Boardwalk Bullies
News Archive

May 21, 2002 ---- June 2, 2003

MAY 14, 2003

The Atlantic City Boardwalk Bullies are the East Coast Hockey League's 2002/2003 Kelly Cup Champions! Kevin Colley notched his 13th goal of the postseason on a power play midway through the opening period for a 1-0 Bullies advantage. Atlantic City made it 2-0 late in the 2nd period on J.F. Caudron's 12th goal of the playoffs, then Caudron registered number 13 just 39 seconds into the third frame. The Columbia Inferno offered one last breath on the season, scoring 31 seconds later, but that was all she wrote for the ECHL's 15th season. Scott Stirling stopped 29 of 30 shots for the 3-1 Championship-clinching victory. Colley was selected as the Kelly Cup Playoffs Most Valuable Player, but Caudron probably equally deserves the honors. Congratulations to Head Coach Mike Haviland and the entire Atlantic City Boardwalk Bullies on a phenomenal season and New Jersey's first and only ECHL Championship!


MAY 12, 2003

The Boardwalk Bullies are 1 win away from winning the Kelly Cup! Kevin Colley notched a pair of opening period goals and Atlantic City never looked back en route to a 3-1 Game 4 victory. The Columbia Inferno sliced the deficit in half with a power play goal late in the 2nd period, but the Bullies hung on until Jim Henkel put the final nail in the coffin with an empty-netter in the final seconds of regulation. Scott Stirling stopped 23 of 24 shots for the win, rebounding nicely from his Game 3 performance. The Boardwalk Bullies will have the chance to clinch the Championship in front of their home crowd Wednesday night at Boardwalk Hall.


APRIL 23, 2003

The Atlantic City Boardwalk Bullies rallied back from a 4-2 third period deficit to beat the Cincinnati Cyclones 5-4 in Game 1 of the Northern Conference Finals! The Northwest Division champion Cyclones scored early in the 1st period, and added a power play goal 61 into the 2nd period for a 2-0 lead. Atlantic City rebounded with goals from Shawn Maltby and Kevin Colley to tie the game 2-2, but Cincinnati lit the lantern less than a minute later for a 3-2 advantage midway through the game. The Cyclones established a 4-2 lead 2:05 into the 3rd period, but the Bullies rallied with goals from Colley, Ian Walterson, and Stefan Rivard for a 5-4 win! It was Rivard's 2nd consecutive game-winner. Scott Stirling picked up the victory in his shaky return to the Bullies, stopping 21 of 25 shots. Rookie surprise Jake Moreland was cut from the roster upon Stirling's return. Game 2 is Friday night at Boardwalk Hall.


APRIL 18, 2003

For the second consecutive year, the Boardwalk Bullies are headed to the Northern Conference Finals! Ian Walterson's power play goal gave Atlantic City a 1-0 edge early in the opening period, but the Generals erased their deficit less than 2 minutes into the 2nd period, then grabbed a 2-1 lead at the 3:54 mark of the middle frame. The Bullies tied the game 62 seconds later on a power play goal from Kevin Colley, setting up Stefan Rivard's game-winner / series-winner with 4:31 remaining in regulation. Rookie netminder Jake Moreland earned his 2nd consecutive victory in goal, stopping 33 of 35 Greensboro shots. With the 3-2 win and 3-1 series victory, Atlantic City advances to face the head-turning Cincinnati Cyclones in the Northern Conference Finals (where the Bullies fell to the Dayton Bombers 3 games to 1 last year). The Bullies face a Cyclones team that stunned Northwest Division powerhouses Toledo Storm and Peoria Rivermen. Game 1 of the best-of-seven series (a change since last year) is Wednesday night at Atlantic City's Boardwalk Hall.


APRIL 16, 2003

The Boardwalk Bullies rallied from a 3-2 deficit to a 6-3 road victory to stake a 2-1 series lead over the Greensboro Generals in the Northeast Division Finals. Ryan Mougenel scored 6:18 into the game for an Atlantic City advantage, but the home team responded with a set of goals for a 2-1 lead later in the period. The Bullies knotted the game at 2-2 on a Peter Metcalf power play tally just 27 seconds into the 2nd period, but the Generals scored a few minutes later to reclaim the lead. Atlantic City tied the game at the 13:00 mark of the 2nd frame on a Shawn Maltby goal, then registered a trio of unanswered goals in the final period (Kevin Colley, Ian Walterson, Scott Matzka) for the knockout punch. Goalie Jake Moreland made a brilliant Bullies debut, stopping 19 of 20 shots in relief of Matt Yeats (who stopped 7 of 9 shots in the 1st period). The Bullies look to close out the series with a win Friday night in Greensboro to challenge the Cincinnati Cyclones in the Northern Conference Finals.


APRIL 12, 2003

Atlantic City suffered it's first setback of the postseason, falling to the Greensboro Generals 3-2 in overtime. First period goals from Scott Matzka and J.F. Caudron bookended two Generals tallies for 2-2 tie that remained throughout the balance of regulation. Seventy-three seconds into the bonus round, Greensboro scored to even the Northeast Division Finals at one game apiece. Matt Yeats suffered his first playoff loss with 21 saves on 24 shots as he was upstaged by former NHL netminder Daniel Berthiaume's 37 save performance.


APRIL 11, 2003

The Boardwalk Bullies captured Game 1 of the Northeast Division Finals 3-2 over the visiting Greensboro Generals, courtesy of a J.F. Caudron goal 4:11 into overtime. It was Caudron's 3rd game-winner out of 4 AC playoff games. Peter Metcalf gave the Bullies a 1-0 lead midway through the opening period, but the Generals stormed back with a pair of goals in the second stanza for a 2-1 lead. With 3 minutes remaining in regulation, Kevin Colley scored the equalizer to set up Caudron's overtime heroics. Matt Yeats gloved his 4th consecutive playoff win with 21 saves on 23 shots.


