ECHL ECHL

Bullies, Nailers, Rivermen Set Torrid Pace

January 12, 2004 - ECHL (ECHL) News Release


The race in the Northern Division remains tight with second place Atlantic City going 9-0-1 in its last 10 games while leader Wheeling and third place Peoria have each gone 8-1-1 in their last 10 games.

Wheeling is 25-10-2 and begins the week leading the ECHL with 52 points while defending Kelly Cup Champion Atlantic City is in second place in the division with 49 points and a 24-9-1 record and Peoria is in third place in the division with 47 points and a 20-8-7 record. Johnstown is 5-5-0 in its last 10 games and four points back in fourth place at 20-14-3 while Reading is 2-5-3 in its last 10 and in fifth place at 18-12-6.

Idaho, which has won four consecutive games and is 7-1-2 in its last 10, and Mississippi, which has won three consecutive games and is 6-3-1 in its last 10, are tied for second overall in the ECHL with 50 points. Idaho (24-11-2) leads the Pacific Division by three points over Alaska (22-10-3) and Las Vegas (21-11-5) and by five points over San Diego (21-9-3). Mississippi leads the Central Division with 50 points, two points ahead of Louisiana (23-10-2), three points ahead of Gwinnett (22-11-3) and nine points ahead of Pensacola (18-12-5).

Atlantic City hosts Trenton on Friday and Charlotte on Saturday before traveling to Wheeling on Sunday. In the only meeting of the season between the division leaders, Atlantic City won 7-1 at Wheeling on December 14. Atlantic City is 2-1-0 at home and 2-3-0 overall against Trenton in 2003-04 and in the only meeting with Charlotte, the Bullies won 3-2 in a shootout at Charlotte on October 29.

Peoria plays at Cincinnati on Tuesday before hosting Dayton on Thursday and Johnstown on Friday and Saturday. The Rivermen are 3-1-0 at Cincinnati and 5-3-0 overall against the Cyclones in 2003-04. Peoria is 2-0-0 at home and 3-0-1 overall against Dayton and 1-1-0 at home and 2-1-1 overall against the Chiefs in 2003-04.

Wheeling hosts Cincinnati on Friday and Saturday and Atlantic City on Sunday. The Nailers are 1-2-0 against Cincinnati and 0-1-0 against Atlantic City.

Peoria has won a team season-high five consecutive games which is the longest current winning streak in the ECHL. The Rivermen won 4-2 at Las Vegas on Friday and 6-2 at Las Vegas on Saturday to increase their road winning streak to four game games. It is the second four-game winning streak for Peoria in 2003-04 and ties it with Idaho, Columbus and South Carolina for the longest current road winning streak.

During the five-game winning streak, Levente Szuper is 3-0-0 with a 2.39 goals against average and a .920 save percentage while Mike Valley is 2-0-0 with a 1.39 goals against average and a .946 save percentage. Selected in the fourth round (116th overall) by the Calgary Flames in the 2000 National Hockey League Entry Draft, Szuper is 7-0-0 in his last seven starts to improve to 7-3-1 while lowering his goals against average from 4.53 to 2.94 and raising his save percentage from .818 to .886. Valley is 11-3-5, ranks fifth in the league with a 2.22 goals against average, is tied for fifth in the league with two shutouts and has a .914 save percentage.

During the five games, Tyler Rennette, Trevor Baker, Marty Johnston and Scott Turner have a team-high four goals while Adam Edinger has a team-leading seven assists and Rennette (4g-3a), Baker (4g-3a) and Edinger (0g-7a) are tied for the lead with seven points.

During the current winning streak, Randy Rowe has scored six points (2g-4a) in four games, including the game-winning goal on Friday. Rowe has a 10-game scoring streak, the longest current individual scoring streak in the league, in which he has 18 points (10g-8a). Rowe has scored 22 points (12g-10a) in his last 13 games and is tied for the ECHL lead with six game-winning goals while ranking second in goals with 23 and tied for 16th in scoring with 39 points (23g-16a).

Atlantic City has won four games in a row, including a 5-2 win at Dayton on Thursday, a 5-1 win at Roanoke on Friday and a 4-0 win at Greensboro on Saturday. The Boardwalk Bullies opened the season with six consecutive wins, a mark that was matched December 12-31.

