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ECHL American Conference Finals Begin Tuesday
Monday, May. 7th, 2007
PRINCETON, N.J. – The American Conference Finals will begin Tuesday when South Division champion Florida hosts North Division champion Dayton in Game 1 of the best-of-seven series at Germain Arena in Estero, Fla.
Game 2 will be Thursday at Germain Arena before the series travels to the Nutter Center in Dayton for Games 3 and 4 on May 12 and 13 and Game 5, if necessary, on May 15. Game 6, if necessary, would be May 17 at Florida and Game 7, if necessary, would be played May 18 at Florida.
The winner will advance to meet the winner of the National Conference Finals in the best-of-seven Kelly Cup Finals scheduled May 23-June 6. The National Conference Finals begin on Monday when the defending Kelly Cup Champion Alaska Aces host the 2004 Kelly Cup Champion Idaho Steelheads in Game 1 of the best-of-seven series at Sullivan Arena.
Since becoming a coast-to-coast league in 2003-04, the Conference Finals have been played in Alaska, California, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, North Carolina, New Jersey, Ohio and Pennsylvania. This year’s Conference Finals will be played across three different time zones with Eastern (Dayton and Florida), Mountain (Idaho) and Alaskan. The Kelly Cup champions the last three years have come from Alaska (Aces in 2006), Idaho (Steelheads in 2004) and New Jersey (Trenton Titans in 2005) while the runner-ups have come from Florida (Everblades in 2004 and 2005) and Georgia (Gwinnett Gladiators in 2006).
Florida was 44-22-6 in the regular season and finished first in the American Conference and tied for third overall with 94 points while Dayton was 37-26-9 and finished first in the North Division and fifth in the conference in the regular season with 83 points.
Florida beat Texas 4-3 in overtime in Game 6 on Friday, advancing to the conference finals for the third time in the last four years after reaching the Kelly Cup Finals in 2004 and 2005. The Everblades, who swept Charlotte in the South Division Semifinals, have not missed the Kelly Cup Playoffs since joining the ECHL in 1998-99 and their nine consecutive appearances is the longest active streak.
Making its first postseason appearance since advancing to the Kelly Cup Finals in 2002, Dayton became only the third team in league history to overcome a 3-1 deficit when it beat Cincinnati in the North Division Finals. The Bombers, who improved 37 points from last season, swept Trenton in three games in the North Division Semifinals.
In the only meeting between the two teams on Nov. 4, 2006, Adam Berkhoel stopped 24 shots and Brent Walton (2g-0a) and Justin Maiser (0g-2a) each had two points in Dayton’s 4-2 win at the Nutter Center.
Paul Kelly leads the Bombers in the Kelly Cup Playoffs with seven goals and a plus-minus rating of +10 in 10 games while Vince Bellissimo leads the Everblades with seven goals, four power-play goals and 12 points in nine games.
Dayton’s Berkhoel is 7-3 and leads the Kelly Cup Playoffs with three shutouts while his goals-against average of 2.22 and save percentage of .925 rank sixth. Voted by league coaches as the ECHL Goaltender of the Year, Berkhoel is 3-0 with a shutout, a goals-against average of 1.67 and a save percentage of .950 in his last three starts. Florida’s Craig Kowalski is 7-2 and tied for second in the postseason with two shutouts while his save percentage of .935 is tied for fourth and his goals-against average of 2.02 ranks fifth.
Leading Florida to the Kelly Cup Playoffs in each of his six seasons, Gerry Fleming is 36-24 and is fifth in career postseason game and tied for fifth in career postseason wins. He is 243-137-52 in the regular season with the Everblades and 281-164-59 overall having coached his first season in Tallahassee in 2000-01. In his third season with the Bombers, Don MacAdam is 11-9 in the Kelly Cup Playoffs and 203-184-50 overall having coached Charlotte from 1999-2004.