APRIL 7, 2003

Deja vu all over again! For the second year in a row, the Trenton Titans offered little resistance as the intrastate rival Atlantic City Boardwalk Bullies swept them out of the playoffs! A Titans team that barely made the postseason proved that they didn't belong. The Bullies staked a disheartening 3-0 lead in the opening period on goals from Ian Walterson, Jim Henkel, and Shawn Maltby before B.J. Kilbourne put Trenton on the scoreboard 17:10 into the period. Kevin Colley bagged a power play goal with 33 seconds left in the opening act for a 4-1 lead, which J.F. Caudron extended 6:30 into the middle frame with a power play tally. The Titans' 2002/2003 season exhibited one last gasp for air in the 3rd period with goals from Eric Betournay and Marco Charpentier to trim the deficit to 5-3, but AC responded with goals from Scott Matzka and Paul Spadafora for the 7-3 finale. Cody Rudkowsky finished out his dismal postseason at 0-3 with 16 saves on 22 shots, while Matt Yeats improved to 3-0 with 22 saves on 25 shots. The Boardwalk Bullies advance to the Northeast Division Semi-Finals while the Trenton Titans hit the golf course with their earliest tee time in franchise history.


APRIL 4, 2003

The sense of deja vu is enormous. Recycling their script from last season's Northeast Division Finals showdown with Trenton, the Boardwalk Bullies shut out the Titans in Game 2 after posting a narrow 4-3 victory in Game 1 of this year's Northeast Division Semi-Finals. It's amazing that the Titans and Bullies have evenly split their 20 regular season contests, but Atlantic City has capture all 5 of their playoff bouts. Will Monday's Game 3 repeat history for another Bullies sweep? Is that Jack Kervorkian standing in the shadows behind the Titans' bench? Former Titans players/prospects continued to make Trenton suffer with J.F. Caudron striking again late in the 1st period for a 1-0 AC lead, then Paul Spadafora notching his 2nd goal of the series 6:27 into the 2nd period. Caudron then assisted on a Jade Galbraith goal late in the middle frame for an intimidating 3-0 advantage as the Bullies dominated their intrastate rivals. With Spadafora assisting, Shawn Maltby became the 3rd Bully of the evening to post a goal in consecutive playoff games, establishing the 4-0 final score early in the 3rd period. For the 2nd straight night, Titan Slayer Caudron pocketed the game-winning goal. Cody Rudkowsky turned in a carbon copy performance with 27 saves on 31 shots for his 2nd playoff loss while Matt Yeats earned the playoff shutout with 22 saves. For the Trenton Titans to avoid elimination on Monday night at Sovereign Bank Arena, they must do something they have never done before: beat the Bullies in the postseason. To advance to the division semi-finals, they must win 3 consecutive games against them. If someone can only find the Titans that topped the Bullies last Saturday, they can keep the Miracle on Broad Street alive, otherwise the Boardwalk Bullies will move on to terrorize the next team that staggers into the Kelly Cup schoolyard.


APRIL 2, 2003

The Boardwalk Bullies captured Round 1 of the Northeast Division Semi-Finals with a 4-3 victory over the Titans. Trenton jumped out to a 2-0 first period lead on a pair of goals from Tyler Beechey, but Atlantic City fought back with goals from Shawn Maltby and Paul Spadafora in the middle frame to tie the game at 2 apiece. The Bullies staked their first lead of the night 8:58 into the 3rd period on a Peter Metcalf power play tally, then J.F. "Titan Slayer" Caudron added an insurance goal at the 13:36 mark. Caudron's goal held up as the game-winner after Trenton's Matt Zultek scored at 18:28 with the goalie pulled for an extra attacker. However, it was too little, too late as the Boardwalk Bullies claimed Game 1 of the Best-of-Five series. Matt Yeats picked up the win in goal for AC with 20 saves on 23 shots, while Cody Rudkowsky absorbed the loss for the Titans after stopping 27 of 31 shots. Game 2 is Friday night at Atlantic City's Boardwalk Hall.


MARCH 30, 2003

It took the full 72-game schedule to do it, but the Atlantic City Boardwalk Bullies are the 2002/2003 ECHL Northeast Division regular season champions! Jim Henkel notched the 31st and 32nd goals of his rookie season to lead the Bullies to a 6-3 romp over the visiting Reading Royals. The visitors claimed a 1-0 lead 6:46 into the game but Stefan Rivard and Henkel scored late in the period for a 2-1 AC advantage. The Bullies padded their lead in the 2nd frame with tallies from J.F. Caudron (his franchise record 39th goal of the year) and Joe Talbot. Reading attempted a comeback with a power play goal 3:54 into the 3rd period, but the Bullies responded with goals from Scott Matzka and Henkel for a 6-2 lead. The Royals found the scoreboard one last time for the season, midway through the period, for a 6-3 final. Matt Yeats closed out the season with the win and a 23-16-8 record. The Bullies will host the Trenton Titans in Game 1 of the Northeast Division Semi-Finals on Wednesday night at Boardwalk Hall.


MARCH 29, 2003

The Boardwalk Bullies watched as the Trenton Titans rose from the grave for a 7-2 victory, stealing the division's 4th and final playoff spot from the Charlotte Checkers. Trenton grabbed a 1-0 lead 2:44 into the first period on a power play goal, but Steve Munn evened the score midway through the opening frame. The Titans posted 3 unanswered goals in the 2nd period, followed by a shorthanded tally 16 seconds into the 3rd stanza for a commanding 5-1 lead. Shawn Maltby scored a power play tally 12:22 into the period, but Trenton piled on 2 more goals for the 7-2 season-salvaging home win. Matt Yeats suffered the loss with 33 saves on 40 shots, slipping to 22-16-8 on the season. The Bullies are now in jeopardy of losing the division crown on the final day of the season if: 1) the Greensboro Generals win and the the Bullies don't win, 2) the Generals tie in regulation and the Bullies lose in regulation. Atlantic City finishes the season tomorrow at home against the Reading Royals while Greensboro visits the Greenville Grrrowl. Tomorrow's division winner will face the Trenton Titans in the Northeast Division Semi-Finals.