Atlantic City's Scott Stirling is 9-0-1 with a shutout in his last 10 games, allowing one goal or less in six games and two goals or less in nine games to lower his league-leading goals against average from 1.74 to 1.69. Stirling is 20-7-1 and leads the ECHL with 20 wins, is tied for second with three shutouts and ranks second with a .940 save percentage.

In his second start in the last 14 games, rookie Jake Moreland made 27 saves in a 5-1 win at Roanoke on Saturday to improve to 4-2-0 with a 2.35 goals against average and a .923 save percentage.

Luke Curtin leads Atlantic City offensively the last 10 games with 10 goals and 21 points, including a team-high six goals and 11 points in the last five games. Curtin leads Atlantic City with 19 goals, 24 assists and 43 points and is tied for the ECHL lead with four shorthand goals and tied for eighth in scoring. Jon Cullen has 11 assists and 17 points in the last 10 games and seven assists and nine points in the last five games. Cullen is second on the Bullies with 15 goals, 23 assists and 38 points and is tied for third in the league with three shorthand goals and ranks 18th in scoring.

A 5-2 loss at Cincinnati on Saturday ended Wheeling's season-high five-game winning streak, but the Nailers rebounded on Sunday with a 3-2 shootout win against Reading and are 9-1-1 in their last 11 games.

In his first professional season, Wheeling's Nick Boucher is 16-3-0 and leads the ECHL with four shutouts while ranking seventh with a 2.33 goals against average. Selected in the ninth round (280th overall) by the Pittsburgh Penguins in the 2000 NHL Entry Draft, Boucher is 9-0-1 with three shutouts in his last 11 games and has lowered his goals against average from 2.92 to 2.33 while raising his save percentage from .895 to .913.

During the last 11 games, Jason Jaffray leads Wheeling with eight goals and 20 points while Jean-Francois Dufour has a team-high 15 assists and ranks second with 19 points. Jaffray ranks fourth in the ECHL in scoring with 49 points (20g-29a) while Dufour is tied for third with 16 power-play assists and tied for eighth in scoring with 43 points (16g-27a).


Inferno's Blackburn, Cottonmouths' Tapp
Post Back-To-Back Shutouts


Columbia's Josh Blackburn and Columbus' Jason Tapp each posted back-to-back shutouts last week.

Blackburn made 28 saves in a 7-0 win at Texas on January 4 and then made 27 saves in a 7-0 win against Roanoke on Thursday. Blackburn's shutout streak ended at 173:18 on a goal at 7:09 of the second period in a 3-2 loss against Toledo on Friday after beginning in the second period of a 4-3 shootout win at Mississippi on January 2. Selected in the fifth round (116th overall) by the Phoenix Coyotes in the 1998 National Hockey League Entry Draft, Blackburn ranks second in the ECHL with three shutouts, and is 14-6-3 with a 2.63 goals against average and a .915 save percentage.

Making his first-ever ECHL start, Tapp had 30 saves in a 3-0 win at South Carolina on Tuesday and then made 21 saves in a 4-0 win at Gwinnett on Friday. Tapp's Cottonmouths team record shutout streak ended at 168:55 on a goal at 8:55 of the third period in a 3-1 win against Gwinnett on Saturday. The 25-year-old Tapp is tied for fifth in the ECHL with two shutouts and is 3-1-0 with a 1.50 goals against average and a .950 save percentage in his first four starts.

The ECHL record for consecutive shutouts is three set by Hampton Roads Darryl Paquette on March 25-29, 1997 and tied by Trenton's Andrew Allen on February 5-14, 2003. Paquette also holds the ECHL record for longest shutout sequence by a goaltender with 236:03 from March 23-April 2, 1997.


Cottonmouths Go 9-1-1, Climb In Central Division

Going 3-1-0 last week and 9-1-1 in its last 11 games, Columbus has improved to 18-18-3 and moved to within two points of fourth place Pensacola in the Central Division.

The Cottonmouths, who won a season-high six consecutive games from December 21-January 2, have 39 points while Pensacola has 41 points and a 18-12-5 record. Mississippi (22-11-6) leads the Central Division with 50 points while Louisiana (23-10-2) is in second place with 48 points and Gwinnett (22-11-3) is in third place with 47 points.

Columbus plays at Augusta on Thursday and at Florence on Friday before hosting Greenville on Saturday. The Cottonmouths, who have won four road games in a row, are 1-1-0 at Augusta and 2-2-0 overall against the Lynx in 2003-04. Columbus won 1-0 at Florence on December 6 in its only meeting with the Pride and won 2-1 at Greenville on December 30 in the only meeting with the Grrrowl. Defenseman Rumun Ndur scored the game-winning goal in the win at Florence and in the win at Greenville, his only two goals of the season for the Cottonmouths.

