ECHL ECHL

Royals First To Clinch, Four Teams Continue Battling

Published on April 4, 2005 under ECHL (ECHL) News Release


Reading became the first team in the North Division to secure its place in the Kelly Cup Playoff while Atlantic City, Toledo, Trenton and Peoria battle for the remaining three berths.

Reading leads the division at 41-20-7 and 89 points, one point ahead of Atlantic City at 40-22-8 and 88 points. Toledo is 40-24-5 with 85 points, tied with Trenton at 38-21-9 and three points ahead of Peoria at 37-24-8 and 82 points. Atlantic City needs only one point to secure its playoff spot while Toledo and Trenton each need four points.

Reading needs five points in its final four games to guarantee itself the top seed in the division. Qualifying for the playoffs in 2004 for the first time since moving to Reading in 2001-02, the Royals upset Johnstown in the Wild Card Game, Wheeling in the Division Semifinals and Peoria in the Division Finals before losing in five games to Florida in the Conference Finals. Reading hosts Peoria on Tuesday and Toledo on Thursday before visiting Atlantic City on Friday and Wheeling on Saturday. Reading is 3-0-0 at home, including a 2-1 win on Sunday, and 5-2-0 overall against Peoria. The Royals are 3-1-0 at home and 5-2-1 overall against Toledo. Reading is 1-1-2 at Atlantic City and 3-3-3 overall against the Boardwalk Bullies and it 2-2-0 at Wheeling and 6-3-0 overall against the Nailers.

Needing only one point to secure its fourth-consecutive appearance in the playoffs, Atlantic City hosts Reading on Friday and travels to Johnstown on Saturday. The Boardwalk Bullies are 3-1-0 at home and 6-3-0 overall against Reading and 4-0-0 at Johnstown and 7-1-1 overall against the Chiefs.

Winning three games in three days over the weekend to improve to 5-1-0 in its last six games, Toledo needs four points in its final three games to return to the postseason for the first time since winning the regular season point title in 2002-03. The Storm, which is 9-2-1 in its last 12 games, travels to Reading on Tuesday before hosting Peoria on Friday and Trenton on Saturday. Toledo is 1-3-0 at Reading and 3-5-0 overall against the Royals. The Storm is 3-2-0 at home and 6-4-0 overall against Peoria and 1-2-1 at home and 2-5-1 overall against Trenton.

Trenton, which missed the playoffs for the first time in five seasons in 2003-04, needs four points in its final four games to lock up its postseason slot. The Titans, who saw their six-game winning streak end with a 3-1 loss to Peoria on Saturday, travel to Dayton on Tuesday and hosts Wheeling on Thursday before visiting Johnstown on Friday and Toledo on Saturday. Trenton is 3-1-0 at Dayton and 7-1-1 overall against the Bombers and is 1-2-0 at home and 2-4-2 overall against Wheeling. The Titans are 3-1-0 at Johnstown and 7-2-0 overall against the Chiefs, and are 3-1-0 at Toledo and 6-2-0 overall against the Storm.

Looking to avoid missing the Kelly Cup Playoffs for the first time in its nine ECHL season, Peoria plays at Reading on Tuesday and at Toledo on Friday before hosting Dayton on Saturday. The Rivermen, who went 1-2-0 last weekend, are 0-3-0 at Reading and 2-5-0 overall against the Royals and 2-2-1 at Toledo and 4-5-1 overall against the Storm. Peoria is 2-0-2 at home and 3-3-2 overall against Dayton.

Bakersfield, Fresno Battle For Final Playoff Spot In West

Long Beach and Idaho each secured their spots in the Kelly Cup Playoffs over the weekend and join Alaska, which clinched its berth on March 26 to become the first team from the National Conference to qualify for the postseason. Alaska leads the division at 43-18-8 and 94 points followed by Long Beach at 42-20-8 and 92 points and Idaho at 41-21-7 and 89 points. Bakersfield currently holds the final playoff spot in the division at 38-22-10 and 86 points, two points ahead of Fresno at 38-24-8 and 84 points.

Bakersfield hosts Idaho on Friday and Saturday while Fresno hosts Long Beach on Friday and Saturday.

