2009 ECHL Kelly Cup finals preview

ANCHORAGE, Alaska – Fresh off convincing four-game sweeps in their respective Conference Finals, the Alaska Aces will now meet the South Carolina Stingrays in the 2009 Kelly Cup Finals, which open at Sullivan Arena in Anchorage this Friday and Saturday in the best-of-seven series During the regular season, the Stingrays finished in second place of the South Division behind the Florida Everblades while Alaska finished in first place of the West Division. Alaska defeated the Las Vegas Wranglers in the National Conference Finals, has won 27 of their last 33 games, has outscored it’s opposition 52-22, and has won 12 of 14 playoff games to advance to the ECHL championship round for the second time in four seasons. The Aces won the Kelly Cup in 2006 by beating the Gwinnett Gladiators in five games.

South Carolina advanced to the finals thanks to a four game sweep of the defending Kelly Cup champion Cincinnati Cyclones. The South Carolina Stingrays are heading to the ECHL Championship Series for the third time in team history. The Stingrays won both of their previous trips to the finals. In 1997 they defeated the now defunct Louisiana Ice Gators in five games 4-1, and in 2001 they defeated the Trenton Titans (now known as the Trenton Devils), also in five games. The Stingrays have outscored their opponents 62-46. Trent Campbell is third in playoff scoring with 18 points behind two members of the Aces for the league lead: Josh Soares and Colin Hemingway each have 22 points respectively. Soares is second overall with 9 goals while Hemingway leads the league with 15 assists (Campbell has 14). Alaska’s J.P. Lamoureux leads all goaltenders in goals against average (1.57), save percentage (.949), wins (12), and shutouts (4). He is clearly the leading candidate for playoff MVP. The Stingrays are the ECHL affiliate of the Washington Capitals, while Alaska is the affiliate of the St. Louis Blues. The two teams are separated by 4,517 miles. The Stingrays are based in Charleston, S.C. and actually lined up against each other in the pre-season more than seven months ago. Alaska beat South Carolina 3-2 in overtime on October 8, but fell by a score of 5-1 the next night. Only six players who were dressed in the series remain with the Stingrays. Defenseman Patrick Wellar played two seasons with the Aces on 2006 Kelly Cup championship team. Playoff Schedule Friday: South Carolina at Alaska, 11:15 p.m. Saturday: South Carolina at Alaska, 11:15 p.m. Wednesday, May 27: Alaska at South Carolina, 7:05 p.m. Friday, May 29: Alaska at South Carolina, 7:05 p.m. Saturday, May 30: Alaska at South Carolina, 7:05 p.m., if nec. Thursday, June 4: South Carolina at Alaska, 11:15 p.m., if nec. Friday, June 5: South Carolina at Alaska, 11:15 p.m., if necessary Contact the author at Brian.Jennings@prohockeynews.com