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Peoria Makes Playoff Race In North Even Tighter

March 7, 2005 - ECHL (ECHL) News Release


Winning five games in a row and going 7-1-2 in its last 10 games, Peoria has climbed back into Kelly Cup Playoff race in the North Division of the National Conference where eight points separate six teams battling for four postseason spots. The Rivermen, who have not missed the Kelly Cup Playoffs in each of their first eight ECHL seasons, are 28-18-7 and in sixth place with 63 points, three points behind Toledo (31-22-4) and Trenton (29-18-8) for the fourth and final postseason berth. Reading is in first place at 33-17-5 and 71 points followed by Wheeling at 33-19-4 and 70 points and Atlantic City at 31-18-7 and 69 points.

Peoria posted back-to-back wins over Toledo on Friday and Saturday and a win over Trenton on Sunday. Peoria hosts Trenton on Tuesday before traveling to Toledo on Friday and Saturday and Wheeling on Sunday. The Rivermen are 3-0-0 at home and 4-0-0 overall against Trenton, 0-3-0 at Wheeling and 1-3-1 overall against the Nailers and 2-0-1 at Toledo and 4-3-1 overall against the Storm.

Brian McCullough has three game-winning goals and six points (4g-2a) in the last five games and four game-winning goals and 12 points (9g-3a) in the last 10 games for the Rivermen. McCullough is second in the league with eight game-winning goals and ranks third with 28 goals. Alfie Michaud was 3-0-0 with a shutout last weekend, improving to 4-0-0 with a shutout, a goals-against average of 1.50 and a save percentage of .944 in his last four starts. Michaud is 6-0-1 with a goals-against average of 1.81 and a save percentage of .932 in his last eight games and in his last 19 games is 14-1-2 with four shutouts and a goals-against average of 1.50. Michaud is 20-8-4 and second in the league with a goals-against average of 1.97 while his four shutouts ties him for third in the ECHL.

Reading, which was 3-1-0 last week and is 4-1-0 in its last five games, hosts Dayton on Friday and Atlantic City on Saturday. The Royals lost 4-3 to Dayton on March 4 and are 1-1-0 at home and 4-1-0 overall against the Bombers. Reading is 1-1-1 at home and 2-2-2 overall against Atlantic City. Barry Brust is 4-0-0 with two shutouts, a goals-against average of 0.50 and a save percentage of .978 in his last four games. He is 20-8-3 with three shutouts and ranks third in the league with a goals-against average of 2.02.

Wheeling will travel to Atlantic City on Wednesday, to Trenton on Friday and Johnstown on Saturday before returning home to host Peoria on Sunday. The Nailers are 2-0-0 at Atlantic City and 3-2-1 overall against the Bullies and 2-0-0 at Trenton and 6-0-0 overall against the Titans. Wheeling has won the last four meetings with the Chiefs to improve to 4-1-0, including 1-1-0 at Johnstown, and is 3-0-0 at home and 4-1-0 overall against Peoria.

Atlantic City, which is 5-1-1 in its last seven games, hosts Wheeling on Wednesday before traveling to Johnstown on Friday, Reading on Saturday and Dayton on Sunday. The Bullies have won the last three meetings with the Nailers to improve to 3-0-3 overall and 0-0-2 at home while going 3-0-0 at Johnstown and 4-1-1 overall against the Chiefs. Atlantic City is 2-1-0 at Reading and 4-2-0 overall against the Royals and is 2-1-0 at Dayton and 6-1-1 overall against the Bombers. In the last seven games, Derek Edwardson has two game-winning goals and 11 points (4g-7a) and Paul Caponigri has a game-winning goal and 10 points (2g-8a).

Toledo will host Peoria on Friday and Saturday before traveling to Johnstown on Sunday. The Storm is 1-2-0 at home and 4-4-0 overall against Peoria and is 1-2-0 at Johnstown and 5-2-0 overall against the Chiefs.

Trenton plays at Peoria on Tuesday and at Dayton on Wednesday before returning home to host Wheeling on Friday. The Titans are 0-3-0 at Peoria and 0-3-1 overall against the Rivermen and 3-0-0 at Dayton and 6-0-1 overall against the Bombers. Trenton is 0-2-0 at home and 0-4-2 overall against Wheeling. Nick Deschenes (6g-2a) and Scott Bertoli (3g-5a) each have eight points in the last five games.

