
Chiefs eradicate Devils
March 30, 2008 - ECHL (ECHL)
Johnstown Chiefs News Release
Johnstown, PA - Six different Chiefs would have a multi-point game Sunday night, as Johnstown shut out the Trenton Devils 5-0 at the War Memorial. The Chiefs win, coupled with Dayton's 3-1 loss in Elmira, assured the Chiefs of a fourth-place finish in the North Division, and home ice in the first round of the Kelly Cup Playoffs.
Mike Sgroi would score what turned out to be the game-winning goal, from a near impossible angle, 1:20 into the game, when he lifted a shot from along the goal line past Jason Smith. Mike Knight and Mark Tobin tallied the assists. The home team would strike again at 4:30 with Joey Olson snapping in a one-timer on a set up by Randy Rowe and Alexandre Imbeault. Sgroi nearly scored again in the closing seconds of the period, as Smith fumbled a shot off his blocker. Johnstown would carry a two-goal lead to the dressing room after 20 minutes.
Neither team would score in the second, though the Chiefs would get several chances. Vincent Zoare's shot hit the side of the net, and Jason Spence was unable to put the puck in. Tobin fed Sgroi with a pass from behind to break into the Trenton zone midway through the period, but Zach Tarkir would break up the play for the Devils. Chiefs backstop Ryan Nie would turn aside 14 Trenton shots in the second period, and the home team would hold onto their 2-0 advantage after two.
Brian Deeth would net a power play marker with the first shot of the third period 55 seconds in, assisted by Knight and Rowe. Olson would notch his second goal of the night as he hammered home the rebound of Imbeault's shot at 16:12. Rowe would add the secondary helper. Nie caught a break as a screamer from Trenton's Eric Castonguay hit the crossbar late in the third. The Chiefs would finish out scoring for the night with a goal from Sgroi at 18:05. Tobin and Shawn Houde would feed Sgroi on a break for his second goal of the night and fifth of the weekend. Houde, a recent Hobart College graduate, ended the weekend with four assists in his first three pro games
Ryan Nie earned his fourth consecutive home victory and his 28th of the season, stopping all 23 shots he faced. It was his second shutout of the season. The Chiefs went 1-for-4 on the power play.
With the seeding for the post season locked up, the Chiefs will host their first playoff game against Dayton on Wednesday, April 8. Game three, if necessary, will be played in Johnstown on April 9. The series will begin in Dayton on Sunday, April 6, the day after the regular season ends.
ECHL Stories from March 30, 2008
- Falcons Clinch Home Ice in First Round with OT Win - Fresno Falcons
- Reading Stopped By Cincy, 3-2 - Reading Royals
- Birthday Boy Brodeur Makes 29 Saves in 2-1 WIN over Mississippi - Pensacola Ice Pilots
- Pensacola Scores Two Power-Play Goals 33 Seconds Apart In Second, Wins 2-1 - Mississippi Sea Wolves
- Chiefs eradicate Devils - Johnstown Chiefs
- Bombers Clinch Second Consecutive Playoff Berth! - Dayton Bombers
- Cyclones Pick Up 3-2 Comeback Win - Cincinnati Cyclones
- Jackals win 3-1; magic number for home ice at one - Elmira Jackals
- Trenton Denied by Johnstown 5-0 - Trenton Devils
- Bombers struggle with Elmira in 3-1 loss, still clinch playoffs - Dayton Bombers
- March Monday Madness and Blood Drive Night close out Condors regular season - Bakersfield Condors
- ECHL Transactions - ECHL
- ECHL Today - ECHL
- RoadRunners Hold Off Aces 3-2 In Series Finale - Phoenix RoadRunners
- Alaska loses 3-2 to Phoenix, plays for West title next week - Alaska Aces
- Condors win fourth straight with shootout thriller over Utah - Bakersfield Condors
- Thunder engineer third period comeback in front of fifth sellout crowd of the year - Stockton Thunder
- Grizzlies Fight Back Twice, Fall 4-3 in Shootout - Utah Grizzlies
- Steelheads Stunned By Falcons 4-3 In Shootout - Idaho Steelheads
- Falcons Rally for 4-3 Shootout Win over Idaho - Fresno Falcons
- Inferno earn point in OT loss - Columbia Inferno
- Thunder Surpasses 230,000 Fans For Second Straight Year - Stockton Thunder
The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.
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