Trax can smell the playoffs

March 29, 2004 - SPHL (SPHL)
Macon Trax News Release


RECORD TO DATE: 28-19-6, .585 4th place in WHA2

THIS WEEK:

FRI Apr. 2 Orlando @ TRAX 7:35 p.m. Macon Centreplex

The Trax hope to celebrate Darwin Murray's birthday with a big win over the Seals. Friday night could be the night the Trax put themselves in the 2004 WHA2 playoffs. This will be the twelfth time this year the teams will meet, six times the score has been 2-1. The home teams have only won three of the games in the head to head matchups.

Season Series: Macon leads 6-4-1 (Most recent: 2-1 WIN, Mar. 27 @ MAC)

SAT Apr. 3 Lakeland @ TRAX 7:35 p.m. Macon Centreplex

**FAN APPRECIATION NIGHT—ALL TICKETS $6**

**ATLANTA THRASHERS H.I.T.S. PROGRAM**

The Trax will celebrate the fans on Saturday. All tickets will be $6. In addition, many of the Trax corporate partners have donate prizes that will be given away throughout the game. The grand prize will be two airline tickets courtesy of Delta Airlines. The tickets will be given away during Chuck-A-Puck. Also, the Atlanta Thrashers will bring their Hockey In The Streets (H.I.T.S.) program to the Centreplex. The H.I.T.S. is an interactive attraction to help kids and adults to better understand the game of hockey. It is free of charge to anyone with a game ticket.

Season Series: Macon leads 9-0-1 (Most recent: 6-2 WIN, Mar. 21 @ LAK)

LAST WEEK:

FRI Mar. 26 Alabama @ TRAX (4-3 OT WIN) 7:35 p.m. Macon Centreplex

When teams are hot things tend to go their way. Tonight the Trax gave up a two goal lead in the third period, but were able to squeak out a 4-3 overtime victory.

Craig Miller took an Andrew Dickson pass and fired it past Alabama goalie Jamie Ronayne just 15 seconds into the extra frame sending 1,835 Trax fans home happy. The play all started when John Gurskis won the initial draw to begin overtime, he also got an assist on the game winning goal.

Macon looked good as they got the first goal of the game when David Deeves used his great speed. Deeves took a tape to tape pass from Ryan Rivard and broke into the Alabama zone untouched at the 2:57 mark of the opening frame.

The Trax extended the lead to two when Rivard scored his 22nd goal of the year with assists going to Miller and Luke Murphy. Before the first period was over Rivard finished off his Gordie Howe Hat Trick, a goal, assist and fight, by dropping the gloves with Slammers' forward Jeff Coulter.

Just four seconds after the fight the Slammers scored their first goal off the stick of Chad Peck. Alabama won the draw deep in the Macon zone. Ryan Prentice tried to clear the puck around the boards. The puck hit one of the partitions and bounced right to Peck who tapped the puck into the open net.

As the period entered the final minute the Trax got a two on one break. Andrew Dickson put the pass across two lines to Steve Zoryk. Zoryk carried the puck into the zone and found Edan Welch across the ice. Welch took the puck in the circle and fired it home at the 19:03 mark for his 14th goal of the season.

Alabama came out on fire in the third period. Just 3:32 into the final frame Kresac cut the Trax lead to one with his 24th goal of the season. The Slammers tied the game up halfway through the third period when Bobby Quinnell put a rebound goal past goalie Geoff Faulkner.

SAT Mar. 27 Orlando @ TRAX (2-1 WIN) 7:25 p.m. Macon Centreplex

The Trax and Seals have met 11 times this season; six of those times the game was a 2-1 outcome. The same held true tonight as the Trax skated to a one goal victory.

Edan Welch scored the game winning goal 11:44 into the third period. Ryan Rivard fed the puck to David Deeves as he crossed the blue line. Deeves found his line mate in Welch who put it past Seals goalie David Goverde.

Once again the Macon Trax came out of the gate quickly. Luke Murphy scored his 14th goal of the season just 1:39 into the game.

The Seals lone goal came in the second period. WHA2 leading scorer B.J. Stephens scored his 34th goal of the year at the 4:07 mark.

After the Welch game winning goal things turned ugly on the ice. After a save by Goverde, he and Andrew Katzberg had some words in front of the Orlando net. Goverde shed his blocker and helmet and landed at least three punches on Katzberg.

Katzberg attempted to fight back, but Seals defenseman Mike Fournier tied up Katzberg and would not let him free. Eventually the referee assessed a fighting major to Katzberg and only a roughing call to Goverde.

After two minutes of four on four hockey, the Trax were forced to kill off a major three minute Seals power play. The best penalty kill unit in the league stood tall as they thwarted away any chance the Seals had over the three minutes.

The 1,652 Trax fans gave the team a standing ovation after the successful kill. Orlando pulled their goalie late in the game but the extra attacker did not help the Orlando cause.

The win cut the Trax magic number to one. Any Trax win or Seals loss will clinch a playoff spot for the Trax. The Seals will host the Manatees Thursday night in Orlando.

The Trax will return to the ice Friday night against Orlando. Not only can the Trax clinch a playoff spot this week, they can also move into third place with a couple Miami losses. The puck drops Friday night at 7:35 pm at the Macon Centreplex. TRAX TIDBITS:

· "CHUGGIN' WITH THE TRAX" will be Tuesday, Mar. 30 at the Applebee's on Tom Hill Sr. Join Adam Minnick, Tommy Stewart, and Edan Welch is expected to be in attendance.

· Apr. 3—"FAN APPRECIATION NIGHT"—The Macon Trax will welcome all fans who have helped them continue to be a success in the Heart of Georgia. Tickets are only $6 ANYWHERE in the Centreplex. That includes glass and lower level seats.

TEAM APPEARANCES:

Thursday—Byron Elementary School, 1PM Thursday—McLeod Auto Oil Change With The Players—All Day

TEAM NOTES:

If the Trax win one more game or Orlando losses one more game, the Trax will clinch a playoff spot. Winning percentage ranges: Macon-.554-.607, Miami-.552-.635, Orlando-.482-.553. The Trax have won 12 of their last 15 games. Macon is unbeaten is their last five road games. Macon will finish the season with 56 games, Orlando 57 games and Miami 48. The Trax have swept through Central Florida (Lakeland, Orlando) with a 9-0-1 record. The Trax have one more trip to Orlando the final day of the regular season.

STANDOUTS:

DAVID DEEVES is second in the league with 33 goals and is third in points with 75. STEVE ZORYK is third in WHA2 goals with 32 and seventh with 66 points. RYAN RIVARD and CRAIG MILLER are tied for the WHA2 lead with six game winning goals. GEOFF FAULKNER is fourth in the league with 16 wins.

TRAX PLAYER OF THE WEEK:

· GEOFF FAULKNER—Faulkner had a stellar weekend for the Trax. The Windsor Locks, Conn. native went 2-0 with a 2.00 goals against average. He stopped 50 of the 54 (92.7%) shots fired his way against Alabama and Orlando. With a strong month Faulkner has risen to fourth in the league in wins (16) and seventh in GAA (3.58).



SPHL Stories from March 29, 2004


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