Following a 4-2 loss to Fresno on Friday, Bakersfield is 0-3-1 in its last four home games and 19-11-4 overall at home. The Condors are winless in their last two games, 1-4-1 in their last six games and 2-6-1 in the last nine games. Bakersfield is 1-0-1 at home and 3-1-1 overall against Idaho.

After beating Bakersfield 4-2 on Friday, Fresno lost 6-3 at home to Alaska on Saturday and 7-0 at home to Long Beach on Sunday. After going 20-7-2 in their first 29 home games, the Falcons are 0-5-0 in their last five home games and 20-12-2 overall at Save Mart Center. Fresno is 0-3-0 at home and 1-6-0 overall against Long Beach.

Needing three points to clinch the West Division and four points to clinch the National Conference, Alaska will be cheered on by more than 100 fans scheduled to make the trip from Anchorage for the Aces games at Las Vegas on Tuesday, Friday and Saturday. The Aces are 1-0-0 at Las Vegas, winning 5-3 on November 9, and are 4-1-1 overall against the Wranglers.

Sweeping a three-game series with longtime rival San Diego, defending Kelly Cup Champion Idaho improved to 13-0-4 in its last 17 games and 20-1-4 in its last 25 games. Idaho, which won the ECHL title as an expansion team in 2003-04, plays at San Diego on Wednesday and at Bakersfield on Friday and Saturday. The Steelheads, who have won their last four road games, are 1-3-0 at San Diego and 4-3-0 overall against the Gulls and 1-1-0 at Bakersfield and 2-3-0 overall against the Condors.

Winning its last three games, Long Beach can clinch the second seed in the division with four points in its final two games at Fresno on Friday and Saturday. The Ice Dogs are 3-0-0 at Fresno and 6-1-0 overall against the Falcons.

East Teams Battle for Division, Playoff Position

The race for first place in the East Division and the second seed in the American Conference playoffs remains a three-team race between Columbia, South Carolina and Charlotte. Columbia is the leader at 37-20-11 and 85 points, followed by South Carolina at 37-23-9 and 83 points and Charlotte at 38-25-6 with 82 points.

Columbia plays at Greenville on Tuesday and hosts Greenville on Wednesday before visiting Florida on Friday and Saturday. The Inferno is 4-0-0 at Greenville and 7-0-1 overall against the Grrrowl. Columbia is 1-0-0 at Florida, winning 4-3 in overtime on January 15, and 2-2-0 overall against the Everblades.

South Carolina travels to Augusta on Tuesday before visiting Pee Dee on Friday and Charlotte on Saturday. The Stingrays are 2-2-0 at Augusta and 3-2-1 overall against the Lynx. South Carolina is 1-1-2 at Pee Dee and 7-1-2 overall against the Pride. The Stingrays are 1-1-1 at Charlotte and 4-1-2 overall against the Checkers.

Charlotte visits Gwinnett on Tuesday before hosting Greenville on Friday and South Carolina on Saturday. The Checkers are 1-3-0 at Gwinnett and 3-3-1 overall against the Gladiators. Charlotte is 4-0-0 at home and 7-2-0 overall against Greenville and 2-1-0 at home and 3-3-1 overall against South Carolina.

Pensacola is 49-16-5 with 103 points and has clinched the ECHL regular season point title and secured home ice throughout the Kelly Cup Playoffs. Becoming the 15th team in league history to reach 100 points, Pensacola needs one win in its last two games to become the sixth team in 17 years to win 50 games. The Ice Pilots have set team records for points (103), wins (49), home wins (25), road wins (24), consecutive wins (12) and consecutive home wins (9) while tying the team record for consecutive road wins (6). Pensacola plays at Mississippi on Friday and hosts Mississippi on Saturday, a game that will see the Ice Pilots be formally presented the Brabham Cup trophy. Pensacola is 3-1-1 at home and 7-2-1 overall against Mississippi.

Florida is in second place in the South Division at 41-20-9 and 91 points, and needs three points to clinch the third seed in the American Conference. The Everblades will host Columbia on Friday and Saturday. Florida is 0-0-1 at home and 2-1-1 overall against the Inferno.

