Bombers aim for first-ever division title

March 25, 2002 - ECHL (ECHL)
Dayton Bombers News Release


BOMBERS GRAB FIRST-ROUND HOME ICE, THEN FIRST PLACE IN 2-1 WEEKEND: The Dayton Bombers (38-19-12, 88 PTS) went 2-1 in a "3-in-3" this past weekend. Their first win helped them secure the right to have home-ice advantage in the first round of the Kelly Cup Playoffs. After Saturday's loss in Cincinnati, the Bombers rebounded with a 4-3 home victory over Peoria. The win lifted the Bombers into sole possession of first place in the Northwest Division with three games to play. The Bombers will play at Roanoke on Friday, at Wheeling on Saturday, and at home against Toledo on Sunday to conclude their regular season slate. Below is a recap of this past week's tilts:

3/22/02- Toledo 1 @ BOMBERS 2- Ryan Vince's rebound goal helped the Bombers top the Toledo Storm on Ohio Lottery Rally Towel Night at the Nutter Center. Tom Nemeth also scored for the Bombers while goalie Gregg Naumenko made 31 saves. The Bombers snapped a four-game losing streak to the Storm (all one-goal losses) and assured themselves home-ice advantage in the first round of the Kelly Cup Playoffs with the win.

3/23/02- BOMBERS 3 @ Cincinnati 6- After Jason Sessa's second goal of the game while the Bombers were on the power play gave the team a 3-2 lead at the :49 mark of the third period, Cincinnati erupted with four straight goals to defeat the Bombers, 6-3, at the FirstStar Center. Nick Bootland was central to the Cyclones' comeback, assisting on Mike Josefowicz's tying goal, then scoring the next two goals to put Cincinnati in front for good. Ryan Vince scored again for the Bombers. Jason Sessa recorded his second two-goal game as a Bomber since his arrival.

3/24/02- Peoria 3 @ BOMBERS 4- The Bombers avenged a pair of home setbacks to Peoria earlier this month with a 4-3 triumph to catapult the team into sole possession of first-place in the Northwest Division. All of the Bombers' goals came either in the last minute or within the first minute of periods. Tom Nemeth's goal with nine seconds left in the first stanza gave the Bombers a 1-0 lead. The advantage was extended to three when Jason Sessa displayed yet another two-goal performance in just a 39 second span early in the second period (:21 and 1:00). Though Peoria cut the Bomber lead to one on power-play goals by Brett DeCecco and Bret Meyers, Preston Mizzi scored a back-breaker for the Bombers with less than two seconds left in the second period and just 20 seconds after Meyers' tally. Once again, Gregg Naumenko was the victor for the Bombers in goal, stopping 28 shots. Fred Slukynsky had three assists, while Ryan Vince had two in the win. The Bombers snapped a three-game losing streak to Peoria.

BOMBERS' BITS: F Jason Sessa has seven goals and three assists in just six games played with his new team. He has had three, two-goal efforts ... D Jonathan Gauthier returned to the Bombers' lineup after a 23-game injury absence on Friday and picked up an assist two days later vs. Peoria ... D Blaine McCauley had assists in three straight games (3/17-3/23) ... F Preston Mizzi has a point in five straight games (2-4-6) and points in seven of eight ... F Cory Morgan leads current Bombers in plus/minus with a +15 ... D Tom Nemeth has points in his last four and goals in three of his last four ... Sunday marked the third time this season that F Fred Slukynsky has had three assists in the same game ... F Ryan Vince is riding a personal season-best eight-game point scoring streak. He also has points in ten of his last 11 games (5-7-12). He had goals in three straight (3/17, 3/22, and 3/23) ... G Gregg Naumenko is 6-1-1 in his last eight decisions ... The Bombers have the most home wins (25) and the fewest home regulation losses (5) in the Northern Conference ... The Bombers are pining for their first division title in their 11-season franchise history.

PLAYER OF THE WEEK NOMINATION:

Ryan Vince- F
3 GP- 2 G- 3 A - 5 PTS- +4- 1 GWG- 6 shots in team's 2-1 week

GOALTENDER OF THE WEEK NOMINATION:

Gregg Naumenko- G
2 GP- 2 W- 0 L- 63 shots- 59 saves- 2.00 GAA- .937 SVPCTG in team's 2-1 week

BOMBERS' TRANSACTIONS FOR WEEK:

3/19/02- G Marc Kielkucki deleted, loaned to Cleveland (AHL); G Karl Goehring added, reassigned from Syracuse (AHL)
3/20/02- D Blaine McCauley deleted, signed to a PTO by Syracuse (AHL); F Fred Slukynsky deleted, loaned to Cleveland (AHL)
3/22/02- D Jonathan Gauthier added, activated from IR; D Chris Wismer deleted, placed on 7-day IR; F Fred Slukynsky added, returned from Cleveland (AHL); D Blaine McCauley added, returned from Syracuse (AHL)
3/23/02- F Trevor Ettinger added, activated from IR