MARCH 28, 2003

Pardon the crude metaphor, but the Bullies had the Trenton Titans drinking from the toilet bowl! Scott Matzka, Jim Henkel, and Kevin Colley each notched 1st period goals while Atlantic City held their desperate intrastate rivals to just 5 shots in the period. J.F. Caudron and Colley added goals early in the 2nd period to further demoralize the Titans, who are in 5th place and a sneeze away from elimination from the playoffs. Matt Yeats put an end to his recent slump with 31 saves for the shutout as the Bullies spent the last 34:55 of the game preserving the 5-0 score. Atlantic City's magic number to clinch the Northeast Division regular season title is now 2 (any combination of Bullies points or lost Greensboro Generals points). A regulation tie or win tomorrow night at Trenton will eliminate the Titans, provided that the Charlotte Checkers do not earn a point first.


MARCH 25, 2003

With 4 seconds remaining in regulation, the Greensboro Generals scored to prevent the Boardwalk Bullies from clinching at least a tie atop the Northeast Division. Scott Matzka scored 54 seconds into the match for a 1-0 Atlantic City lead, but the Generals marched back with a power play goal later in the period for a 1-1 tie. The Bullies took a 2-0 advantage 4:59 into the 2nd period on Jim Henkel's 29th lantern-lighter on the season, but Greensboro evened the score 1 minute into the 3rd frame. The Generals completed their comeback at the 19:56 mark for a 3-2 victory. Matt Yeats stopped 37 of 40 shots in the losing effort. The Bullies complete their 9-game road trip with a 4-5 record, escaping with a 5-point Northeast Division lead over the Charlotte Checkers and Greensboro Generals. Charlotte is unable to catch the Bullies with just 2 games remaining on their schedule, but the Generals and Roanoke Express (6 points behind A.C.) remain longshots to swipe the division title. Perhaps the biggest threat to the Bullies' title comes from the 5th place Trenton Titans, who need 3 wins and 3 Bullies regulation losses to pull off the heist (winning by wins as a tie-breaker), but face Atlantic City in 2 of their respective 3 remaining games (making the possibility more of a threat).


MARCH 22, 2003

A 9-3 victory provided the exclaimation point as the Atlantic City Boardwalk Bullies finally clinched a playoff berth, while moving ever closer to securing a Northeast Division regular season title. The Bullies received goals from Scott Matzka, J.F. Caudron, Dave Reid, and Jim Henkel before the Reading Royals cracked the scoreboard with 34 seconds remaining in the 2nd period. Reid's goal was his first as a Bully, while Caudron's was his team-leading 37th of the season. The Royals notched a pair of goals early in the 3rd period to trim AC's lead to 4-3, but then the Bullies opened the flood gates. Chris Paradise lit the lantern at 8:39, 14:18, and 18:48 for a natural hat trick and a stunning 7-3 Bullies lead (he entered the contest with just 2 goals for Atlantic City)! Kevin Colley and Joe Talbot scored to add insult to injury as the cellar-dwelling Royals went down in flames 9-3 in front of their home crowd. Matt Yeats picked up the victory with 27 saves on 30 shots.


MARCH 21, 2003

Desperate to earn a playoff berth, the Charlotte Checkers humbled the Boardwalk Bullies once again, this time with a 6-4 final. Stefan Rivard got the party started with a power play goal 3:39 into the opening period, but the Checkers responded 4 minutes later to tie the game. Atlantic City regained the lead 8:58 into the period on a Luke Curtin goal, but Charlotte knotted the game 2-2 a few minutes later. The Bullies took their 3rd lead of the game 90 seconds into the middle frame on Kevin Colley's 30th goal of the season, but the Checkers jumped back with 2 tallies in the period for a 4-3 advantage. Charlotte tripled their lead with a pair of goals in the 3rd period before J.F. Caudron found the net for a 6-4 final. Matt Yeats shouldered the loss for Atlantic City after allowing 6 goals on 33 shots.


MARCH 19, 2003

Kevin Colley and Jade Galbraith each tallied a pair of goals to lead the Boardwalk Bullies to a 8-4 win over the Augusta Lynx. Galbraith and Paul Spadafora scored 1st period goals to sandwich a pair of Augusta tallies, then the Lynx took a 3-2 lead 2:13 into the 2nd period. J.F. Caudron notched his 35th goal of the season 71 seconds later, but the Lynx rebounded for a 4-3 lead 3 minutes later. Atlantic City turned the tables on the home team with a pair of power play goals from Colley for a 5-4 advantage heading into the 3rd period, then Galbraith, Scott Matzka, and Luke Curtin added the finishing touches for the 8-4 final. Matt Yeats stopped 28 of 32 shots for his 20th win of the year.


MARCH 18, 2003

The red hot Charlotte Checkers shut out the Boardwalk Bullies 2-0, swiping the Northeast Division's 4th and final playoff berth from the Trenton Titans (at least temporarily) in the process. It was a goaltenders duel between Charlotte's Colin Zulianello and Atlantic City's Matt Yeats until the Checkers posted a pair of goals in the 3rd period for the win. Yeats stopped 24 of 26 shots for the road loss while Zulianello made 29 saves for the shutout. As 2nd through 5th place shuffled around in the division, the Bullies remain on top with a 5 point lead (and a game in hand) over the Greensboro Generals.


