Fury face Quad City in first round of playoffs
April 11, 2005 - International Hockey League 2 (IHL 2)
Muskegon Lumberjacks News Release
MUSKEGON, MI.--- For an unprecedented fifth consecutive year and for the eighth time in the last nine post-seasons, the newly-crowned 2004-05 Tarry Cup Regular Season Champions, the Muskegon Fury, have a date with one of the UHL's most formidable opponents, the Quad City Mallards, in the United Hockey League's showcase events, the Colonial Cup Playoffs. The two perennial league powers and long-time fierce, acrimonious archrivals will lock horns in the best 4-of-7 opening round series with the ultimate victor attaining a hallowed berth in the best 4-of-7 Semi-Finals.
For the first time in four years, and for only the second time ever, the Fury will skate with the home ice advantage by virtue of a superior overall regular season record than Quad City. The Fury completed the 80-games' regular season slate with their second best record in franchise history at 80(51-20-9) totaling a club record and league-best 111-points with a winning percentage of .694. Muskegon's 51-victories also set a new franchise standard as second-year head coach Todd Nelson's kinetic contingent captured its second Tarry Cup Championship and first since the 1998-99 campaign as well as the Central Division crown, its third divisional title. Quad City attained the #8 seed in finishing in fourth place in the Western Division with a mark of 80(39-30-11) for 89-points.
Both teams climaxed the regular season in a prosperous fashion. The Fury were 9(6-2-1) in their last 9-games, outscoring the opposition, 43-20; Muskegon was a superlative 31(22-5-4) in its last 31-episodes. As for the Mal-lards, they won their last 3-games consecutively, were 11(8-2-1) in their last 11-games and 23(16-5-2) in the last 23-decisions. "The Greenheads" capitalized on a late-season favorable schedule that saw them play 13 of their last 17-games at home.
This is the second straight year that the Fury and the Mallards have collided in the first round of the playoffs. Last year, in 2003-04, the Fury achieved a sweep of the Western Conference Semi-Finals in a best-of-5 scenario, 3-games to none, out-goaling the "Quad Squad," 8-4. That series success engaged the momentum for Muskegon in its ascension to Colonial Cup III and an unprecedented, unparalleled, undefeated 11(11-0-0) surge to the circuit's summit.
Games #1 and #2 of this series are set for Muskegon's Walker Arena on FRIDAY, APRIL 15TH and SATURDAY, APRIL 16TH with both games having an opening face-off of 7:30 PM.
Quad City will proceed to host Games #3 and #4 on TUESDAY, APRIL 19TH and FRIDAY, APRIL 22ND with both games set for 8:00 pm. Should Games #5, #6 and #7 be necessary, the dates for those contests will be SATURDAY, APRIL 23RD in Muskegon at 7:30 pm; SUNDAY, APRIL 24TH in Quad City at 7:00 pm and TUESDAY, APRIL 26TH in Muskegon at 7:30 pm.
During the regular season, the two teams tangled seven times with the Fury capturing the season series, 7(5-2-0), outscoring the Quad Citians, 24-14. It marked the second season in succession in which the Fury had claimed the season series from the Mallards. Home ice advantage seemed to be paramount to success in the 2004-05 season series with the Fury posting a perfect 4(4-0-0) mark at home and a 3(1-2-0) record abroad. Last year, "Todd's Team" took the regular phase, 9(6-3-0).
This will mark the fifth consecutive year and the seventh time in the last eight seasons that the Fury and Quad City have tested each other in the intensified atmosphere of the UHL's post-season. The Fury are 7(3-4-0) in lifetime playoff series competition vying with the "Ducks."
Both the Fury and Quad City have captured three Colonial Cup Championships to tie them with the since-extinct Thunder Bay franchise for the most titles in UHL history. And in each of the Fury and Mallards Colonial Cup crowns, one team has eliminated the other in its climb to the ultimate grand prize.
