Antz in the Middle of Playoff Battle
Published on February 24, 2003 under SPHL (SPHL)
Fayetteville Marksmen News Release
THIS WEEK:
THU Feb. 27 FireAntz @ JACKSONVILLE 7:00 p.m. Jacksonville Veterans Memorial Coliseum The FireAntz hope to get back on the winning track by beating the ACHL's cellar dwellers. Jacksonville is currently ten points behind the Antz for the final playoff spot. The Barracudas are the only team that Cape Fear has a winning record against this season. This will be the final meeting between the two clubs. Season Series: Cape Fear leads 6-3
FRI Feb. 28 Orlando @ FIREANTZ 7:35 p.m. Crown Coliseum The first place Seals come to the Crown for the final time this season. The FireAntz beat the league's top team last time they came to the Crown Feb. 28. The game will honor the brave men and women of this country as the FireAntz celebrate Military Night, sponsored by Fort Bragg Federal Credit Union. Special desert military jerseys will be worn to commemorate this special occasion. All game worn jerseys will be auctioned off at a post game press conference following the game. The winning bidder will receive the game worn jersey autographed by the player.
Season Series: Orlando leads 7-2 SUN Mar. 1 Winston-Salem @ FIREANTZ 2:35 p.m. Crown Coliseum The three game in four day stretch finishes with the FireAntz battling their in-state rival. Going into the week the FireAntz lead the Parrots by three points in the standings but trail by .002 in winning percentage. Winning percentage will become very important if Winston-Salem is not able to make up two postponed games from earlier this season. After this game, the FireAntz will face Winston-Salem two times in their final six games.
Season Series: Winston-Salem leads 8-4
LAST WEEK:
MON Feb. 17 Macon @ FIREANTZ 7:35 p.m. Crown Coliseum The FireAntz came into the game riding high as they had beaten the Trax 48 hours earlier on "Guaranteed Win Night." Fans in attendance for this President's Day match up saw a completely different game than the one before.
Macon got off to a fast start when ACHL leading goal scorer Tommy Stewart scored eight minutes into the game. Macon eventually scored the first four goals of the game and led 4-0 at the game's half way point. The FireAntz attempted to come back when Bruce Watson found the back of the net late in the second period.
Macon played a very conservative third period and Cape Fear took advantage of that. Peter Cermak scored on a breakaway goal at the 1:49 mark of the final period to cut the lead to two. The Antz became more aggressive in the comeback attempt. Macon took advantage of a turnover in the neutral zone which led to Stewart's third goal of the game at the 14:02 mark.
As always the Antz never gave up. The pressured Macon netminder Geoff Faulkner with six shots in the final four minutes. Aaron Shrieves scored a late goal, but it was not enough as Macon held on for a 5-3 victory. Macon returns to Fayetteville on March 7th, before the Antz will make the trip south to face the Trax March 14th.
FRI Feb. 21 Orlando @ FIREANTZ 7:35 p.m. Crown Coliseum
If history was any indication the FireAntz were in trouble. Coming into the game the FireAntz had only beaten the Seals one time all season. History would be changed as the Antz held off Orlando 5-3 in a very exciting contest.
Brett Annetts who had only been signed two days before the game, made a huge splash in his Antz debut. Thirteen minutes into the game he beat Seals goalie David Goverde with a wicked slap shot from the blue line. Orlando would tie the scored before the first intermission on a Mark White goal.
The Crown Coliseum crowd was a huge help for the Antz as they were loud most of the game. The extra noise helped the Antz as they dominated the second period. Annetts scored again with a slap shot from just inside the blue line at the 18:19 mark. Nine seconds later Matt Kohansky tallied his 23rd goal of the season to give the Antz a two goal lead at the break.
Going into the game the FireAntz had not lost in regulation when leading after two periods. Orlando tested that mark as they scored twice. Mike Sanderson scored three minutes into the period to narrow the margin while teammate Brad Federenko tied the game with nine minutes left in regulation.
Once again the home crowd sensed the Antz needed a boost and they rocked the Crown. Steve Burgess found Peter Cermak at center ice. Cermak skated into the Seals zone on a two-on-one with Brice Watson. Watson took the pass from Cermak and buried the game winning goal at the 15:58 mark.