MARCH 14, 2003

Matt Yeats stopped 14 of 15 shots as the Atlantic City Boardwalk Bullies skated over the Johnstown Chiefs 3-1. Jade Galbraith, Stefan Rivard, and Chris Paradise each scored in the opening period while the Chiefs posted a lone tally for a 3-1 score that remained from 13:02 of the 1st period until the game's end. Atlantic City outshot the home team 33 to 15 in the contest, the 4th of a grueling 9-game road trip. Goalie Dave Marlin has returned to back up Yeats.


MARCH 12, 2003

The Cincinnati Cyclones scored twice in the 1st period, ditto for the 2nd period, for a 4-0 lead until Jade Galbraith put Atlantic City on the scoreboard with his 24th goal of the season 3:32 into the 3rd period. Cincinnati scored at the 16:08 mark for a 5-1 advantage, but Jim Henkel posted his 27th goal of the season a couple of minutes later. The Cyclones lit the lantern with 15 seconds left in the game for a 6-2 final at the expense of Matt Yeats, who allowed 6 goals on 31 shots. The Bullies now have both the Greensboro Generals and Trenton Titans just 7 points behind them in the Northeast Division race. Thanks to the New York Islanders trade of Chris Osgood to the St. Louis Blues, the Bullies have probably lost the services of Scott Stirling for the rest of the year; former Assistant Coach Leigh Mendelson returned to the Bullies as an emergency backup goaltender for the game.


MARCH 9, 2003

Luke Curtin's goal at 15:32 was the lone highlight of the game for the Boardwalk Bullies as they fell to the Johnstown Chiefs 5-1. The home team established a 2-0 lead in the opening period and never looked back, posting 2 more in the middle frame and another goal midway through the 3rd period. Matt Yeats suffered the loss in goal for Atlantic City with 26 saves on 31 shots. Despite the road loss, the 26-14-12 Bullies maintain a 7-point division lead over the Greensboro Generals.


MARCH 8, 2003

Six different Bullies lit the lantern as Atlantic City knocked the wind out of the Cyclones for a 6-4 road win. Cincinnati staked a 1-0 lead just 1:53 into the opening period, but Shawn Maltby scored the neutralizer 46 seconds later. Paul Spadafora and Stefan Rivard scored later in the 1st act for a 3-1 advantage. The Bullies clung to their lead in the 2nd period with a J.F. Caudron tally sandwiched between a pair of Cincinnati goals. The 'Clones managed to tie the game 4-4 early in the 3rd frame, but Jade Galbraith and Steve Munn scored for a 6-4 Bullies victory! The shorthanded empty-netter was Munn's first goal for Atlantic City. Scott Stirling collected his 2nd consecutive win since returning from the AHL, stopping 23 of 27 shots. The win started a grueling late-season 9-game road trip on a high note for Atlantic City.


MARCH 5, 2003

Scott Stirling made his first Bullies start since before the ECHL All-Star break, leading Atlantic City to a 5-4 shootout win over the visiting Greensboro Generals. J.F. Caudron put the home team on the scoreboard with his 33rd goal of the season 8:52 into the 1st period, but the Generals charged back with a pair of goals in the opening frame and notched a power play goal 1:59 into the 2nd period for a 3-1 advantage. The Boardwalk Bullies trimmed the deficit midway through the period on a Stefan Rivard power play goal, but Greensboro soon responded for a 4-2 lead. Twenty-seven seconds later, Luke Curtin lit the lantern for a one-goal margin. Atlantic City tied the game 4-4 midway through the 3rd frame on a Jade Galbraith goal, then proceeded into the bonus round where Peter Metcalf (just reassigned from the AHL's Providence Bruins with Chris Paradise) scored 2:58 into overtime for the 5-4 win. Stirling stopped 35 of 39 shots, improving to 16-3-4 in the ECHL this season (23-4-4 including his AHL games). The victory reclaimed a 5-point lead over Greensboro for the Northeast Division frontrunning Bullies.


MARCH 2, 2003

The Charlotte Checkers avenged Saturday's loss with a 4-2 win over the Bullies. The Checkers scored late in the opening period and early in the 2nd frame for a 2-0 advantage, but Ian Walterson scored a shorthanded goal 14:52 through the middle period to slice their lead in half. New addition Chris Palmer notched his first Bullies goal 7:22 into the 3rd period to knot the game at 2 apiece, but Charlotte bounced back with a pair of goals for the 4-2 win. Matt Yeats was tagged with the loss despite 40 saves, while Scott Meyer earned the win for the Checkers with 49 saves on 51 Atlantic City shots.


MARCH 1, 2003

Home Sweet Home.... barely! The Boardwalk Bullies ended their slump by narrowing escaping with a 6-5 victory over the visiting Checkers. Stefan Rivard and J.F. Caudron registered power play goals for a 2-0 opening period advantage, which Charlotte sliced in half with the man-advantage 1:35 into the 2nd period. Shawn Maltby recaptured the 2-goal margin midway through the period and Rivard notched his 2nd goal of the night late in the period for a 4-1 lead. Ryan Mougenel added an insurance goal 4:03 into the 3rd period, then Rivard completed a hat trick with a shorthanded goal 51 seconds later for a seemingly insurmountable 6-1 advantage. However, the Charlotte Checkers refused to lie down, rallying for 4 goals in a span of less than 13 minutes to turn a blowout into a nail-biter. Fortunately, Matt Yeats and the Bullies held on by the skin of their teeth for the 6-5 victory! Yeats improved to 18-9-8 on the season with 29 saves in the contest.


FEBRUARY 28, 2003

The road woes continue for the Boardwalk Bullies as they fell to the Richmond Renegades 3-1. The home team snapped a goaltenders duel 8:02 into the 2nd period and double their lead later in the period. The Renegades made it 3-0 at the 7:10 mark of the 3rd period and appeared to be destined for the shutout until Shawn Maltby put Atlantic City on the scoreboard with 2:29 remaining in regulation. Richmond's Marc Magliarditi finished with 38 saves on 39 Bullies shots for the 3-1 win while Matt Yeats picked up the loss with 25 saves on 28 shots.


