Commissioner's Cup Champs Squash Antz
February 28, 2003 - SPHL (SPHL)
Florida Seals News Release
FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. â Mike Sanderson extended his scoring streak to a league-high seven games with a short-handed goal Friday night as the regular-season champion Orlando Seals topped the Cape Fear FireAntz 3-1 at Crown Coliseum.
With his goal at 4 minutes, 37 seconds of the first, Sanderson passed teammate Todd Nowicki for the Atlantic Coast Hockey League's longest goal-scoring streak. The veteran center has nine goals in seven games since Feb. 14th. The Seals' league-leading penalty-kill unit has scored six short-handed tallies this season.
Orlando captain Brad Federenko notched the game-winner at 7:37 of the second for his 19th goal of the season. Defenseman Mark White added an insurance goal at 11:48 of the third as the Seals improved to 8-2 versus Cape Fear (21(1)-32), a team they likely will face in the first round of playoffs.
Seals goalie David Goverde (28-12) was in playoff form Friday as he frustrated the Cape Fear shooters all night, stopping 28 of the 29 shots he faced.
FireAntz netminder Ken Shepard (13-12) kept his team in the hunt for much of the game as he made 27 saves on 30 shots, but it wasn't enough to slow the Seals, who were determined to avenge last week's uncharacteristic loss in Cape Fear.
Cape Fear center Ryan Kiley's goal at 7:37 of the middle frame tied the game at 1-1 and prevented the shutout, but the FireAntz would fail to score again despite outshooting the Seals 18-13 in the final 40 minutes.
Orlando (40(2)-13) had clinched the regular-season championship and earned the top seed in the playoffs Thursday night when Macon defeated Knoxville (32(4)-21), knocking the Ice Bears out of contention for the top seed in the playoffs.
The league-leading Seals will play at Jacksonville on Saturday at 2:30 p.m. Seals and Barracudas fans alike will get the opportunity to have breakfast with team owners David and Ruth Waronker as well as Larry Laviolette, who owns a stake in the Jacksonville franchise.
SPHL Stories from February 28, 2003
- Antz Fall to Seals - Fayetteville Marksmen
- Commissioner's Cup Champs Squash Antz - Florida Seals
- Indy Beats The RiverKings 5-4 - Mississippi RiverKings
- Seals Clinch Commissioner's Cup - Florida Seals
- Steve Stark Resigns as FireAntz President - Fayetteville Marksmen
- FireAntz not so hot - Jacksonville Barracudas
- RiverKings Gameday vs. Indianapolis - Mississippi RiverKings
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