BOMBERS' PRACTICE SCHEDULE/ITINERARY FOR THIS WEEK:

3/25/02- NO SKATE
3/26/02- 10:00 a.m. practice at Nutter Center
3/27/02- 10:00 a.m. practice at Nutter Center
3/28/02- 9:30 a.m. practice at Nutter Center; Approx. 11:30 a.m. departure for Roanoke, Virginia
3/29/02- 11:15 a.m. skate at Roanoke Civic Center; 7:30 p.m. game at Roanoke against Express; Depart for Wheeling after game
3/30/02- 7:30 p.m. game at Wheeling (HammerDome) against Nailers; Depart for Dayton after game
3/31/02- 6:00 p.m. game at Nutter Center versus Toledo
(All practice times and locations are subject to change)

BOMBERS' COMMUNITY EVENT SCHEDULE/NEWS:

3/25/02- The Dayton Bombers and "Bubble Boy" will make an appearance at BW-3's in Beavercreek, OH from 7-9 p.m. on Monday, March 25. Fans are encouraged to come visit the Dayton Bombers Professional Hockey Team.

4/02/02- Get behind your Dayton Bombers at the inaugural 2002 "Media/Fan Playoff Push" at Bargos Grill and Tap (588 Miamisburg-Centerville Road in Centerville, OH- On 725 East Across from Adventure Golf in the Krispin's Shopping Center- 433-2500) on Tuesday, April 2 from 7:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. (Fans are welcome to arrive early!!!). The Push will feature Bombers Head Coach Greg Ireland, Director of Hockey Operations John McNamara, GM Ed Gingher, Bucky the Mascot, and select Bombers players in a press conference-type setting. All three local TV stations are expected to have sportscasters in attendance. Bombers' primary beat writer Marc Katz of the Dayton Daily News is also expected to attend.

THE BRITTANIE CECIL FUND

13-year-old Brittanie Cecil passed away last Monday evening after being struck by an errant puck during March 16's Columbus Blue Jackets' home game against the Calgary Flames. The Bombers had a moment of silence in memory of Cecil at their Friday, March 22 home game against Toledo. Fans who wish to donate to a fund in honor of Brittanie Cecil can do so at any remaining Bombers' home games (including playoffs) at the Bombers Gate 3 Fan Assistance Center. Fans can also mail offerings to the fund. The Cecil Family requests that all offerings of condolences be made through the Brittanie Cecil Fund, c/o Bank One, 4056 East Main Street, Hilliard, OH 43026.

THE BOMBERS' GAMES THIS WEEK:

Friday, March 29 at Roanoke Express (7:30 p.m.)(7:15 p.m. broadcast time on www.daytonbombers.com in association with www.sportsjuice.com) The Bombers will look to retain a hold on first place in the Northwest Division as their final "3-in-3" of the regular season kicks off in Roanoke against the Express. The Bombers are 5-1 against Roanoke in what has been a rather low-scoring season series (29 total goals). The Bombers are 2-1 against the Express in the games played at the Roundhouse, including wins on November 17 (3-1 W) and January 2 (2-1 W). While the Bombers' first-round playoff foe is unclear, it is definite that the Express will play the Trenton Titans in a first-round, best-of-five Kelly Cup Playoff series, with the latter team having home-ice advantage.

Saturday, March 30 at Wheeling Nailers (7:30 p.m.)(7:15 p.m. broadcast time on www.daytonbombers.com in association with www.sportsjuice.com) The Bombers are 4-1-2 against Wheeling this season, including a 1-1-1 mark at the HammerDome. Mike Vellinga's goal lifted the Bombers to a 5-4 triumph at Wheeling on January 15. The Nailers are battling for the fourth and final playoff spot in the Northwest Division and could face Dayton in the first-round of the Kelly Cup Playoffs.

Sunday, March 31 vs. Toledo Storm (6:00 p.m.)(5:45 p.m. broadcast time on www.daytonbombers.com in association with www.sportsjuice.com) With a win in this game, the Bombers can break the franchise-record for most home points in a season (55 points currently matches the mark originally set by the 1994-1995 Bombers). They also can match the franchise mark of most wins at home set last season (26). The Bombers are 5-3-2 against Toledo in 2001-2002. It will be Fan Appreciation Day at the Nutter Center on this date. Kids can also take part in the Bombers' Easter Egg Hunt. In addition, there will be a pre-game skate from 4:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. on the Nutter Center ice.

Tickets for all Bombers regular season home games are available through the Bombers office by calling (937) 775-4747, by logging onto www.daytonbombers.com, or by visiting the Nutter Center Box Office.



ECHL Stories from March 25, 2002


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