 |
| POWER
PLAY |
22ND
- 13.9 |
| PENALTY
KILL |
2ND
- 86.5 |
| FORWARDS |
| JEFF
MILES |
29-47-76
(-7) |
| DANIEL
SPARRE |
28-26-54
(-7) |
| BRAD
RALPH |
18-31-49
(+1) |
| DEFENSEMEN |
| ERIC
LUNDBERG |
3-27-30
(-9) |
| TODD
PERRY |
6-22-28
(-1) |
| REID
CASHMAN |
5-22-27
(0) |
| GOALTENDERS |
| TODD
FORD |
21-14-4
(2 SO)
3.01 GA
.906 PCT |
|
| JEFF
JAKAITIS |
12-14-1
(2 SO)
2.92 GA
.909 PCT |
|
 |
|
 |
|
|
Columbia
vs Florida |
|
|
SCHEDULE |
|
1 |
APR.
9 |
COLUMBIA
3 - FLORIDA 2
(OT) |
SEED
5 |
2 |
APR.
11 |
COLUMBIA
3 - FLORIDA 1 |
SEED
4 |
33-28-5
(77) |
3 |
APR.
12 |
FLORIDA
2 - COLUMBIA 3 |
39-25-4
(86) |
| |
4 |
APR.
14 |
FLORIDA
at COLUMBIA |
|
| |
5 |
APR.
15 |
COLUMBIA
at FLORIDA |
|
| Columbia
Wins Series 3-0 |
|
SERIES
PREVIEW |
| |
Columbia,
SC - Despite 2008 beginning with bad news for
the Columbia Inferno with the announcement the South Division
side would be taking voluntary suspension for the 2008-09
season, the Inferno have kept the off ice affairs in the
office and continue to play a strong game on the ice.
Head coach Troy Mann has balanced both franchise issues and coped with a depleted roster for the majority of the latter stages of the season. With the poor performance from the Toronto Maple Leafs resulting in a number of call ups from the Toronto Marlies which in turn had a knock on affect for the Inferno. Mann managed to keep things ticking over bringing in a number of key players to help guide the Inferno to a fifth place finish on the final game of the regular season.
A final push on the last regular game of the season, the Inferno overcame Gwinnett Gladiators in a 5-2 victory. With the Charlotte Checkers winning at Gwinnett the following day the South Division was finally decided as the Inferno finished in fifth place securing a first round match up with fourth placed Florida Everblades.
The 2007-08 regular season series has seen the two teams sharing the eight game series. The Inferno finished the regular season with four victories and four losses which included a overtime loss back in November 2007 on the road.
Series overview:
Columbia Inferno:
The Inferno have been boosted by Tyler Doig,Peter Tsimikalis and Patrick Weller from the Marlies. Weller knows what it takes to win a Kelly Cup lifting it in 2005-06 with Alaska Aces. Top points scorer Jeff Miles will look to continue his good form. The key player for the Inferno will be Daniel Sparre.
Special teams will play a big part in this match-up and with the Inferno very poor on the powerplay and the Everblades ranked third in penalty killing the Inferno will have to improve when at an advantage. If Todd Ford can keep fit in net, Troy Mann could see his Inferno reach the next round in a closely fought battle.
Florida Everblades:
The Everblades main threat is left wing Derek Damon. The 28 year old has scored six times against the Inferno this season. The Everblades are carrying a three game winning streak into round one, momentum gained could see the Everblades get off to a good start at home.The Everblades have outscored the Inferno 26-21 in the eight game season match-up. This is the first ever meeting between the two teams in the playoffs and with the Everblades at home in game one they will be looking to set the marker for the series.
Intangibles:
The Infernos attendance at home is below 3000 compared to a 6000 plus attendance for the Everblades, this could be factor should the Inferno players need lifting. Power play is a major concern for the Inferno who will have to rely on even strength goals if the power play isn't producing.
Everglades faults lie in net. Two very young netminders in David Shantz and Kevin Nastiuk have very little playoff experience which could be costly down the stretch.
Prediction:
3-2 series victory for Columbia Inferno
Contact the author at Kevin.oconnor@prohockeynews.com |
|
| Game
1 |
Columbia
3 - Florida 2 (OT) |
|
by Kevin O'Connor - PROHOCKEYNEWS.COM |
Columbia
Leads Series 1-0 |
Estero,
FL - Game one of the South Division quarter
final got underway in the best possible way for the traveling
Columbia Inferno. A tight victory in overtime secured
the points against an in form Florida Everblades team.
The two rivals have been very close throughout the regular
season and this round one game was no different.
In front of the 3,283 spectators at the Germain Arena
the home side drew first blood. With Inferno blueliner
Patrick Weller sitting for two minutes roughing, Everblades
Kirk Macdonald let rip a perfectly placed wrist shot between
the pads of Todd Ford.
The first period past without further scoring or penalties
as the two sides continued to cancel each other out with
the Everblades just outshooting the Inferno 7-6. A close
fought second ended with a goal from Inferno Steve McJannet
after latching on to a spilled puck from Everblades netminder
Kevin Natiuk.