Mississippi is in third place in the South Division at 38-23-7 and 83 points, tying it for fourth place in the conference with South Carolina, which has played one more game. The Sea Wolves host Texas on Tuesday and Pensacola on Friday while traveling to Louisiana on Thursday and Pensacola on Saturday. Mississippi has won the last three games at Louisiana to improve to 3-2-0 on the road and 6-3-1 overall against the IceGators. The Sea Wolves are 2-3-0 at Pensacola and 3-7-0 overall against the Ice Pilots and 3-2-0 at home and 8-2-0 overall against Texas.

Gwinnett is in fourth place in the South Division at 37-24-8 and 82 points, tying it for sixth in the conference with Charlotte. The Gladiators host Charlotte on Tuesday and Augusta on Friday before traveling to Augusta on Saturday. Gwinnett has won the last three meetings with Charlotte and is 3-0-1 at home and 4-2-1 overall against the Checkers. The Gladiators are 2-2-0 at Augusta and 3-4-1 overall against the Lynx.

In fourth place in the East Division at 36-27-5 and 77 points, Greenville hosts Columbia on Tuesday and Pee Dee on Saturday while visiting Columbia on Wednesday and Charlotte on Friday. The Grrrowl is 1-3-0 at Columbia and 1-7-0 overall against the Inferno. Greenville is 2-3-0 at home and 2-7-1 overall against the Checkers and 6-3-0 overall against the Pride.

Minard Moves Closer To 50 Goals

Scoring his league-leading 47th goal in Alaska's 6-3 win at Fresno on Saturday, Chris Minard enters the final three games of the season needing three goals to become the first ECHL player to score 50 goals since Andrew Williamson of Toledo scored 52 in 2000-01.

Minard has 20 multiple-point games and is fourth in the league with 74 points in 66 games. Minard averages 0.71 goals per game and he has had 11 multiple-goal games, including a league season-high and team record five goals on January 8 and a hat trick on March 24 at Peoria. Brian McCullough of Peoria is second in the league with 37 goals while South Carolina rookie Joe Tenute and Long Beach rookie Marco Rosa are tied for third with 33 goals.

Minard's teammate Scott Gomez had three assists and a goal on Saturday, and he heads into the final week leading the league with 81 points and 69 assists in 59 games. Augusta's Jamie Johnson is second with 56 assists and is tied for second in scoring with 77 points in 69 games. Toledo's Carl Mallette, who is currently playing in the American Hockey League with Hershey, is tied for second in scoring with 77 points and tied for fifth in assists with 47 in 61 games.

Grrrowl, Ice Dogs Show Record Improvement

Winning 2-1 against Florida on Saturday, Greenville improved to 36-27-5 and 77 points, a 44-point increase from 2003-04 and the fourth-highest single-season point increase in league history. The Grrrowl have four games remaining to try to move into the top three - 50 points by Knoxville from 1992-93 to 1993-94, 49 points by Knoxville from 1989-90 to 1990-91 and 47 points by Wheeling from 2002-03 to 2003-04.

Winning its last three games, Long Beach has improved to 42-20-8 with 92 points, a 41-point increase from 2003-04 when the Ice Dogs were one of seven expansion teams that joined the ECHL. The 41 points is the sixth-highest single-season point increase in league history and Long Beach needs two points in its final two games to tie Arkansas for the fifth-highest single-season point increase at 43 points.

Fresno, another of the nine teams that were granted membership by the ECHL in September 2002, is 38-24-8 with 84 points, a 32-point increase from the Falcons' inaugural season in 2003-04 and ties it for the 12th-largest single-season point increase and two points shy of the 10th-largest increase.

ECHL Feature Games Of The Week

American Conference - South Division
Texas at Mississippi
Tuesday at 7:05 p.m. CT
* Sea Wolves are 7-l-2 in last 10 games.
* Texas is 4-2-1 the last seven games.

National Conference - North Division
Trenton at Toledo
Saturday at 7:30 p.m. ET
* Titans, having played one less game, are tied in points with Storm for third seed.
* Teams split wins in each of the last two games.

American Conference - East Division
South Carolina at Charlotte
Saturday at 7:00 p.m. ET
* Stingrays won last three meetings with Charlotte.
* Checkers are one point behind South Carolina.

National Conference - West Division
Idaho at Bakersfield
Friday at 7:00 p.m. PT
* Condors sit in final playoff spot, three points behind third-place Steelheads.
* Condors are 0-3-1 in last four home games; Idaho is 4-0-1 in its last five road games.

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ECHL Stories from April 4, 2005


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