Marc-Andre Thinel and John Morlang lead the Cottonmouths the last 11 games with five goals and two game-winning goals while Dan Tessier has a team-high nine assists and 12 points in eight games since being assigned from Toronto of the American Hockey League on December 29.

The Cottonmouths have used five different goaltenders during the 11-game streak.

Rookie Jason Tapp has started the last four games for the Cottonmouths going 3-1-0 with a 1.50 goals against average and a .950 save percentage. In his first-ever ECHL start, Tapp had 30 saves in a 3-0 win at South Carolina on Tuesday and then made 21 saves in a 4-0 win at Gwinnett on Friday. Tapp's team record shutout streak came to an end at 168:55 with a goal at 8:55 of the third period in a 3-1 win against Gwinnett on Saturday.

Bobby Haselden replaced an injured Kristian Antila in the first period on January 3 and made 20 saves in a 2-1 shootout loss against South Carolina. In the last 11 games, Antila has made two starts and is 1-0-0 with a shutout, a 0.00 goals against average and a 1.000 save percentage.

Prior to his recall to Albany of the AHL on January 5, Matus Kostur was 4-0-0 with a 1.50 goals against average and a .938 save percentage while Olivier Michaud, who was recalled to Hamilton of the AHL on December 28, allowed three goals in a 5-3 win against Gwinnett on December 21.



Pride On Season-High Three-Game Streak

Florence won three consecutive games for the first time in 2003-04 beating Florida 3-2 in overtime on Friday, winning 4-2 at South Carolina on Saturday and beating Toledo 2-0 on Sunday.

The Pride, who improved to 9-8-4 at home and 13-17-5 overall, play at Greensboro on Wednesday before hosting Columbus on Friday and Columbia on Saturday. Florence is 0-1-0 at Greensboro and 0-2-0 overall in 2003-04 against the Generals. The Pride is 0-1-0, losing 1-0 at home on December 6, against Columbus in 2003-04 and 1-0-1 at home and 1-2-1 overall against Columbia, winning 7-5 on December 27 to end an 11-game winless streak against the Southern Division leader.

Florence ended a 1-for-30 power-play slump by going 3-for-15 (20 percent) on the power play, including the game-winning goal on both Friday and Saturday. The Pride allowed only one power-play goal in 17 chances (94.1 percent) to improve its penalty kill to 83 percent.

After allowing two goals on the first three shots he faced against South Carolina, goaltender Matt Underhill stopped the next 36 shots he faced in the 4-2 win. Selected by Calgary in the sixth round (170th overall) in the 1999 NHL Entry Draft, the 24-year-old then made 42 saves in the 2-0 win against Toledo on Sunday for his first professional shutout. Underhill, who played for the Southern Conference in the 2003 ECHL All-Star Game begins the week with a shutout streak of 113:16 and is 5-8-2 with a 3.25 goals against average and a .902 save percentage in 15 games with the Pride. He has also appeared in four games for Manchester of the American Hockey League going 2-2-0 with a 2.90 goals against average and a .903 save percentage.

Wes Goldie scored the game-winning goal on Friday and Saturday and has scored four points (2g-2a) during the three-game winning streak. Goldie leads the Pride with 18 goals, eight power-play goals, three shorthand goals and four game-winning goals and is tied for third on the team with 24 points (18g-6a) and 10 power-play points (9g-2a).

Allan Sirois has a five-game scoring streak in which he has seven points (1g-6a), including five points (1g-4a) during the three-game winning streak. Sirois is tied for the team lead with 23 assists, 29 points and 13 power-play points (4g-9a) while ranking second on the team with nine power-play assists.


Northern Division

Atlantic City Boardwalk Bullies
* Scott Stirling leads the ECHL with a 1.69 goals against average and 20 wins.
* Atlantic City leads the ECHL in goals allowed with 1.94 goals per game.
* Bullies host Trenton on Friday and Charlotte on Saturday before traveling to Wheeling on Sunday.

Cincinnati Cyclones
* Ryan Brindley has a seven-game home assist streak (8a) dating back to December 5.
* Terry Marchant has 14 points (5g-9a) and is +6 in his last 10 games.
* Cincinnati hosts Peoria on Tuesday before traveling to Wheeling on Friday and Saturday and Toledo on Sunday.