FEBRUARY 25, 2003

The Reading Royals haned the Atlantic City Boardwalk Bullies a piece of humble pie, defeating the Northeast Division leaders 5-2. Jade Galbraith's 21st goal of the year, a power play tally, gave the Bullies a 1-0 lead just 2:35 into the contest, but the Royals knotted the game late in the opening period. Reading chalked up a pair of shorthanded goals early in the 2nd period for a 3-1 advantage, then Ryan Mougenel found the net to trim AC's deficit. Reading scored again 12:12 into the middle frame to regain a 3-goal margin, which they extended for the 5-2 finale 7:50 into the 3rd period. Matt Yeats shouldered the loss with 23 saves on 28 shots, slipping to 17-8-8 on the season.


FEBRUARY 23, 2003

It's not often that 2 top-notch teams face off for a pair of weekend games with both skating away with a reason to be happy. However, that's the case with the Atlantic City Boardwalk Bullies and Peoria Rivermen each recording a 3-2 shootout victory over the other for 3 points apiece in 2 games, extending the Bullies' Northeast Division lead while helping the Rivermen reclaim the Northwest Division lead. Peoria claimed Saturday's showdown in a shootout after knotting the game 2-2 with 1:12 left in regulation. The Rivermen opened the scoring 2:43 into the 2nd period, but the Bullies responded with goals from Jim Henkel and Stefan Rivard later in the period. In Sunday's showdown, Atlantic City staked a 2-0 opening period lead on goals from J.F. Caudron and Luke Curtin, but the Rivermen scored twice in the 2nd period to tie the game. In a role reversal of Saturday's contest, it was the Boardwalk Bullies who prevailed in the shootout for the 3-2 win. Matt Yeats was the Bullies' goalie for both contests, recording 26 saves on Saturday and 28 saves on Sunday for a 17-7-8 season record. Henkel was unable to record a point in Sunday's game so his scoring streak came to an end at 23 games. The Boardwalk Bullies are now 33-10-12 on their sophomore season and enjoy an 8 point lead over their nearest Northeast rival (Greensboro Generals).


FEBRUARY 19, 2003

The Boardwalk Bullies rallied for 4 goals in the 3rd period to transform a 2-1 Richmond Renegades lead into a 5-2 Atlantic City victory! Ryan Mougenel scored a power play goal 13:53 into the opening period, but the Renegades responded with a goal in the closing minute of the 1st frame and another 73 seconds into the middle frame for a 2-1 advantage. However, the Bullies got 3rd period goals from Paul Spadafora, Ian Walterson, Jim Henkel, and J.F. Caudron for the knockout. Caudron's goal, an empty netter, was his 30th of the season. Henkel's goal was his 25th and extended his point streak to 22 games. Matt Yeats made 33 saves on 35 shots to improve to 16-7-7 on the season.


FEBRUARY 17, 2003

Due to the inclement weather, tonight's Boardwalk Bullies versus Richmond Renegades game has been rescheduled until Wednesday.


FEBRUARY 15, 2003

Jim Henkel did his best to be the hero on his night of honor, scoring the game-tying goal with 26 seconds left in regulation, but the Reading Royals prevailed in overtime for the 6-5 win. J.F. Caudron's 28th goal of the season early in the 1st period was lost amongst a quartet of Royals goals as Reading outshot Atlantic City 22-11 in the opening frame. Stefan Rivard and Caudron each notched power play goals in the 2nd period to trim the deficit to 4-3, but Reading scored late in the period for a 5-3 advantage. In a Bullies dominated 3rd period (16-1 shot margin), Ryan Mougenel scored at the 14:57 mark to slice the visitors' lead to a lone goal, setting the stage for Henkel's heroics. However, the Royals lit the lantern 2:02 into the bonus round for a sour ending to "Jim Henkel Night". With a goal and an assist, the Jersey-native's point scoring streak hit 21 games. Matt Yeats suffered the overtime loss between the pipes with 25 saves on 31 shots. After the game, the Bullies announced that Jim Vickers and Mike Martiniello had been traded to the Baton Rouge Kingfish for veteran defenseman Steve Cheredaryk.


FEBRUARY 14, 2003

The Boardwalk Bullies posted their 5th consecutive victory for their longest win streak of the season with a 4-3 shootout decision over the visiting Roanoke Express. Luke Curtin gave Atlantic City the early edge with a power play goal 6:26 into the opening frame, but Roanoke rebounded 2 minutes later to tie the game 1-1. The Bullies recaptured their lead at 12:53 of the 1st period on Jade Galbraith's 20th goal of the year, then extended their lead 38 seconds into the 2nd stanza on a goal from Stefan Rivard. However, the Express fought back with a pair of goals in the period to knot the game at 3 apiece. After a scoreless 3rd period and overtime round, the Boardwalk Bullies came through in the shootout for the 4-3 win! Jim Henkel extended his ECHL season-best point scoring streak to 20 games with an assist on Galbraith's goal. Netminder Matt Yeats stopped 24 of 27 Roanoke shots for his 5th straight win, while the Bullies increased their Northeast Division lead over the Greensboro Generals to 5 points. Chris Paradise and Peter Metcalf were recalled by the AHL's Providence Bruins.


FEBRUARY 11, 2003

The Bullies have announced that February 15th will be "Jim Henkel Night" at Boardwalk Hall, in honor of their Jersey-native rookie phenom. Atlantic City hosts the Reading Royals that night. Their February 21st road game against the Cincinnati Cyclones has been rescheduled for March 12th. In other Bullies news, J.F. Caudron has made a round trip to Bridgeport and back, scoring in his AHL debut for the Sound Tigers, and Scott Matzka has been called up by the AHL's Cleveland Barons.