In Muskegon's playoff push to the prized pinnacle, they eliminated Quad City in 1998-99 in the Finals for Colonial Cup I, 4-2, ending the Mallards two-year supremacy. Then in 2001-02, the year of Colonial Cup II, the Fury topped the Mallards in the Western Conference Finals, 4-3 to depose the latter's one-year sovereignty as well as their quest for an unprecedented sixth consecutive coveted berth in the league's championship series. Last spring, again the Fury road to the "Cup" traveled through Moline, IL, with their 3-0 opening round triumph en route to Colonial Cup III.
As for Quad City, in 1996-97, they ousted the Fury, 3-0 in the quarterfinals; 1997-98 eliminated the Fury, 4-2 in the division finals and 2000-01 defeated the Fury in the second round, 3-1. "The Greenheads" also closed-out the Fury in the Western Conference Finals in 2002-03, 4-2.
The Fury are launching their quest for the circuit's holiest grail with a rich post-season, having reached the Finals four times and hoisting high the Colonial Cup in their last three such appearances, (1998-99, 2001-02 & 2003-04). Muskegon is seeking to join Quad City and Thunder Bay as the only teams to ever claim two consecutive Colonial Cup crowns in UHL history. In addition, both the Fury and Quad City are seeking to become the first franchsie in league annals to win four Colonial Cup Championships.
The Fury are coming off yet another highly-successful campaign in which they qualified for the league playoffs for an unprecedented 13th consecutive season, mirroring their overall existence in the UHL as Muskegon achieved another impressive winning record, also for a 13th successive year.
The Fury will open their title defense having earned the most regular season victories (541) and the most playoff victories (68) in UHL history.
UHL COLONIAL CUP PLAYOFFS / OPENING ROUND
BEST 4-OF-7 SERIES
THE FURY VS. QUAD CITY
GAME #1 FRIDAY, APRIL 15TH QUAD CITY AT THE FURY 7:30 PM
GAME #2 SATURDAY, APRIL 16TH QUAD CITY AT THE FURY 7:30 PM
GAME #3 TUESDAY, APRIL 19TH THE FURY AT QUAD CITY 8:00 PM
GAME #4 FRIDAY, APRIL 22ND THE FURY AT QUAD CITY 8:00 PM
GAME #5** SATURDAY, APRIL 23RD QUAD CITY AT THE FURY 7:30 PM
GAME #6** SUNDAY, APRIL 24TH THE FURY AT QUAD CITY 7:00 PM
GAME #7** TUESDAY, APRIL 26TH QUAD CITY AT THE FURY 7:30 PM
** IF NECESSARY **
• Discuss this story on the International Hockey League 2 message board...
International Hockey League 2 Stories from April 11, 2005
- Frostbite announce first round playoff dates and times - Adirondack Frostbite
- 2005 UHL Colonial Cup Playoff Schedule announced - IHL 2
- Komets Finish at 51-24-5 and 107 Points, K's Face Otters in First Round - Fort Wayne Komets
- Kompon Named UHL Player of the Week - Quad City Mallards
- Quad City's Kompon and Motor City's Branch earn weekly honors - IHL 2
- Mallards Headed to Muskegon to Begin Playoffs - Quad City Mallards
- Mallards Announce Schedule for First Round - Quad City Mallards
- Fury face Quad City in first round of playoffs - Muskegon Lumberjacks
- Beacons Finish Strong to End the Season and Franchise's Third and Final Year - Port Huron Flags
- Rockford wraps up most successful regular season - Rockford IceHogs
- Generals to hold awards night ceremony - Flint Generals
- Outlaws win home finale to end inaugural season - Kansas City Outlaws
- Jackals End Tough Season With A Loss - Elmira Jackals
- Trashers complete inaugural season, start playoffs - Danbury Trashers
- Trashers announce opening round playoff dates and times - Danbury Trashers
- Afr Thanks Fans For Tremendous Support - Elmira Jackals
- Mechanics Complete Inaugural Season - Motor City Mechanics
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.
