SPHL set for another fantastic finish

ORLANDO, FLA – The days may be getting longer but the tempers are getting shorter around the SPHL. It’s March and the regular season is down to single digit games for all eight teams and with playoff spots and seedings on the line, every goal, save and line shift can be the difference between playing into April or playing golf.
There have been plenty of surprises, both good and bad, so far but the best may be yet to come. Here’s where we stand heading into the final three weekends.
As they were a year ago, the Mississippi Surge (31-18) are atop the standings and closing in on their second straight William Coffey trophy as regular season champs. The run has been quite different this year as the roster has been in significant flux.

Steve Weidlich, last year’s SPHL Defenseman of the Year, has missed much of the season due to an injury and probably will not be back for the playoffs. Star forward Matt Zultek is about to come off a 10-game suspension during which his teammates looked somewhat vulnerable, going 5-4 in the first nine games. Up by four points on second place Augusta, the Surge’s magic number (combination of Mississippi wins and Augusta losses) for clinching the number one seed is six. Their closing schedule includes three games with Columbus and three games with Pensacola, both of which are fighting for the fourth seed.
The biggest surprise of the 2010-2011 season has to be the expansion Augusta RiverHawks (29-20). Rookie coach Brad Ralph built the roster from scratch and had many players get called up to higher leagues, forcing Ralph and general manager Mark Richards to fill the gaps. So far, their personnel moves have the RiverHawks in second place just four points behind the Surge. They are also four points ahead of Huntsville.Augusta’s magic number to hold on to second is seven but two head-to-head meetings with the Havoc (March 12th in Huntsville and March 19th in Augusta) will go a long way to deciding post-season positioning. If the Surge stumble down the stretch, the RiverHawks could find themselves in the penthouse as the number one team.
The defending President’s Cup champion Huntsville Havoc (27-21) sit in third, four points behind Augusta and just two slim points ahead of Columbus and Pensacola who are tied for fourth. The Havoc have six of their final eight games at home in the Von Braun Center, a place that is usually tough to play in for opponents. That being said, five of the final eight contests are against Augusta (twice), Columbus (once) and Pensacola (twice) so if Huntsville fails to take care of business, they could easily end up sliding down to fifth or worse.
While Mississippi, Augusta and Huntsville have already locked down playoff berths, the battle for the final three spots will most likely go to the final weekend.
Columbus and Pensacola are tied for fourth with identical 26-23 records. The two teams are on opposite ends on the spectrum with the Cottonmouths 7-3 in their last ten games while the Ice Flyers are 3-7 in the same period. Columbus has a much better schedule with five of its last seven at home while Pensacola only has three home tilts in itsfinal seven games. The teams have finished their head-to-head meetings with Pensacola taking four of the seven contests so Columbus must outright beat the Ice Flyers.
The Cottonmouths start the final stretch with back-to-back home games with Mississippi, the second of which will see the return of the Surge’s Matt Zultek from a 10-game suspension. In all, Columbus will battle the Surge – a team they have only beaten once this season – three times in its remaining games. The Cottonmouths will also play Louisiana twice and Huntsville and Augusta once each.
Pensacola has possibly an even tougher schedule with three meetings with both Mississippi and Huntsville all sandwiched around a game against Louisiana. The Ice Flyers are 1-5 against the Havoc thisseason and 3-7 when facing the Surge. Like Columbus, Pensacola will have to turn both season series around if they are to stay in the playoff hunt.
Sitting six points out of fourth and four points ahead of Fayetteville, Knoxville (23-27) has hold of the sixth and final playoff position – for now. The Ice Bears have been inconsistent at times but have been dazzling in others. Rookie coach Mike Craigen has shown he’s not afraid to tinker with the lineup, making dozens of moves to try to find the right chemistry.His best move may have been to get former SPHL MVP Rob Sich from Huntsville. In five games with the Ice Bears, Sich has five goals and three assists but more importantly, he has led a resurgence of the Knoxville offense. Knoxville heads into its last six games without defenseman Mark VanVliet and forward Emery Olauson, both of whom are on the injured list.
Knoxville’s final games include three meetings with Fayetteville, where Sich played until earlier this season. Add in two games against Augusta on the road and the season finale in Huntsville and the Bears will be hard pressed. All they need is to go 4-2 in the remaining games to clinch the playoff berth. The key games will be against the FireAntz because Fayetteville has to win out to have any shot.
Maybe the most surprising team in a negative way has been Fayetteville (21-29). The FireAntz are on the outside looking in, trailing bitter rival Knoxville by four for the final post-season spot. A team that had so much promise at the start of the season, Fayetteville just never got rolling in a positive direction.It didn’t help when two players were arrested in December for drug possession (the charges were later dropped) and the typical second-half charge, a hallmark of Tommy Stewart-coached teams, never came. Stewart waived Mark Versteeg-Lytwyn and two weeks later traded Rob Sich to Huntsville. Mike Carter, who the FireAntz got in return for Sich, has put up almost a point per game but was not the spark needed to light the fire.
The FireAntz can’t afford any losses in their final six games, especially the three with Knoxville. If Fayetteville sweeps against the Ice Bears, they could run the table and max out at 54 points while Knoxville could only get to 52, giving the Antz the last playoff spot. Short of that, Fayetteville will need help from Augusta and Huntsville.
Once again, Louisiana (15-37) will miss the playoffs but there is some light at the end of the tunnel. Despite the IceGators’ 20-game losing streak, new coach Kevin Kaminski was able to get the team to play much better. According to reports, Kaminski has already talked to ownerChuck Anselmo and his son about coming back for the 2011-2012 campaign.
After having two whole weeks off due to a quirk in the schedule, Louisiana has four road games remaining including two with Columbus and one each against Pensacola and Mississippi. Kaminski’s boys can put a wrench or two into other team’s plans by playing spoiler, especially with the pair against the Cottonmouths. The IceGators lost the season series with Columbus but has beaten the Snakes in each of the last two meetings.
So buckle up, grab the popcorn and enjoy the ride SPHL fans. It’s going to be a wild one.
Contact the author at don.money@prohockeynews.com Photos by Stephanie Simpers