria travels to Trenton on Wednesday and Saturday while visiting Atlantic City on Friday and Reading on Sunday. The Rivermen are 1-0-0 at Trenton and 5-0-0 overall against the Titans and are 3-0-0 at Atlantic City and 6-1-0 overall against the Bullies. Peoria is 0-2-0 at Reading and 2-4-0 overall against the Royals.

Going 1-4-1 in its last six games, Wheeling travels to Atlantic City on Wednesday and to Johnstown on Sunday and hosts Trenton on Friday and Toledo on Saturday. The Nailers are 3-0-0 at Atlantic City and 4-3-1 overall against the Bullies and are 2-1-0 at Johnstown and 5-2-0 overall against the Chiefs. Wheeling is 4-0-0 at home and 6-1-0 overall against Trenton and are 2-1-0 at home and 3-4-0 overall against Toledo.

Alaska's Minard Chases 50 Goals

Chris Minard of Alaska had two goals on Friday and scored the game winner on Saturday and remains the league leader with 46 goals. With five regular season games remaining, Minard needs four goals to become the first 50-goal scorer in the ECHL since Andrew Williamson of Toledo scored 52 goals in 2000-01. Minard has had 11 multiple-goal games, including an ECHL season-high and team record five goals on January 8 against Victoria and a hat trick on March 24 at Peoria, and averages 0.72 goals per game. Minard has had 19 multiple-point games and is third in the league in scoring with 72 points, five points behind teammate Scott Gomez and Carl Mallette, who are tied for the lead with 77 points. Gomez leads the league with 66 assists in 57 games while Mallette, who is currently playing in the American League with Hershey, is tied for third with 47 assists and tied for fifth with 30 goals in 61 games.

Inferno, Checkers, Stingrays Battle In East Division

Although Pensacola has clinched the top seed and the eight participants have been determined in the American Conference, the battle is far from over in the American Conference as teams fight for seeding in the Kelly Cup Playoffs. There is a three-way battle for first place in the East Division between Columbia, Charlotte and South Carolina. The winner of the East Division, regardless of points, is the second seed for the first round of the playoffs.

Columbia is the current leader in the East Division at 35-18-11 and 81 points, one point ahead of Charlotte at 37-24-6 and South Carolina at 36-22-8. The Inferno, which as played three less games than Charlotte and two games less than South Carolina, hosts Augusta on Tuesday, Florida on Thursday and Pee Dee on Friday before traveling to Pee Dee on Saturday. Columbia, which is looking to finish first in its division for the third straight season, is winless in its last two games with Augusta (0-0-2) and 1-1-1 at home and 2-2-2 overall against the Lynx. The Inferno is 1-1-0 at home and 2-1-0 overall against Florida and 4-0-0 at home and 4-3-1 overall against Pee Dee.

Going 1-4-2 in its last seven games, Charlotte plays at Greenville on Friday and at Gwinnett on Saturday. The Checkers have won the last two meetings with Greenville and are 6-2-0 overall and 2-2-0 on the road against the Grrrowl. Charlotte is winless (0-1-1) in its last two meetings with Gwinnett and is 3-2-1 overall and 1-2-0 on the road against the Gladiators.

South Carolina, which is 8-3-0 in its last 11 games but 0-3-1 in its last four road games, travels to Greenville on Tuesday before hosting Florida on Friday and Augusta on Saturday. The Stingrays are winless (0-3-1) in their last four games with Greenville and are 3-5-1 overall and 1-2-1 on the road against the Grrrowl. South Carolina has won the last three meetings with Florida and is 3-1-0 overall and 1-1-0 at home against the Everblades. The Stingrays have won the last two times against Augusta and are 1-0-0 at home and 3-2-0 overall against the Lynx.

Currently in second place in the American Conference at 39-19-9 and 87 points, Florida has a firm grip on the third seed for the postseason. The Everblades play at Columbia on Thursday, at South Carolina on Friday and at Greenville on Saturday. Florida is 1-0-1 at South Carolina and 1-2-1 overall against the Stingrays and 1-1-0 at Columbia and 1-1-1 overall against the Inferno. The Everblades are 1-0-1 at Greenville and 1-2-1 overall against the Grrrowl.

