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Majors Face IceDogs in First Round of OHL Playoffs

March 19, 2008 - Ontario Hockey League (OHL)
Mississauga St. Michael's Majors News Release


Mississauga, ON - In a twist of irony, the Mississauga St. Michael's Majors will face their biggest rival, the Niagara IceDogs, in the first round of the 2008 OHL playoffs. The players are putting together their final preparations as game #1 takes place at the Gatorade Garden City Complex in St. Catharines tomorrow night at 7:30 p.m.

Then, the Hershey Centre will be vibrating on Friday night when the Majors host the IceDogs for game #2 at 7:30 p.m. Mississauga will be eager to impress the hometown fans that they've been building a relationship with all season while the IceDogs will be hungry to return to their old stomping ground and reclaim past glories.

It's the third time in the last five seasons that these combatants have gone to battle in the playoffs. In the 2004 Eastern Conference Final, the third-seeded IceDogs defeated the top-ranked Majors in six games. However, the Majors returned the favour the following season, during the 2005 Eastern Conference Quarter-Finals, when they (the eighth seed) knocked off the top-ranked IceDogs in five games. During that series, the Majors won all three games at the Hershey Centre, with an average crowd of 5,017 looking on.

Niagara took control of this year's head-to head match-ups, winning seven of eight games and outscoring Mississauga 41-17. They were also one of the OHL's hottest teams during the second half of the season, winning 23 of 31 games in the New Year. However, the Majors 4-2 win in St. Catharines on December 9 gives them confidence that they can not only defeat the IceDogs, but on the road as well.

In head-to-head play this year, the IceDogs top guns consistently brought their ‘A' game against the Majors as Michael Swift, Luca Caputi and Stefan Legein amassed 19, 15 and 12 points, respectively. For the Majors, veteran forwards Jesse Messier and Mike Pelech led the way with 8 points apiece while sniper Kaspars Daugavins contributed 5 goals in 7 games.

In terms of physical play, the match-ups between these rivals haven't been for the faint of heart. They averaged 29 penalties each game and produced 18 fights overall. During last Friday's match-up at the Hershey Centre, 42 penalties were handed out in a very bitter affair.

Between the pipes, it will be a gametime decision who will get the nod for the Majors. Second-year netminder Chris Carrozzi finished the year with a 2.75 goals-against-average and a 0.911 save percentage. However, he has been sharing the load over the past month with veteran Anthony Grieco, who joined the team from the University of North Dakota midway through the year.

For the IceDogs, overage ‘tender Sebastian Dahm was brought over from Sudbury at the trade deadline. His fine play was a key reason why the Wolves reached the OHL final last year and he is 3-0-0-0 with a 0.938 save percentage against the Majors, as a member of the IceDogs this year.

From a coaching standpoint, Majors bench boss Dave Cameron is entering his fifth postseason with the club. During his previous stint with the Majors (2000-2004), he led the club to the Eastern Conference final each time.

IceDogs coach Mario Cicchillo is entering his first postseason as the man in charge. However, he gained a lot of experience as an assistant under Greg Gilbert and Mike Kelly between 2003 and 2007.

Majors playoff tickets can be purchased through the Hershey Centre box office during regular business hours, two hours prior to the puck drop on weekend game-days or by logging on to the Majors web site (www.stmichaelsmajors.com). For more information on group packages and luxury suites, please call the Majors office at 905-502-7788.



Ontario Hockey League Stories from March 19, 2008


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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