Dayton Bombers
* Dayton is 5-2-0 when leading after the first period and 8-5-3 in one-goal games.
* Rookie Olivier Proulx leads the team with 21 assists and 30 points.
* Dayton travels to Peoria on Thursday and Toledo on Friday and Saturday.

Johnstown Chiefs
* David Currie earned his first professional shutout in Saturday's 2-0 win against Reading.
* Chiefs' penalty kill leads the ECHL with 89.8 percent (149-for-166).
* Johnstown travels to Peoria on Friday and Saturday.

Peoria Rivermen
* Randy Rowe has a 10-game point streak (10g-8a) and ranks second in the ECHL with 23 goals.
* Trevor Baker has an eight-game point streak (7g-6a) and leads the team with 18 assists.
* Peoria travels to Cincinnati on Tuesday before hosting Dayton on Thursday and Johnstown on Friday and Saturday.

Reading Royals
* Cody Rudkowsky is tied for second in the ECHL with three overtime wins and ranks third with a 2.18 goals against average.
* Royals' home penalty kill ranks second in the ECHL with 90.5 percent (57-for-63).
* Reading hosts Charlotte on Friday and Trenton on Saturday.

Toledo Storm
* Toledo is 8-2-4 in one-goal games and 8-2-2 when leading after the first period.
* Nick Parillo (10g-15a) and Morten Ask (9g-16a) lead the team in scoring with 25 points.
* Toledo travels to Greenville on Tuesday before hosting Dayton on Friday and Saturday and Cincinnati on Sunday.

Trenton Titans
* Scott Bertoli has a nine-game point streak (9g-6a) and set a team record scoring two shorthand goals in 1:22 during the second period of Friday's 5-0 win against Dayton.
* Trenton travels to Atlantic City on Friday and Reading on Saturday.

Wheeling Nailers
* Nick Boucher earned his league-leading fourth shutout in Friday's 2-0 win against Reading.
* Wheeling ranks third in the ECHL in scoring with 3.65 goals per game.
* Nailers host Cincinnati on Friday and Saturday and Atlantic City on Sunday.

Southern Division

Charlotte Checkers
* Charlotte's road penalty kill ranks second in the ECHL with 90.0 percent (108-for-120).
* Kevin Caulfield has a six-game point streak (3g-3a) dating back to December 20.
* Charlotte travels to Reading on Friday and Atlantic City on Saturday.

Columbia Inferno
* Columbia leads the ECHL in scoring with 3.89 goals per game.
* Tim Smith (6a) and Chris St. Croix (6a) each have a six-game assist streak dating back to January 2.
* Columbia travels to Greensboro on Tuesday and Florence on Saturday and hosts South Carolina on Friday and Greensboro on Sunday.

Florence Pride
* Matt Underhill earned his first professional shutout in Sunday's 2-0 win against Toledo.
* Pride went 16-for-17 (94.1 percent) on the penalty kill last week and has its first three-game win streak of the season.
* Florence travels to Greensboro on Wednesday before hosting Columbus on Friday and Columbia on Saturday.

Florida Everblades
* Brian McCullough leads the ECHL with 24 goals and ranks third with 50 points.
* Reggie Berg earned his first hat trick of the season in Tuesday's 5-3 win at Greenville.
o Florida hosts Pensacola on Tuesday and Roanoke on Friday and Saturday.

Greensboro Generals
* Daniel Berthiaume leads the ECHL with four overtime wins and ranks second with 19 wins and 936 saves.
* Greensboro hosts Columbia on Tuesday and Florence on Wednesday before traveling to Gwinnett on Friday, Augusta on Saturday and Columbia on Sunday.

Greenville Grrrowl
* Chris Lynch has a nine-game point streak (6g-9a) and leads the team in scoring with 40 points (21g-19a).
* Bob Cunningham is tied for third in the ECHL with 21 goals.
* Greenville hosts Toledo on Tuesday before traveling to Augusta on Friday and Columbus on Saturday.

Roanoke Express
* Duncan Dalmao is tied for third in the ECHL with 16 power-play assists.
* Shawn Limpright has scored a point in 13 of his last 14 games (12g-9a).
* Roanoke travels to Florida on Friday and Saturday.

South Carolina Stingrays
* David Brumby is 6-7-0 and ranks third in the ECHL with a .934 save percentage.
* Ed Courtenay tallied his first hat trick of the season in Friday's 6-4 win against Gwinnett.
* South Carolina hosts Augusta on Tuesday before traveling to Columbia on Friday and Gwinnett on Saturday.


