American Conference Final Is Toledo, Gwinnett

May 4, 2006 - ECHL (ECHL) News Release

PRINCETON, N.J. - The American Conference Finals are scheduled to begin on Friday with the South Division champion Gwinnett Gladiators hosting the North Division champion Toledo Storm in Game 1 of the best-of-seven series at 7:35 p.m. at The Arena at Gwinnett Center

Gwinnett defeated Florida in four games to win the South Division and advance to the conference finals for the second time in the last three seasons. Toledo beat Wheeling in five games to win the North Division, advancing the furthest in the postseason since 1996 when it lost in the semifinals to Jacksonville.

Gwinnett finished first in the American Conference and the South Division at 50-15-7. The Gladiators became the ninth team in league history to win 50 games and their 107 points tied the sixth-highest total in ECHL history. Toledo was 46-21-5 in the regular season to finish first in the North Division.

It marks the first time that the regular season division winners have both reached the conference finals since 2003 when Columbia beat Mississippi in six games. In 2001 the regular season division winners all advanced to the conference finals where Trenton beat Peoria in seven games and South Carolina beat Louisiana in four games.

Game 2 will be played at 7:05 p.m. on Monday in Gwinnett before the series moves to the historic Toledo Sports Arena. Game 3 will be played at 7:35 p.m. on May 12 and Game 4 will be played at 6 p.m. on May 14. Game 5, if necessary, would be played at 7:05 p.m. on May 16.

In the only meeting ever between the two teams, Gwinnett won 6-3 at home on Dec. 17, 2005. Brad Schell led the Gladiators with three goals, including the game winner and two shorthand goals, while Gwinnett defensemen Danny Eberly (1g-1a), Troy Milam (0g-2a) and Jeff Dwyer (1g-1a) combined for six points.

The Gladiators have now reached the Kelly Cup Playoffs in each of their three seasons since moving to Gwinnett, and eight times in 10 seasons, having played in Mobile from 1995-2002. In the postseason for the 12th time in its 15-year history, the Storm won the Riley Cup in 1993 and 1994.

Toledo rookie Bracken Kearns leads the Kelly Cup Playoffs with three game-winning goals while he is tied for the lead with seven goals and tied for sixth in scoring with eight points in eight games. Gwinnett rookie center Milan Gajic is tied for the postseason lead with seven goals and tied for second with two game-winning goals in seven games.

Storm goaltender Drew MacIntyre has won his last 13 games for Toledo, including a perfect 5-0 record in the Kelly Cup Playoffs. MacIntyre is second in the Kelly Cup Playoffs in goals-against average with 1.80 and fourth in save percentage with .926. He has also started two games in the American Hockey League playoffs, going 2-0 with a goals-against average of 1.28 and a save percentage of .961. He made 41 saves in a 2-1 double overtime win at Toronto on Apr. 28 and then drove six hours to Wheeling where he stopped 27 shots in a 3-1 win on Apr. 29. He closed out the series making 22 saves in a 3-2 win on Tuesday.

Jeff Pyle has led the Gladiators into the Kelly Cup Playoffs in each of the three seasons since the team relocated to Gwinnett and twice to the conference finals. He has led the team into the postseason six times in seven seasons, having coached the team in Mobile from 1998-2002 when it voluntary suspended operations in preparation for its move. Gwinnett has won 40 games in each of the last three years and Pyle is 132-61-23 in the regular season and 17-11 in the postseason with the Gladiators. Overall in the ECHL, he is 269-174-57 in the regular season and 24-21 in the playoffs. He has been selected to coach in the ECHL All-Star Game each of the past three years, tying him for the most appearances as an All-Star coach.

Nick Vitucci has led Toledo into the Kelly Cup Playoffs in each of his two full seasons behind the bench and he is 101-74-18 in the regular season and 7-5 in the postseason. He was named ECHL Coach of the Year in 2004-05 after the Storm finished 41-26-5. Vitucci, who played for Toledo from 1993-95, has won a record five ECHL titles. He won four championships as a player with Carolina (1989), Greensboro (1990), Toledo (1994) and Charlotte (1996) and one as an assistant coach with Greenville (2002). Vitucci holds the league career regular season goaltender records for games (479), minutes (27,291), wins (265), 20-win seasons (7) and 30-win seasons (2). He holds the postseason career goaltender records for games (80), minutes (4,841) and wins (43) and was the Most Valuable Player of the Riley Cup Playoffs in 1989 and 1996. He was named to the ECHL 15th Anniversary Team in 2003 and was First Team All-ECHL in 1991-92 and 1997-98 when he also was named Goaltender of the Year.

ECHL Stories from May 4, 2006

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• Toledo Starts the Conference Finals in Gwinnett - Toledo Walleye
• Conference Finals Bring National Spotlight To Participating Cities - ECHL
• Falcons' Clair Named In Glas Co ECHL Player Of The Week - ECHL
• 2006 Season in Review - Wheeling Nailers
• MacIntyre Back to Grand Rapids - Toledo Walleye
• American Conference Final Is Toledo, Gwinnett - ECHL
• NHL Network Game Of The Week Is Wheeling At Toledo - ECHL
• America One Game Of The Week Is Wheeling At Toledo - ECHL
• Falcons Stumble as Condors Force a Game Six - Fresno Falcons
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