Phantoms clinch division title with 0-0 tie in Bridgeport

April 10, 2004 - American Hockey League (AHL)
Adirondack Phantoms News Release


(BRIDGEPORT, Conn., April 10, 2004) - The Philadelphia Phantoms tonight captured the F.G. (Teddy) Oke Trophy as the champion of the AHL's East Division with a 0-0 tie against the Bridgeport Sound Tigers at the Arena at Harbor Yard.

Philadelphia now has 99 points entering Sunday's season finale in Hershey, compared to 97 for the Sound Tigers. Bridgeport also wraps up its season on Sunday in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, but Philadelphia owns the tiebreaker due to more overall wins (45-41).

The Phantoms, who missed the playoffs for the first time ever last season, will play the winner of the best-of-three East Division Qualifying Round, which Norfolk, Binghamton and Hershey are fighting to reach.

Game One of the best-of-seven division semifinals will take place on Wednesday, April 21 at 7:05 p.m. at the Wachovia Center. Game Two will also be at the Center on April 22 or 23.

Philadelphia is also still vying for the Eastern Conference crown with the Hartford Wolf Pack, who will take a one-point lead over the Phantoms into their season-ender vs. Providence on Sunday.

Neil Little recorded the shutout tonight by making 25 saves, including 12 in the second period. It was his career-high sixth shutout of the season and 15th as a Phantom. Philadelphia's 13 shutouts this year is a club record, besting the previous mark of five set in 2000-01.

Wade Dubielewicz, the AHL's Rookie of the Year and league-leader in goals-against average, stopped all 28 shots he faced to record his ninth shutout. Dubielewicz was actually pulled for a sixth-attacker with 47.2 seconds remaining in overtime since the Sound Tigers needed a win to keep their division title hopes alive.

Bridgeport will finish second in the East and play Wilkes-Barre/Scranton in the division semifinals.

The division title for the Phantoms is their fourth in club history, as they finished first in each of their first three years in the league (1996-99).

Philadelphia's only other scoreless tie in franchise history came on Oct. 10, 1998 when Brian Boucher and Syracuse's Craig Hillier pitched matching shutouts.

Phantoms Notes: Craig Berube, James Laux, Stephen Wood and Mike Peluso were scratched ... Dennis Seidenberg, Ben Stafford, Randy Jones and Brett Engelhardt did not travel ... Stefan Ruzicka made his pro debut after signing an amateur contract earlier in the day ... Ian MacNeil played in his 500th game as a pro ... The Phantoms and Sound Tigers finished the season tied at 3-3-2 against each other ... Bridgeport's Luke Curtin hit the post late in the first period and his teammate Ben Guite was stuffed on a breakaway midway through the second ... Bridgeport was 0-for-8 on the power play, while Philadelphia was 0-for-6.



American Hockey League Stories from April 10, 2004


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