Halfway through the third Everblades took the lead from
a coast to coast play by defender Brett Peterson who in
turn received the puck back from left winger Derek Damon
to backhand over a Todd Ford poke-checking stick.
The celebrations were short lived for the Everblades as
just under two minutes later the Inferno leveled the score
taking the game to overtime from Inferno top scorer Jeff
Miles. Just twenty seconds into the overtime period a
tough center ice check from McJannet spilled the puck
lose from a puck carrying Peterson. Inferno center Mac
Faulkner latched onto to the lose puck baring down on
the Everblades net took a wrist shot from just outside
the circle to the right of Nastuik sending the puck over
the netminders glove to end the game, 3-2 Inferno.
Inferno duo Mac Faulkner (goal) and Jeff Miles(goal) received
first and second star with the Everblades defenceman Brett
Peterson (goal) receiving the third.
The Everblades will host game two Friday April 11 before
the series moves to the the home of the Inferno Carolina
Coliseum.
Contact the author at Kevin.oconnor@prohockeynews.com |
|
| Game
2 |
Columbia
3 - Florida 1 |
|
by Kevin O'Connor - PROHOCKEYNEWS.COM |
Columbia
Leads Series 2-0 |
Estero,
FL - Columbia netminder Todd Ford stopped
36 of 37 shots to send the favored Everblades to the brink
of elimination with game three scheduled to be played
in South Carolina on Saturday.
The differences between the two teams on this night were
the little misses that can separate a win from defeat.
Florida's effort was almost comically inefficient as they
even missed in a spearing match between Columbia's Jeff
Miles and Florida's Kirk MacDonald. Miles connected, and
earned a match penalty for his accuracy and skill with
a spear, while MacDonald missed his jab and was assessed
an attempt to spear double minor.
MacDonald's radar was better when he was trying to score
and he gave the Everblades the early lead when he slid
a pass from Derek Damon behind Ford. But it was one and
done for Florida as Ford shut them down the rest of the
way.
Tyler Doig evened the match in the second period and just
a little bit over two minutes later the Inferno capitalized
on their only power play of the evening when Daniel Sparre
found the range. The final score was cemented when Mac
Faulkner padded his stats with an unassisted goal with
just two seconds remaining in the contest.
Contact the author at Kevin.oconnor@prohockeynews.com |
|
| Game
3 |
Florida
2 - Columbia 3 |
|
by Kevin O'Connor - PROHOCKEYNEWS.COM |
Columbia
Wins Series 3-0 |
Estero,
FL - In the end the Columbia Inferno might
be going on hiatus but the date was pushed back further
into the spring as they will move on to play another series.
Led by the play of netminder Todd Ford, the Inferno, who
finished nine points behind the Everblades in the standings,
swept Florida from the postseason.
Ford played very well in the first two games in the series
and followed those efforts with a 33 save outing in the
final game of the set. Ford was given a breather in this
game as the Inferno jumped out to a two-goal lead thanks
to tallies by Reid Cashman and Daniel Sparre who cleanly
beat Florida netminder David Shantz.
 |
Florida's Derek Damon did not go down in defeat quietly.
The Everblades forward cranked nine shots on Ford and
assisted on Brandon Roach's goal to put Florida on the
board. Although the goal was a fluke, it popped into the
air and rolled down Ford's back after the initial save
was made, the Everblades had a shot at a comeback.
But Inferno captain Brad Ralph gave his club a needed
insurance goal when he snapped a puck past Shantz at the
11:05 mark. Columbia's tension was only relieved for less
than 15 seconds when Damon scored to bring Florida to
within a goal, but the Everblades could never muster the
tying goal.
With the win Columbia joined the Gwinnett Gladiators in
the South Division semifinals. If the remaining series
stand as they do now the Inferno and Gladiators will meet
up in the second round. Should South Carolina rally against
the Augusta Lynx the Inferno would have to take on the
first place Texas Wildcatters.
Contact the author at Kevin.oconnor@prohockeynews.com |
|
|
 |
|
 |
| POWER
PLAY |
15TH
- 17.0 |
| PENALTY
KILL |
3RD
- 86. 4 |
| FORWARDS |
| DEREK
DAMON |
25-50-75
(+17) |
| ERNIE
HARTLIEB |
24-41-65
(+22) |
| PRESTON
CALLENDAR |
25-32-57
(+22) |
| DEFENSEMEN |
| DAVID
CORNACCHIA |
9-32-41
(+3) |
| BRANDON
ROACH |
12-22-34
(+15) |
| STEVE
CZECH |
4-10-14
(+7) |
| GOALTENDERS |
| DAVID
SHANTZ |
11-5-1
(0 SO)
2.56 GA
.916 PCT |
|
| KEVIN
NASTIUK |
6-5-0
(2 SO)
2.44 GA
.912 PCT |
|
|
|
