ACHL News and Notes: Clinching Scenario & Milestones

The final week of the season is upon us, and there is still plenty to decide — as well as some milestones to celebrate.

Clinching Scenarios
The Stoney Creek Tigers and Wentworth Gryphins play each other twice this week in a pair of head-to-head matchups.

The Tigers can clinch first place with a win in regulation, overtime, or shootout.

The Gryphins can clinch first place with two wins in any fashion.

Final Two Playoff Spots
It's a dog fight right to the end for the final two playoff spots. The Dundas Real McCoys and Cambridge Hornets are tied for third, with the McCoys currently holding the tiebreaker on head-to-head points. St. Catharines sits five points back with two games remaining this week — both against Dundas and the Hornets.

Either the McCoys or the Hornets can clinch a playoff spot by defeating St. Catharines this week. If they split those games, the team that beats the Saints will finish third and the other fourth. The Saints, meanwhile, can clinch a playoff spot and third place by winning both of their remaining games, which would push Dundas into fourth.

Should St. Catharines beat Dundas on Friday night and then pick up an overtime or shootout win over the Hornets on Saturday, Cambridge will secure third place. This would leave the McCoys and St. Catharines tied in the standings and the first two tie-breakers (Wins, then Head to Head points). It would go to the third tie-breaker which is Goal Differential. Currently, Dundas is at minus-25 and the Saints are at minus-51. Friday's game would have to have a 13-goal differential in favour of the Saints to move on with this scenario.

Milestones
On Friday, February 20th, three milestones were reached in the game between the Wentworth Gryphins and Cambridge Hornets. Cam Watson of the Hornets played in his 200th ACHL game, becoming just the second player in league history to reach that mark. Also in that contest, Wentworth's Matt MacLeod and Tyler VanKleef each became the newest members of the 100 career ACHL points club. Then on Family Day Monday, Matt Sagrott of the Stoney Creek Tigers earned his 20th career ACHL victory, moving him into tenth place all-time in goaltender wins.

What to Watch For
Brad Bonello of Dundas is one goal away from his 100th career ACHL goal. If he scores Friday, he'll become the eighth player in league history to reach the milestone.

Dominic Crnogorac will skate in his 100th ACHL game the next time he suits up for the Stoney Creek Tigers — his first opportunity comes Thursday night in Waterdown against the Gryphins.

Simon Mangos of the Dundas Real McCoys is just two goals away from tying Jamie Williams for the all-time ACHL lead in goals scored by a defenseman; Mangos currently sits at 32. 

Stoney Creek's Daniel Svedin is just three minutes of play away from tying Brett Leggat for second place in all-time ACHL goaltender minutes played. And Wentworth's Matt Camilleri, currently eighth all-time with 2,877 goaltender minutes, sits just 16 minutes back of Dundas' Ryan DeMelo.