Bossier-Shreveport Mudbugs Win N. Thomas Berry Trophy
Published on May 8, 2011 under Central Hockey League (CHL) News Release
TEMPE, AZ (May 8, 2011) - The Bossier-Shreveport Mudbugs have won the N. Thomas Berry Trophy as the Central Hockey League's Berry Conference champions for 2010-11, claiming the title with a 5-3 victory over the Allen Americans in Game 5 of their best-of-7 series at the CenturyTel Center in Bossier City, Louisiana on Sunday evening.
The Mudbugs return to the Ray Miron Presidents' Cup Finals for the third time in the team's history looking to win their first CHL Championship. Previously, Bossier-Shreveport lost in the CHL Finals in 2004 and 2006, both times to the Laredo Bucks. While a member of the Western Professional Hockey League (WPHL), the Mudbugs franchise won three straight championships (1999, 2000, 2001).
Bossier-Shreveport advances to the Finals thanks to their four wins to one series triumph over the Americans, the Bud Poile Governors' Cup champions (CHL regular season points winners). Prior to beating the Americans, the Mudbugs path includes a 3-2 series win over the Tulsa Oilers in their best-of-5 conference semi finals series and a 3-1 series win over the Arizona Sundogs in their best-of-5 opening round series.
In his 11th season as Mudbugs head coach, Scott Muscutt enters his fourth Finals as a head coach winning the WPHL championship in 2001 and guiding the Mudbugs to the CHL Finals in 2004 and 2006. As a player with the Mudbugs franchise, Muscutt was a member on the team's 1999 and 2000 championships in the WPHL. Ranked among the CHL/WPHL all-time greats, Muscutt is second in league history with 432 coaching wins (trialing Doug Sauter's 544 wins) and second with 709 games coached (trailing Sauter's 918 games coached).
During the 2010-11 regular season, the Mudbugs finished second in the Berry Conference with a 37-26-3 record, good for 77 points.
They will now await the winners of the Colorado Eagles/Rapid City Rush series which stands currently with the Eagles owning a 3-2 series lead. Game 6 in that series is scheduled for Monday night in Colorado and if necessary, Game 7 is in Rapid City on Wednesday night.
The Berry Conference and N. Thomas Berry Trophy are named after the current Commissioner Emeritus of the CHL, Tom Berry, who has been involved in the sport of hockey for close to a half-century.
Follow all the CHL playoff news, notes and happenings on www.centralhockeyleague.com and at the CHL's Playoff Headquarters.
Central Hockey League Stories from May 8, 2011
- Mudbugs Win Berry Conference, Advance to Cup Finals - Bossier-Shreveport Mudbugs
- Bossier-Shreveport Mudbugs Win N. Thomas Berry Trophy - CHL
- Americans Elminated from Playoffs in 5-3 Loss to Mudbugs - Allen Americans
- Mudbugs Can Advance to Cup Finals Today - Bossier-Shreveport Mudbugs
- Rush Force Game Six with 3-2 Triumph - Rapid City Rush
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