Mississippi is 36-22-6 and Gwinnett is 35-23-8 and each has 78 points, three points ahead of Greenville at 35-25-5. Mississippi, which has won its last three games and is 5-0-1 in its last six games, hosts Texas on Tuesday before traveling to Louisiana on Friday, Pensacola on Saturday and Augusta on Sunday. The Sea Wolves are 2-2-0 at home and 7-2-0 overall against Texas. Mississippi has won its last three games against Louisiana and is 2-2-0 on the road and 5-3-1 overall against the IceGators. The Sea Wolves are 2-2-0 at Pensacola and 3-6-0 overall against the Ice Pilots and are 2-1-0 against Augusta with all three games played in Mississippi.

After going 3-2-0 on its road trip to California, Gwinnett returns home to host Augusta on Friday and Charlotte on Saturday before traveling to Pee Dee on Sunday. The Gladiators are 1-1-1 at home and 3-3-1 overall against Augusta and 2-0-1 at home and 3-2-1 overall against Charlotte. Gwinnett is 1-0-0 at Pee Dee and 3-0-0 overall against the Pride.

Greenville hosts South Carolina on Tuesday, Charlotte on Friday and Florida on Saturday. The Grrrowl has won its last four games with South Carolina and is 3-1-0 at home and 6-2-1 overall against the Stingrays. Greenville is 2-2-0 at home and 2-5-1 overall against Charlotte and is 1-1-0 at home and 3-1-0 overall against Florida.

Ice Pilots Closer To Brabham Cup

Pensacola is 46-15-5 with a league-leading 97 points and needs only five points to clinch the Brabham Cup, the trophy awarded annually to the ECHL regular season points champion. Alaska at 42-17-8 and 92 points is the only team that could catch the Ice Pilots in the Brabham Cup race.

The Ice Pilots, who have already clinched first place in the American Conference, host Louisiana on Tuesday, Texas on Friday and Mississippi on Saturday before traveling to Texas on Sunday. Pensacola needs only three points to become the 15th team in ECHL history to reach 100 points and four victories to become the sixth team in 17 seasons to win 50 games. Pensacola is 24-4-1 in its last 29 games and has set team records for wins, points, road wins (22) while tying the Ice Pilots team record for home wins (23).

The Brabham Cup is named in recognition of Henry Brabham, who was a founding member of the ECHL and the first owner of the Erie Panthers. A former mayor and businessman who was a major force in professional hockey in Virginia for more than 15 years, Brabham worked tirelessly to establish the ECHL during its early years.

Grrrowl In Top 5 For Point Improvement

Going 2-1-0 last week, Greenville improved to 35-25-5 with 75 points, a 42-point improvement from last season with seven regular season games remaining. The 42 points ranks as the fifth-highest single-season point improvement, one point behind Arkansas, which improved 43 points from 1999-2000 to 2000-01, and five points behind Wheeling, which improved 47 points from 2002-03 to 2003-04.

Fresno was 1-2-1 last week and improved to 36-22-8 with 80 points, a 35-point improvement from last season with six regular season games remaining. The 35 points tie the Falcons with Greenville, which improved 35 points from 1998-99 to 1999-2000, for eighth place on the Top 10 single-season point increases in league history.

The largest single-season point increase is 50 points by Knoxville from 1992-93 while the second-highest single-season increase is 49 points by Knoxville from 1989-90 to 1990-91.

ECHL Feature Games Of The Week

American Conference - South Division
Charlotte at Gwinnett
Saturday at 7:05 p.m. CT
* Gladiators are two points behind Charlotte.
* Teams are 3-2-1 against each other.

National Conference - North Division
Atlantic City at Reading
Saturday at 7:05 p.m. ET
* Royals are one point back of first-place Bullies.
* Bullies are 7-3-0 in last 10 road games and Royals are 6-3-1 in last 10 home games.

American Conference - East Division
South Carolina at Greenville
Tuesday at 7:05 p.m. ET
* Stingrays are five points ahead of Grrrowl.
* Grrrowl lead series with six wins.

National Conference - West Division
Alaska at Long Beach
Friday at 7:30 p.m. PT
* First-place Aces are six points ahead of Long Beach.
* Aces are 4-0-1 in last five games against Long Beach.

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