Newcomer Chris Cerrella added an insurance goal with two minutes remaining to give the Antz their 5-3 victory. The win broke a four game losing streak to the Seals and put the FireAntz n fourth place in the ACHL. Coach Bryan Wells said after the game he felt this was the best game the Antz had played in his tenure.
SAT Feb. 22 Winston-Salem vs. FireAntz 7:30 p.m. Savannah (Ga.) Civic Center
The ACHL took their inaugural season to Savannah Ga. for a "preview game." As the league looks to expand next year, Savannah was given a taste of the action to showcase the talent in the league. Friday night Macon and Winston-Salem battled to a 6-3 Macon win, and Saturday night it was the Antz turn.
The two teams from North Carolina did not disappoint any of the fans who came out. The FireAntz could not solve the Parrots new netminder, Dean Weasler. Weasler who was playing in only his seventh ACHL game, earned his first shutout when he turned away all 33 shots the Antz peppered him with.
The Parrots scored two special teams goal in the first period, and that was all they needed. Rob Frost scored a power play goal half way through the first to open up the scoring for the Parrots. Six minutes later the Antz defenseman Don Martin and Martin Belanger could not connect on a pass across the blue line. Matt Holmes stepped in and took it the other way. Holmes went one-on-one with Antz goalie Ken Shepard and beat him high to the glove side.
For many fans the highlight of the night came early n the second period. Former FireAntz defenseman Mike Fournier, playing for the first time against his former team, dropped the gloves with Antz tough guy Aaron Shrieves. The former teammates held nothing back as both men went off the ice bloodied. Winston-Salem comes to Fayetteville this Sunday for a rematch.
FIRE ANTZ NEWS: The FireAntz will have their inaugural "Military Night," Friday, Feb. 28 against Orlando. Puck drops at 7:35 pm. at the Crown.
FireAntz season tickets go on sale Feb. 28. Call the Antz at 910-321-0123 for more information. If Winston-Salem does not play their full 60 game schedule, final standings will be determined by winning percentage.
The FireAntz have the following appearances this week:
Feb. 24 Bubble Boy Hockey @ Buffalo Wild Wings, Fayetteville (8:30 p.m.)
Feb. 25 Cape Fear High School, Fayetteville (1:45 p.m.)
Feb. 25 Mac Williams Middle School, Fayetteville (2:30 p.m.)
March 1 Kiwanis Club Pancake Breakfast, Fayetteville (10:30 a.m.)
TEAM NOTES: MARC GENEST is eligible to come off injured reserve (heel).
RYAN OLSON is eligible to come of the inured reserve (knee).
As a team, the FireAntz lead the league with ten shorthanded goals.
The FireAntz are the best on the road at killing penalties. They been shorthanded 134 times and only surrendered 26 goals for an 80.6% success rate.
STANDOUTS: KEN SHEPARD leads the ACHL among active goaltenders with a .917 save percentage.
CHRIS CERRELLA is third in the ACHL with 28 goals. Forward RYAN KILEY is "Mr. Shorthanded." The Boston native leads the league with four short-handed goals.
BRUCE WATSON leads the league with a 24.7% shooting mark. He has 19 goals on 77 shots.
FIREANTZ GOALIE OF THE WEEK:
KEN SHEPARD- SHEPARD finished the week 1-2 including a big win over the first place Orlando Seals. On Feb. 21 the Toronto, Ont. native made 34 saves in a 5-3 win. In three games SHEPARD had a 4.14 goals against average and .873 save percentage.
FIREANTZ PLAYER OF THE WEEK:
BRETT ANNETS-In his FireAntz debut, ANNETTS scored two goals in the 5-3 victory against Orlando Feb. 21. In his first two games with his news team, the defenseman has two goals, four shots, and a +1 rating.
SPHL Stories from February 24, 2003
- RiverKings Weekly - Mississippi RiverKings
- Barracudas Play At Home All Weekend - Jacksonville Barracudas
- Trax Road Swing Continues - Macon Trax
- Barracudas Week in Review - Jacksonville Barracudas
- Antz in the Middle of Playoff Battle - Fayetteville Marksmen
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