Aces Emerge On Top in First Place Battle In West

Overcoming a 3-0 deficit to beat Long Beach 6-3 on Sunday, Alaska sits atop the West Division of the National Conference at 36-15-7 and 79 points. The Aces are two points ahead of Bakersfield and three points ahead of Long Beach. Fresno is 32-18-7 and holds onto the fourth playoff berth with 71 points, seven points ahead of defending Kelly Cup Champion Idaho and San Diego.

Alaska, which is 10-0-3 in the last 13 games, will play at Bakersfield on Friday, at Long Beach on Saturday and at San Diego on Sunday. The Aces have won their last four road games and are 9-0-1 in their last 10 road games and 16-7-2 overall on the road. Alaska is 0-1-0 at Bakersfield and 2-2-0 overall against the Condors and 1-1-0 at Long Beach and 3-1-1 overall against the Ice Dogs. The Aces are 1-2-1 at San Diego and 4-4-1 overall against the Gulls.
Bakersfield, which is 5-0-1 in the last six games, will host Alaska on Friday and travel to Fresno on Saturday. The Condors are 1-0-0 at home and 2-1-1 overall against Alaska and 0-0-3 at Fresno and 3-1-3 overall against Fresno. Yutaka Fukufuji is 4-0-0 with a goals-against average of 2.25 in his last four games while Mathieu Brunelle has two game-winning goals and seven points (6g-1a) in his first four games with Bakersfield.

Long Beach, which is winless in its last two home games and 1-3-1 in its last five games, hosts San Diego on Friday, Alaska on Saturday and Las Vegas on Sunday. The Ice Dogs are 1-1-0 at home and 1-2-1 overall against San Diego, 1-1-0 at home and 2-2-1 overall against Alaska and 2-0-1 at home and 6-0-1 overall against Las Vegas.

Fresno, which is 7-1-2 in its last 10 games and 20-5-4 since January 1, travels to Las Vegas on Friday and hosts Bakersfield on Saturday and Sunday. The Falcons have won the last five meetings with the Wranglers to improve to 5-1-0, including a perfect 2-0-0 at Las Vegas, and are 3-0-0 at home and 4-3-0 overall against Bakersfield. Shaun Sutter has nine points (4g-5a) in his last nine games to become the team leader with 23 goals and to move into a tie with All-Star starter Dan Tessier, who has missed the last four games with an injury, for the team scoring lead with 50 points. Sutter continues to lead the league in power-play goals with 14.

Going 9-1-1 in its last 11 games, defending champion Idaho travels to Victoria for games on Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday. The Steelheads have won the last five games to improve to 5-1-0 against the Salmon Kings, including 2-0-0 at Victoria. Frank Doyle, who was the Most Valuable Player in the ECHL All-Star Game, is 6-1-0 with a goals-against average of 1.94 in his last seven games.

San Diego, which has gone 6-6-1 in the last 13 games, plays at Long Beach on Friday and at Las Vegas on Saturday before hosting Alaska on Sunday. The Gulls have won the last three meetings the Ice Dogs, improving to 3-1-0 overall and 1-1-0 at Long Beach, and have won the last three meetings with the ranglers, improving to 2-1-0 at Las Vegas and 4-1-0 overall.

American Conference Teams Battle For Playoff Position

Continuing to lead the league with 83 points and 39 wins, Pensacola holds onto the top playoff spot in the American Conference. The Ice Pilots are nine points ahead of Florida in the South Division and 11 points ahead of Charlotte, which would have the second seed by virtue of leading the East Division at 34-20-4 and 72 points. Columbia at 30-14-9 and 69 points has the fourth spot followed by Greenville at 31-21-5 and 67 points and South Carolina at 29-19-8 and 66 points. The final spots are held by Gwinnett at 28-17-8 and 64 points and Mississippi at 30-21-4 and 64 points. Pee Dee is seven points back at 27-26-3 and 57 points.

Pensacola, which is 4-0-1 in its last five games and 39-13-5 overall, continues its six-game road trip visiting Mississippi on Wednesday, Pee Dee on Friday and Charlotte on Saturday. The Ice Pilots, who set Pensacola team records with 40 wins and 89 points in 2003-04, are 4-0-0 at Mississippi and 6-1-1 overall against the Sea Wolves. The Ice Pilots are 1-0-0 against Pee Dee and 2-0-0 against Charlotte, both games played in Pensacola.

Charlotte is undefeated in its last four home games and it has won three games in a row. The Checkers host Pee Dee on Tuesday, Greenville on Friday and Pensacola on Saturday. Charlotte is 3-0-0 at home and 5-2-0 overall against Greenville and 2-0-0 at home and 3-1-2 overall against Pee Dee. Alex Westlund is 3-0-0 with a shutout, a goals-against average of 1.00 and a save percentage of .973 in his last three starts and 13-4-0 in his last 17 starts.

