Dashers claim Commisioner’s Cup on home ice

By Jim den Hollander

Editor

Midwesthockey.info

The Federal Hockey League’s Commisioner’s Cup will stay in the Midwest for another year after the Danville Dasher’s 4-1 win on home ice on Wednesday night.

After splitting the first two on home ice, the Dashers earned another split on the road to give the 1,154 fans in attendance at the David S. Palmer Arena a chance to cheer on the home team as it hoisted the Commisioner’s Cup in the fifth game of the championship series against the Berlin River Drivers.

Daniel Turgeon sank the only goal of the opening period and Justin Levac added another 6:25 into the middle frame – that one standing up as the ultimate game winner.

Turgeon nailed another one 19 seconds from the end of the second period and Brian Soskin gave the home team an insurmountable cushion 4:43 into the third.

John Celli responded with the lone River Drivers’ goal a couple of minutes later, but that was the only shot of 32 to elude Louie George in the Dashers’ goal on this night.

The Dashers also reached the Commisioner’s Cup final last season, but fell to the Port Huron Prowlers in that one. The defending Cup champs failed to reach the post season this year, thanks in part to a brilliant finish to the campaign by the River Drivers who not only claimed the final playoff spot, but moved all of the way up to second, entering the post season as perhaps the hottest team in the league.

Dashers also claimed the Regular season title this season with a 39-9-4-4 record and a total of 129 points, 35 ahead of the second River Drivers.