ORLANDO, FLA – When the Southern Professional Hockey League began it’s fifth anniversary season back in October, all everyone talked about was the balance of talent among the league’s six teams. Every team had the capability to beat everyone else on a given night and do so convincingly. The only true question was whether, for the first time in SPHL history, the defending champion could post back-to-back titles or who would be the team that would steal the crown.
The answers to both questions will begin to be answered on Friday night when the defending President’s Cup champion Knoxville Ice Bears host the Fayetteville FireAntz at the Knoxville Civic Center in game one of the best-of-seven series. The Ice Bears will be chasing history while the FireAntz will be looking for their second title in three seasons.
“Fayetteville beat a very good Columbus team in a fifth game on the road,” Knoxville coach Scott Hillman said. “I expect a very tough series. The level (of) play is so even that we know it will be tough.”
Looking at the season series on paper, you might think that Knoxville has a decided edge – and you’d probably be right. Knoxville went 8-3 against Fayetteville, including winning four of the six contests at the Crown Coliseum in Fayetteville. You would see that in two-goal games, the Ice Bears had a 3-0 mark and a 2-1 record in three-goal games. Knoxville outscored Fayetteville 42-29 in head-to-head match-ups.
Fayetteville held its own in one-goal games, winning two of the four times games with the Ice Bears were decided by the slimmest of margins. They held a decidedly large margin in shots on net, taking 424 to Knoxville’s 317. The FireAntz also scored more goals on the power play (12 to 10) and had a better success ratio (25 percent to Knoxville’s 17.2 percent). Finally, Fayetteville goalie Guy St. Vincent was able to throw a shutout at Knoxville, something the Ice Bears’ net minders could not do against the ‘Antz.
“It’s just going to come down to goaltending I think. From what I hear, Huntsville out shot them almost four to one in the series and Gallant came up huge for them,” Fayetteville coach Tommy Stewart said. “We’ve got to get to him. They’re a great team but they can be beat. Huntsville proved that. It’s going to be a good series.”
The road to the Finals…
Both teams needed the maximum five games to get to the finals but the routes traveled were quite different.
Knoxville was given the task of taking on the fourth place Huntsville Havoc in the semifinals. The Ice Bears shot out to a 2-0 series lead thanks to its potent offense in game one and the ability to come from behind in game two. Needing to win just once in Huntsville, Knoxville uncharacteristically let leads slip away in both games three and four, allowing the Havoc to tie the series and send it to a deciding game five. In the final game, the Ice Bears again watched as Huntsville erased their lead but finally had the last answer, winning in overtime Wednesday night.
Playing in the two-three series, Fayetteville knew that it would have its hands full with the Columbus Cottonmouths. Following a 9-3 loss in game one, the FireAntz responded in game two with a 7-3 victory followed by a back and forth struggle that Fayetteville won in overtime in game three. A less than stellar performance in game four allowed Columbus to tie the series, setting the stage for game five in Columbus. This time, the FireAntz were ready and shut out the Cottonmouths on their own ice to win the game and the series.
The offenses…
There isn’t much that can be said about the offensive firepower of both squads. They each have the ability to strike quickly and in bunches or to wear the opposition defense down with relentless pressure.
In Knoxville, many discussions start and finish with the number one line. The trio of Kevin Swider, Tim Vitek and Mike Carter is, in a word, spectacular. The three combined for 239 regular season points and an aggregate plus/minus rating of plus-76. In the semifinal series, Vitek (3-5-8), Swider (1-7-8) and Carter (2-1-3) picked up one-third of the Ice Bears’ goals and 19 of the team’s 50 overall points.
Lest anyone think that coach Hillman has all the eggs in one basket, a look at the roster shows plenty of depth. Bobby Joe Pelkey (3-2-5), Shaun Norrie (1-4-5), Derek Pallardy (1-2-3), Frank Furdero (1-1-2) and Chris Rebernik (1-1-2) all found the back of the net against the Havoc.
Fayetteville’s top line in the semifinals wasn’t the one that got the most attention in the regular season. Coach Tommy Stewart’s second line of Dan Buccella, Emery Olauson and Brett Needham did the most damage against Columbus. Buccella (5-5-10), Olauson (3-8-11) and Needham (2-6-8) accounted for more than half of the FireAntz’ offensive output in the series.
The number one line of Rob Sich (1-1-2), Chris Leveille (1-0-1) and Matt Moreland (0-1-1) never got untracked but if they do, they are just as explosive and electric as Knoxville’s top three. Even the third line that features speedster Rob Colangelo – who had a hat trick in game two – is a threat whenever it hit’s the ice.
The defenses…
Knoxville was the best defensive team in the regular season while Fayetteville was middle of the pack. In the semifinals, Knoxville gave up the least goals and Fayetteville gave up the most. Both have the capability to shut the doors tightly.
The Ice Bears take great pride in their defense but that is only half the story. During the semis, Knoxville’s blue line squad all posted even or plus ratings and four of the six delivered points. Mark Van Vliet (1-4-5, plus-1) led the scoring parade with Kevin Harris (2-1-3, plus-1), Chris Brannon (2-0-2, plus-1) and Brett Smith (0-1-1, plus-3) making contributions.
The FireAntz’ defense didn’t fare as well in the plus/minus ratings but like Fayetteville, four put up points. Late season addition Bob Rapoza (2-4-6, plus-3) led the way and got help from Lawne Snyder (1-2-3), Craig Geerlinks (1-1-2) and captain Corey Hessler (0-2-2).
The goaltenders…
Of the playing positions, this one has the potential to be the deciding factor and the most captivating on the ice.
No team in the league had a better tandem during the regular season than the Ice Bears. Andrew Gallant, who led the league in multiple categories during the regular season, saw the majority of the time in net during the Huntsville series. Posting a 3-1 record with a 2.82 goals against average and a .932 save percentage only begins to tell the story of how good he has been. Last year’s playoff MVP Kirk Irving played in only one game but can be counted on should he get the call.
Down the other end, Fayetteville’s goaltending duties has been a one man show as well. Stewart brought in Guy St. Vincent toward the end of the season and he has rewarded the coach with stellar play. Game two not withstanding, St. Vincent has a 3-2 post season record with a 3.27 goals against average, a .906 save percentage and a shut out in the series-clinching game on Wednesday. Should St. Vincent need a break, Fayetteville has Chad Collins, a former playoff MVP himself, waiting in the wings to show everyone that he is still a top notch net minder.
The inside stories…
There are plenty of story lines to watch in this series. The scoring battle between Swider and Sich has the potential to be a headliner as will the goaltending match-up. Of course, there is Fayetteville coach Stewart who will be chasing the championship ring that has eluded him thus far in his coaching career, including the 2006 title that Knoxville won over Stewart’s Florida Seals. Then there is the back-to-back championship history that the Ice Bears want to accomplish. The list goes on and on.
Picking a winner in this series is tough but Knoxville may have an edge because of having home ice. Otherwise, it has the potential to be a seven game knock down, drag out fight. So get your tickets early and hang on tight because this could be a series for the ages.
PHN reporter Phil Brand contributed to this report.
Contact the author at don.money@prohockeynews.com
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