FEBRUARY 8, 2003

The Boardwalk Bullies returned to the .700 club (30-10-10) with their 2nd victory over the Toledo Storm in less than 24 hours. Luke Curtin scored a power play goal 7:28 into the 1st period for a 1-0 lead, picking up right where he left off last night. The Storm bounced back with the man-advantage a couple of minutes later to even the score, but the Bullies re-claimed their lead 6:24 into the 2nd period on Chris Paradise's 1st Atlantic City goal. Once again, Toledo quickly responded to tie the game. However, Jim Henkel's goal just 62 seconds into the 3rd period would go unanswered for a 3-2 Boardwalk Bullies win. It was Henkel's 23rd goal of his rookie season, and extended his league-best point scoring streak to 19 games! Goalie Matt Yeats added another win to his resume with 30 saves on 32 shots for Atlantic City's 4th consecutive victory.


FEBRUARY 7, 2003

Matt Yeats stopped 22 shots for his 3rd shutout of the season as the Boardwalk Bullies defeated the Northwest Division leading Toledo Storm 4-0. The home victory boosted Atlantic City's Northeast Division lead to 5 points while dislodging the Storm from their perch atop the Northwest. J.F. Caudron scored his 27th goal of the season midway through the opening period for a 1-0 Bullies lead, then Luke Curtin deposited a pair of power play goals in the 2nd period to triple the AC advantage. The game's scoring was capped off by a Jade Galbraith goal at 14:04 of the 3rd period. Yeats improved to 13-7-6 with the win, while the Bullies boosted their season tally to 29-10-10.


FEBRUARY 5, 2003

Bullies forward Jim Henkel has been selected as the ECHL's Rookie of the Month for January! He tallied 7 goals and 13 assists in 12 games for Atlantic City during the month. CONGRATULATIONS JIMMY !!!


FEBRUARY 1, 2003

The Boardwalk Bullies increased their Northeast Division lead and recaptured the top spot in the ECHL with a 5-2 win over the Greensboro Generals. J.F. Caudron stole the show with a hat trick and 2 assists to raise his sophomore season tally to 26 goals and 27 assists in 48 games! A pair of Caudron goals gave Atlantic City a 2-0 opening period advantage which Greensboro cut in half 55 seconds into the 2nd frame. Peter Metcalf chalked up his 1st goal as a Bully at 16:17 of the middle period for a 3-1 lead, then Stefan Rivard and Caudron notched goals in the middle of the 3rd period for a 5-1 advantage. The Generals snapped back with a goal 19 seconds after Caudron completed his hat trick, but it was too little, too late for the visitors. Matt Yeats made 29 saves on 31 shots to improve to 12-7-6 with the victory! Newly assigned (from AHL's Providence Bruins) center Chris Paradise made his AC debut in the game as the Bullies improved to 28-10-10.


FEBRUARY 1, 2003

Our thoughts and prayers go out to the families and friends of the 7 brave astronauts lost in the Space Shuttle Columbia disaster today: Rick D. Husband, William C. McCool, Michael P. Anderson, Kalpana Chawla, David M. Brown, Laurel B. Clark, and Ilan Ramon. May they rest in peace.


JANUARY 31, 2003

Atlantic City blasted the visiting Johnstown Chiefs 7-3 in front of an alledged crowd of 5317 at Boardwalk Hall. The Chiefs drew first blood at 3:09 of the opening period but Ryan Mougenel responded with the game-tying goal less than 2 minutes later. Johnstown snatched the lead back with a power play goal in the closing minute of the first frame, then extended the margin at 2:20 of the 2nd period. However, the Bullies rebounded with a 20 shot barrage in the middle frame, featuring a pair of power play goals from Stefan Rivard followed by a Jim Henkel power play tally and a Mike Martiniello goal for a 5-3 AC lead. Jade Galbraith and J.F. Caudron put the final biscuits in the basket in the 3rd period for the 7-3 finale. Matt Yeats stopped 25 saves on 28 shots to improve to 11-7-6 with the win! Newly assigned (from AHL's Providence Bruins) defenseman Peter Metcalf made his Bullies debut in the contest. FAMILY MATTERS: Bullies goalie Scott Stirling made 32 saves on 33 shots to win his Bridgeport Sound Tigers debut over the Worcester IceCats 4-1 for Head Coach Steve Stirling - his father. Ironically, the younger Stirling won his AHL debut earlier this season with the very same Worcester IceCats.


JANUARY 29, 2003

The Trenton Titans defeated the Atlantic City Boardwalk Bullies 5-4 at Boardwalk Hall with none other than Dave Marlin picking up the win. Two months ago, Marlin led Atlantic City to a 4-1 victory at Sovereign Bank Arena for his only Bullies appearance. Trenton staked an early 1-0 lead with a power play goal, but Scott Matzka evened the score at 15:10 of the 1st period with his 15th goal of the season. Trenton reclaimed the lead 50 seconds into the 2nd period, but Titan-killer J.F. Caudron bagged a shorthanded goal to knot the game 4 minutes later. However, the Titans rallied for a trio of goals in the period for a 5-2 lead before Mike Martiniello cut the deficit late in the 2nd period. Caudron tried to ignite a rally with his 2nd goal of the game at 1:38 of the 3rd period, but the Titans held on for the win. The former Titans camp reject has 8 goals and 7 assists in 8 games against Trenton this season. Marlin stopped 29 of 33 shots for the win while Matt Yeats absorbs the loss with 28 saves on 33 shots.