Central Division

Augusta Lynx
* Jonathan Gagnon has a six-game goal streak (7g) dating back to January 2.
* Lynx are 8-0-1 when leading after the first period and 6-3-3 in one-goal games.
* Augusta travels to South Carolina on Tuesday before returning home to face Columbus on Thursday, Greenville on Friday and Greensboro on Saturday.

Columbus Cottonmouths
* Jason Tapp is 3-1-0 with a 1.50 goals against average and two shutouts in his first four ECHL games.
* Colin Pepperall leads the team with 17 assists and 26 points.
* Columbus travels to Augusta on Thursday and Florence on Friday and hosts Greenville on Saturday.

Gwinnett Gladiators
* Michael Garnett ranks third in the ECHL with 18 wins and fifth with a 2.28 goals against average.
* Gladiators' road penalty kill ranks third in the ECHL with 89.4 percent (76-for-85).
* Gwinnett travels to Mississippi on Tuesday before hosting Greensboro on Friday and South Carolina on Sunday.

Louisiana IceGators
* Frederic Cloutier earned his second shutout of the season in Sunday's 2-0 win against Pensacola.
* IceGators' power play leads the ECHL with 21.6 percent (41-for-190).
* Louisiana travels to Texas on Friday and Saturday before hosting Pensacola on Sunday.

Mississippi Sea Wolves
* Steffon Walby (19g-32a) and Brent Gauvreau (17g-34a) are tied for the ECHL lead with 51 points.
* Sea Wolves rank second in the ECHL with 3.79 goals per game.
* Mississippi hosts Gwinnett on Tuesday and Pensacola on Friday and Saturday.

Pensacola Ice Pilots
* Corey Neilson leads the ECHL with 20 power-play assists and 25 power-play points.
* Jim Abbott leads ECHL rookies with 19 goals and is tied for fifth with 32 points.
* Pensacola travels to Florida on Tuesday, Mississippi on Friday and Saturday and Louisiana on Sunday.

Texas Wildcatters
* John Snowden is tied for fourth among ECHL rookies with 15 goals.
* Lukas Smital has a nine-game road point streak (6g-6a) dating back to December 12.
* Texas travels to Fresno on Tuesday before hosting Louisiana on Friday and Saturday.


Pacific Division

Alaska Aces
* Aces rank third in the ECHL in goals allowed with 2.51 goals per game.
* Joe Talbot is tied for the ECHL rookie lead with a team-high 38 points (17g-21a).
* Alaska travels to Las Vegas on Tuesday, Bakersfield on Friday and San Diego on Saturday and Sunday.

Bakersfield Condors
* Kevin Riehl has a six-game point streak (5g-3a) dating back to December 28.
* Johan Astrom leads the team with 15 goals and four power-play goals.
* Bakersfield hosts Alaska on Friday and Las Vegas on Saturday.

Fresno Falcons
* Greg Bullock has seven points (5g-2a) in his last five games and leads the team in scoring with 40 points (18g-22a).
* Falcons lead the ECHL in penalty minutes with 30.5 penalty minutes per game.
* Fresno hosts Texas on Tuesday, San Diego on Friday and Idaho on Saturday.

Idaho Steelheads
* Miguel Delisle is tied for the ECHL rookie lead with nine power-play goals.
* Dan Ellis is 5-1-1 with a 2.65 goals against average in his last seven games.
* Idaho hosts Long Beach on Friday and Sunday and travels to Fresno on Saturday.

Las Vegas Wranglers
* Chris Kenady has a nine-game point streak (6g-8a) dating back to December 28.
* Dave Cousineau ranks second among ECHL defensemen with seven power-play goals.
* Las Vegas hosts Alaska on Tuesday before traveling to Bakersfield on Saturday.

Long Beach Ice Dogs
* Nick Ganga has six goals and six assists in his last 10 games.
* John McNabb leads the team with 16 goals and 31 points.
* Long Beach travels to Idaho on Friday and Sunday.

San Diego Gulls
* Mark Pederson has an eight-game goal streak (10g) and is tied for third in the ECHL with 21 goals.
* Gulls' penalty kill ranks second in the ECHL with 89.1 percent (164-for-184).
* San Diego travels to Fresno on Friday before hosting Alaska on Saturday and Sunday.




ECHL Stories from January 12, 2004


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