Since becoming a national league in 2003-04, the ECHL has seen its Kelly Cup Champion come from Alaska with the Aces in 2006, New Jersey with the Trenton Titans in 2005 and Idaho with the Steelheads in 2004.
Game 2 will be Thursday at Germain Arena before the series travels to the Nutter Center in Dayton for Games 3 and 4 on May 12 and 13 and Game 5, if necessary, on May 15. Game 6, if necessary, would be May 17 at Florida and Game 7, if necessary, would be played May 18 at Florida.
The winner will advance to meet the winner of the National Conference Finals in the best-of-seven Kelly Cup Finals scheduled May 23-June 6. The National Conference Finals begin on Monday when the defending Kelly Cup Champion Alaska Aces host the 2004 Kelly Cup Champion Idaho Steelheads in Game 1 of the best-of-seven series at Sullivan Arena.
Since becoming a coast-to-coast league in 2003-04, the Conference Finals have been played in Alaska, California, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, North Carolina, New Jersey, Ohio and Pennsylvania. This year’s Conference Finals will be played across three different time zones with Eastern (Dayton and Florida), Mountain (Idaho) and Alaskan. The Kelly Cup champions the last three years have come from Alaska (Aces in 2006), Idaho (Steelheads in 2004) and New Jersey (Trenton Titans in 2005) while the runner-ups have come from Florida (Everblades in 2004 and 2005) and Georgia (Gwinnett Gladiators in 2006).
Florida was 44-22-6 in the regular season and finished first in the American Conference and tied for third overall with 94 points while Dayton was 37-26-9 and finished first in the North Division and fifth in the conference in the regular season with 83 points.
Florida beat Texas 4-3 in overtime in Game 6 on Friday, advancing to the conference finals for the third time in the last four years after reaching the Kelly Cup Finals in 2004 and 2005. The Everblades, who swept Charlotte in the South Division Semifinals, have not missed the Kelly Cup Playoffs since joining the ECHL in 1998-99 and their nine consecutive appearances is the longest active streak.
Making its first postseason appearance since advancing to the Kelly Cup Finals in 2002, Dayton became only the third team in league history to overcome a 3-1 deficit when it beat Cincinnati in the North Division Finals. The Bombers, who improved 37 points from last season, swept Trenton in three games in the North Division Semifinals.
In the only meeting between the two teams on Nov. 4, 2006, Adam Berkhoel stopped 24 shots and Brent Walton (2g-0a) and Justin Maiser (0g-2a) each had two points in Dayton’s 4-2 win at the Nutter Center.
Paul Kelly leads the Bombers in the Kelly Cup Playoffs with seven goals and a plus-minus rating of +10 in 10 games while Vince Bellissimo leads the Everblades with seven goals, four power-play goals and 12 points in nine games.
Dayton’s Berkhoel is 7-3 and leads the Kelly Cup Playoffs with three shutouts while his goals-against average of 2.22 and save percentage of .925 rank sixth. Voted by league coaches as the ECHL Goaltender of the Year, Berkhoel is 3-0 with a shutout, a goals-against average of 1.67 and a save percentage of .950 in his last three starts. Florida’s Craig Kowalski is 7-2 and tied for second in the postseason with two shutouts while his save percentage of .935 is tied for fourth and his goals-against average of 2.02 ranks fifth.
Leading Florida to the Kelly Cup Playoffs in each of his six seasons, Gerry Fleming is 36-24 and is fifth in career postseason game and tied for fifth in career postseason wins. He is 243-137-52 in the regular season with the Everblades and 281-164-59 overall having coached his first season in Tallahassee in 2000-01. In his third season with the Bombers, Don MacAdam is 11-9 in the Kelly Cup Playoffs and 203-184-50 overall having coached Charlotte from 1999-2004.
Since becoming a national league in 2003-04, the ECHL has seen its Kelly Cup Champion come from Alaska with the Aces in 2006, New Jersey with the Trenton Titans in 2005 and Idaho with the Steelheads in 2004.
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