JANUARY 26, 2003

The Boardwalk Bullies fell to the visiting Pride 4-3 in a shootout. Pee Dee scored 1:39 into the contest for a 1-0 lead, but Atlantic City raced back with goals from J.F. Caudron, Jade Galbraith, and Jim Henkel in a 6 1/2 minute span on the 2nd period for a 3-1 Bullies advantage. The Pride stole a shorthanded goal late in the middle frame, and knotted the game 3-3 a few minutes into the 3rd period to set up an overtime showdown. Matt Yeats was tagged with the shootout loss after stopping 27 of 30 shots in regulation and overtime. Despite the setback, Atlantic City increased its Northeast Division lead with a 26-9-10 record.


JANUARY 24, 2003

One up one down. After a 6-5 road victory over the Roanoke Express on Thursday night, the Boardwalk Bullies dropped a 4-1 Friday bout at the Charlotte Checkers.


JANUARY 22, 2003

The Northern Conference broke a 2-year slump last night, defeating the Southern Conference 8-2 in the 2002/2003 ECHL All-Star Game at Estero, Florida's TECO Arena. Bullies goalie Scott Stirling won MVP honors with an 11-shot shutout in the opening period, while teammates Kevin Colley and Jim Henkel combined for a trio of assists for the North. The game's score was the most decisive outcome in ECHL All-Star history, topping the previous 4-goal margin record. Bullies Head Coach Mike Haviland was one of the Northern Conference's coaches for the victory.


JANUARY 18, 2003

When the Titans and the Boardwalk Bullies faceoff, you know it's going to be a battle. While 5 of their 7 meetings this season have been decided by a lone goal, Atlantic City has dominated Trenton 5-0-2. Kirk Furey notched his 3rd goal of the season 3:29 into the opening period for a 1-0 Bullies lead, but the Titans blazed back 3 minutes later with a trio of goals in a span of 2:47. Their blitzkrieg chased Bullies starter Matt Yeats and left Atlantic City bewildered, but not for long. Everything changed at 18:01 of the opening period. After a slash from Trenton's B.J. Kilbourne, forward Stefan Rivard exchanged some angry words with the Titans bench as he skated by: the trap was set. Like starved animals, Trenton's Craig Brunel, Matt Zultek, and Ian Forbes took the bait. When the dust settled, the Titans tallied 47 minutes in penalties (Kilbourne's slashing minor plus fighting majors and 10-minute misconducts for each of the 3 Stooges), compared to 32 for the Bullies (fighting majors and 10-minute misconducts for Rivard and Shawn Maltby and a roughing minor for Paul Spadafora). The Bullies laid out the noose and the Titans seized the opportunity to use it. Forty-two seconds into the resulting power play, Jade Galbraith scored to cut AC's deficit to one. The Titans managed to escape the period with a 3-2 lead and even caught a break from their former Assistant Coach Mike Haviland, being the nice guy that he is. Havi managed to pester ref Chris Brown enough during the intermission to earn an unsportsmanlike conduct minor and a game misconduct, leaving Assistant Matt Thomas to run the bench and shortening the Bullies' power play time. Nonetheless, the Titans remained distracted throughout the 2nd period, eventually yiedling the game-tying goal to their former training camper J.F. Caudron with 48 seconds left in the frame. At 6:42 of the 3rd period, Caudron did it again for a 4-3 Atlantic City advantage. Former Titans netminder Scott Stirling did the rest, stopping all 26 shots he faced in relief of Yeats for a 4-3 Bullies victory, improving to 14-3-4 on the season! At 25-8-9, the Boardwalk Bullies enter the All-Star Break with a 1-point lead over the Greensboro Generals for 1st place in the Northeast Division (and a 14-point advantage over their struggling neighbors in Trenton).


JANUARY 15, 2003

Carl Corazzini registered a hat trick to lead the Boardwalk Bullies to a 5-2 victory over the visiting Cincinnati Cyclones. Three minutes after Corazzini established a 1-0 Bullies advantage, Ryan Mougenel scored a power play goal to double the lead. Corazzini found the net again late in the 2nd period, but the Cyclones bounced back for a pair of goals in the opening minutes of the 3rd frame to trim the deficit to 3-2. Corazzini notched an insurance goal to complete his hat trick midway through the period, and Jim Henkel bagged an empty-netter with 6 seconds left for the 5-2 win. Matt Yeats picked up the easy win in goal with 20 saves on 22 shots.


JANUARY 13, 2003

It was only a matter of time before the Boardwalk Bullies lost top scoring center Kevin Colley to a callup: the Syracuse Crunch have handed Colley (25 goals, 29 assists in 39 games) the long overdue opportunity to return to the AHL. Meanwhile, goalie Scott Stirling returned from a brief callup with the AHL's Hershey Bears - not that he was missed with Matt Yeats delivering a 35-save shutout for the one Atlantic City game during his absence.


JANUARY 11, 2003

Matt Yeats stopped all 35 Richmond shots for his 2nd shutout of the season as the Atlantic City Boardwalk Bullies blanked the Renegades 4-0. Carl Corazzini and Kevin Colley notched opening period goals for a 2-0 lead while Yeats endured 27 shots in the first two periods of the game. Jim Henkel notched a power play goal early in the 3rd period, then set up Corazzini's 2nd goal of the game late in the period for a 4-0 Bullies road win. Yeats improved to 9-5-5 on the season, while Atlantic City rises to 23-8-9 on their sophomore campaign.


JANUARY 7, 2003

The fish that got away... Jade Galbraith notched his 14th of the season and Jim Henkel bagged his 17th for a 2-0 Bullies lead in the opening period, but the Express steamed back with 2 power play goals (on 19 shots) in the middle frame to tie. Roanoke notched the game-winner 7:04 into the 3rd period to snap Atlantic City's 7-game unbeaten in regulation road streak and 3-game overall win streak. Matt Yeats slipped to 8-5-5 on the season with 27 saves on 30 shots for the loss.


