All Along The Coast
Published on May 11, 2003 under ECHL (ECHL) News Release
Columbia Inferno at Atlantic City Boardwalk Bullies 7:35 ET / 6:35 CT
* Barrie Moore scored two shorthand goals 48 seconds apart in the third period, and Robin Carruthers added two more third period goals to spark Columbia to 5-3 come-from-behind win in Game 3.
* Scott Stirling's shutout streak ended at 171:41 when Columbia's Trevor Demmans scored at 10:13 of the second period in Game 3.
* Only once in the Kelly Cup Finals, Peoria in 2000, has a team lost the first two games at home and come back to win the series.
* J.F. Caudron scored two goals in Atlantic City's 3-0 shutout win in Game 2.
* Scott Matzka scored at 1:17 of the third period in Atlantic City's 1-0 win in Game 1 on Wednesday.
* Scott Stirling's three shutouts lead the 2003 Kelly Cup Playoffs and tie the record for second-most shutouts in a postseason.
* Bullies and Inferno are tied for the Kelly Cup Playoffs scoring lead, averaging 3.47 goals per game.
* Inferno ranks third in the Kelly Cup Playoffs on the power play with 24.1 percent (20-for-83) and ranks third in goals allowed with 2.27 goals per game.
* Bullies' postseason power play ranks fifth with 22.4 percent (22-for-98).
* Columbia's penalty kill is 10th in the Kelly Cup Playoffs with 84.0 percent (63-for-75).
* Atlantic City's penalty kill is fifth in the Kelly Cup Playoffs with 87.8 percent (72-for-82).
* Bullies' J.F. Caudron leads the postseason with 11 goals and is tied for the scoring lead with 19 points.
* Columbia's Tim Smith leads rookies in Kelly Cup Playoffs scoring with 14 points and is tied for second among rookies with nine assists and is third among rookies with five goals.
* Inferno's Robin Carruthers scored two goals in Game 3 and leads rookies in the postseason with eight goals and is tied for second among rookies in scoring with 12 points.
* Bullies' Luke Curtin leads the postseason with 17 assists and is tied for the scoring lead with 19 points.
* Inferno's Rejean Stringer is second with 14 assists and is tied for third in scoring with 17 points.
* Inferno's Trevor Demmans leads defenseman in the Kelly Cup Playoffs with 10 assists and 12 points.
* Bullies' Kevin Colley leads the Kelly Cup Playoffs with seven power-play goals.
* Columbia's Barrie Moore is tied for third in the Kelly Cup Playoffs with four power-play goals.
* Atlantic City's Scott Stirling, who returned from the American Hockey League prior to the Northern Conference Finals, is 6-4 with a 2.32 GAA and a .910 save percentage in the 2003 Kelly Cup Playoffs.
* Bullies' Matt Yeats is 4-1 in the postseason with a 2.14 goals against average and a .908 save percentage.
* Inferno's Patrick Couture is 9-4 with a 2.01 goals against average and a .924 save percentage.
* Columbia's Josh Blackburn is 2-0 with a 3.45 goals against average and a .902 save percentage.
* Columbia is 7-2 at the Carolina Coliseum in the 2003 Kelly Cup Playoffs and 8-3 all time at home.
* Atlantic City is 6-3 at the Boardwalk Hall in the 2003 Kelly Cup Playoffs and 9-5 all time at home.
* The team with home-ice advantage in the ECHL Championship has won the series nine out of 14 times, including Greenville last year.
* The team winning Game 1 of the ECHL Finals has gone on to win eight of the 14 ECHL Championships, including each of the past two years with Greenville in 2002 and South Carolina in 2001.
* In the 33 seven-game series in ECHL history, the team winning Game 1 has won the series 21 times.
* The team winning Game 2 of the ECHL Finals has gone on to win 10 of the 14 ECHL Championships, including each of the past two years with Greenville in 2002 and South Carolina in 2001.
* In the 33 seven-game series in ECHL history, the team winning Game 2 has won the series 21 times.
* The team winning Game 3 of the ECHL Finals has gone on to win eight of the 14 ECHL Championships, including Greenville in 2002.
* In the 33 seven-game series in ECHL history, the team winning Game 3 has won the series 24 times.
* The team winning Game 4 of the ECHL Finals has gone on to win 13 of the 14 ECHL Championships, including Greenville in 2002 and South Carolina in 2001.
* In the 33 seven-game series in ECHL history, the team winning Game 4 has won the series 29 times.
* Columbia is looking to become the third straight team from South Carolina to win the Kelly Cup joining the 2002 Greenville Growl and the 2001 South Carolina Stingrays.
* Inferno won its first nine playoff games, tying the record for second-longest postseason winning streak set by Toledo in 1994, before losing to Mississippi 3-1 in Game 4 of the Southern Conference Finals.
* Atlantic City's Mike Nicholishen is the only player in the 2003 Finals who has his name already on the Kelly Cup, earning the honor with South Carolina in 2001.
* Columbia coach Scott White was a defenseman on the 1990 ECHL Champion Greensboro Monarchs and was named the 1991-92 ECHL Defenseman of the Year.
* Atlantic City's Mike Haviland was an assistant coach with Trenton when it lost in the 2001 Kelly Cup Finals to South Carolina.
* This is the first appearance for both teams in the Kelly Cup Finals.
* Columbia secured its Finals berth by defeating Mississippi, 4-2 in the Southern Conference Finals.
* Atlantic City won the Northern Conference Finals edging Cincinnati, 4-3.
* Inferno swept Greenville in the Southeast Semifinals and Pee Dee in the Southeast Finals.
* Bullies swept Trenton in the Northeast Semifinals and beat Greensboro, 3-1, in the Northeast Finals.
* Columbia finished atop the Southern Conference and Southeast Division with 96 points.
* Atlantic City finished atop the Northeast Division and third in the Northern Conference with 94 points.
* Bullies led the ECHL in goals per game in the regular season, averaging 3.72 goals per game.
* Inferno ranked second in the ECHL in regular season goals per game, averaging 3.68 goals per game.
* Columbia's penalty kill led the ECHL during the regular season with 86.1 percent (297-for-345).
* Inferno's Rejean Stringer led the ECHL in the regular season with 11 game-winning goals and ranked second in the ECHL in scoring with 96 points (37g-59a).
* J. F. Caudron led the Boardwalk Bullies in scoring with 85 points (39g-46a).
* Bullies' Jade Galbraith ranked second among rookies in the regular season with 74 points (27g-47a).
* Columbia's Patrick Couture was 27-11-0 and ranked second in the regular season with a 2.42 GAA.
* Atlantic City's Scott Stirling was 17-3-4 with a 2.93 goals against average with a 0.906 save percentage during the regular season.
* Bullies' Scott Stirling was the 2003 Compuware/ECHL All-Star Game Most Valuable Player.
* Inferno's Patrick Couture was named Second Team All-ECHL.
ECHL Stories from May 11, 2003
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- Gulls Win Taylor Cup - San Diego Gulls
- All Along The Coast - ECHL
- Falcons Force Game Seven - Fresno Falcons
- Falcons Take Game 6, Series Tied 3-3 With Game 7 Tomorrow - San Diego Gulls
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