Florida, which has won its last three games, plays at Mississippi on Friday and hosts Mississippi on Saturday. The Everblades are 2-0-0 at home and 2-1-0 overall against the Sea Wolves. Mississippi hosts Pensacola on Wednesday and Florida on Friday before visiting Florida on Saturday. The Sea Wolves are 0-4-0 at home and 2-6-0 overall against Pensacola and 1-0-0 at home and 1-1-1 overall against Florida.

Going 11-2-6 in its last 19 games, Columbia visits Gwinnett on Tuesday and Pee Dee on Thursday before hosting Texas on Friday and Saturday. The Inferno has won the last two games to improve to 2-1-0 at Gwinnett and 3-1-1 overall against the Gladiators. Columbia is 0-2-1 at Pee Dee and 4-2-1 overall against the Pride while it lost the only meeting with Texas, 3-2 at home on November 12.

Greenville is 31-21-5 and has doubled its win total (14) and its point total (33) from 2003-04. The 34-point increase from last season ties the Grrrowl for the eighth-largest single-season point increase, one point shy of the seventh largest and four points shy of the sixth largest. Greenville continues its six-game road trip visiting Charlotte on Friday and Augusta on Saturday. The Grrrowl is 0-2-1 at Charlotte and 2-4-1 overall against the Checkers and 0-1-1 at Augusta and 3-1-1 overall against the Lynx.

South Carolina, who has won its last two home games to improve to 18-6-2 at home, will host Texas on Tuesday, Augusta on Friday and Louisiana on Saturday before traveling to Gwinnett on Sunday. The Stingrays are 2-0-0 against Texas, 2-2-0 at Augusta, 1-0-0 against Louisiana and 1-2-0 at Gwinnett and 1-3-1 overall against the Gladiators.

Gwinnett, which is 5-0-0 in its last five home games and 7-0-3 in its last 10 home games, hosts Columbia on Tuesday, Louisiana on Friday and South Carolina on Sunday while traveling to Pee Dee on Saturday. The Gladiators are 1-1-1 at home and 2-2-1 overall against Columbia and have won the last four to improve to 4-1-0 against Louisiana, including 1-0-0 at home. Gwinnett has won the last three games with South Carolina to improve to 4-1-0, including 2-1-0 at home, and is 2-0-0 against Pee Dee.

Deschenes, Tenute Tally Six Points Each In Big Wins

Nick Deschenes of Trenton and Joe Tenute each had six-point games over the weekend, tying the ECHL season high for points in a game. Travis Lisabeth of Mississippi scored six points (1g-5a) on December 4 and Ed Courtenay of South Carolina had six points (2g-4a) on February 25. Deschenes scored four goals and had two assists in an 8-7 shootout loss to Greenville on Friday. Deschenes is tied for second on the Titans with 16 goals and ranks fourth in scoring with 32 points. Tenute scored a goal and had five assists in South Carolina's 7-3 win against Texas. Tenute leads ECHL rookies and is seventh overall in scoring with a team-leading 56 points while he is tied for first among rookies and leads the Stingrays with 25 goals and ranks second among rookies and tied for the team lead in assists with 31. The five assists by Tenute tie the league season high set by Lisabeth on December 4 and tied by Scott Gomez of Alaska on January 5 and January 8.

ECHL Feature Games Of The Week

National Conference - North Division

Atlantic City at Reading
Saturday at 7:05 p.m. ET
* Atlantic City is 2-1-0 at Reading and 4-2-0 overall.
* Third-place Bullies are only two points behind first-place Reading.

American Conference - East Division

Greenville at Charlotte
Friday at 7:00 p.m. ET
* Charlotte is 3-0-0 on the road and 5-2-0 overall against Greenville.
* Fifth-seed Grrrowl are five points behind division leader and second-seed Charlotte.

American Conference - South Division

Pensacola at Mississippi
Wednesday at 7:05 p.m. CT
* Possible first-round postseason matchup of first-place Pensacola and eighth-seed Mississippi.
* Sea Wolves are 5-1-0 in last six home games and Ice Pilots are 7-1-0 in last eight road games.

National Conference - West Division

Alaska at Bakersfield
Friday at 7:00 p.m. PT
* First-place Alaska is 2-1-0 at Bakersfield and has a two-point lead on second-place Condors.
* Aces have the second-best offense at 3.40 goals per-game and Condors are fourth with 3.28.

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