JANUARY 5, 2003

The Boardwalk Bullies started 2003 with a bang, sweeping their 3 weekend games to maintain the ECHL point lead with 53 (22-7-9 .697)! Only the Toledo Storm (23-7-3 .742) have a better winning percentage than Atlantic City. The Bullies started their New Year's winning streak with a 4-3 shootout victory over the visiting Johnstown Chiefs on Friday night. After Jade Galbraith and Shawn Maltby built a 2-0 lead, the Chiefs rallied back for a 3-2 advantage early in the 3rd period. However, Jim Henkel (just back from an AHL callup) notched his 16th goal of the season to force overtime and the shootout in which AC prevailed. Scott Stirling gloved the win with 38 saves on 41 shots. On Saturday, the Bullies stomped into Wheeling and simply dominated the Nailers with a 4-0 shutout, outshooting their hosts 44 to 22 in the process. Galbraith, Mike Martiniello, Kevin Colley, and Carl Corazzini provided the goals while Matt Yeats picked up his 1st professional shutout between the pipes. Colley's goal was his 24th of the season in 36 games, surpassing his total from last season (23 goals in 41 games). The Bullies brought their momentum back home to Boardwalk Hall today for a 5-2 win over the Richmond Renegades, despite being outshot 32 to 16 in the game. Jim Vickers and Galbraith gave Atlantic City a 2-0 opening period lead, and Maltby and Corazzini scored late in the 2nd frame after Richmond trimmed the lead. The Renegades scored again early in the 3rd period, but J.F. Caudron put the icing on the cake late in the period for the 5-2 finale. Stirling picked up his 2nd win of the weekend with 30 saves on 32 shots.


DECEMBER 29, 2002

The Bullies offense finally ran out of gas. After posting 3 or more goals for each of the last 11 games, the injury plagued Atlantic City lineup could only muster a single goal against the visiting Greensboro Generals. Not a bad run for the Bullies, who were 5-1-5 during that stretch. The Generals chalked up a goal in the 1st and another in the 2nd before a rejuvenated Kurt Mallett notched his 3rd goal in 2 games at the 7:11 mark of the 3rd period to put the Bullies on the scoreboard. Greensboro responded 86 seconds later for the 3-1 score that would stand as the final. Scott Stirling stopped 27 of 30 shots for Atlantic City in the lose. At 19-7-9, the Bullies are in a 3-way tie for the ECHL point lead with the Mississippi Sea Wolves (22-11-3) and the Louisiana IceGators (20-7-7).


DECEMBER 28, 2002

For the 5th consecutive game (and 7 of the last 8 games), the Boardwalk Bullies and their opponent could not resolve things in regulation! For the 2nd consecutive night, their game against the Trenton Titans ended 5-4 in overtime. Former Titan and brand new Bully Kurt Mallett (we thought he retired!) marked his season debut with a pair of opening period goals for a 2-0 Atlantic City lead, but the Titans battled back early in the middle frame with a pair of goals for a 2-2 tie. Carl Corazzini scored midway through the period for a 3-2 advantage, but the Titans scored 5:20 into the 3rd period for a 3-3 tie. However, former Titan Paul Spadafora put the biscuit in the basket 72 seconds later to recapture the lead for the Bullies. Trenton scored again 13:45 into the 3rd period to set up the 3rd consecutive bonus round showdown for Jersey's teams. Unlike last night, the Titans emerged as the 5-4 overtime victors, scoring 1:46 into the extra period. Matt Yeats was tagged with the loss despite 41 saves on 46 shots. The Bullies remain atop the Northern Conference, 19-6-9 on their sophomore season.


DECEMBER 27, 2002

Another game decided in overtime! In training camp last season, the Trenton Titans cut J.F. Caudron. Tonight, he cut them with an overtime goal for a 5-4 Boardwalk Bullies victory and a hat trick! Kevin Colley notched his 22nd goal of the season (a power play tally) 1:53 into the game for a 1-0 Atlantic City advantage, but B.J. Kilbourne collected a power play goal late in the period to tie the game for the Titans. Caudron scored his 13th of the season 5:06 into the 2nd period for a 2-1 Bullies lead, but Matt Zultek countered with his 13th of the season to knot the game at 2-2. Colley registered his 2nd power play goal of the night at the 2:25 mark of the 3rd period, then Caudron rang the bell again midway through the period for an intimidating 4-2 Atlantic City lead. Just when it seemed that the Titans might be down for the count, Daniel Tetrault's power play goal with 2:18 left in regulation gave them new hope. With 31 seconds remaining on the clock, Tyler Beechey bagged his 3rd goal in 2 nights to tie the game at 4 apiece. However, just 69 seconds into overtime, Caudron picked up the trifecta for the win! Cody Rudkowsky shouldered the OT loss for Trenton with 25 saves on 30 shots, while former Titan Scott Stirling picked up the victory with 30 saves on 34 shots. The win gives the Bullies a commanding 4-1 advantage for the Garden State Cup. Prior to the game, the Bullies lost rookie standout Jim Henkel on a callup to the AHL's Cleveland Barons.


DECEMBER 22, 2002

After an overtime win on Friday night, Atlantic City suffered a pair of carbon copy overtime road losses on Saturday and Sunday. Toledo staked a 1-0 lead 3:28 into Saturday's game, but Jade Galbraith collected a power play goal at 17:45 of the opening period to tie them. The Storm reclaimed the lead with 51 seconds left in the period, but Scott Matzka scored at 6:02 of the 2nd period to erase the lead. Toledo stormed back late in the middle frame with a pair of goals for a 4-2 advantage. Matzka trimmed their lead 12 minutes into the 3rd period with his 14th of the season, then Kevin Colley delivered the call from the Governor with 16 seconds remaining in regulation to force a bonus round. Unfortunately, the Storm scored the game-winner 3:28 into overtime. Scott Stirling stopped 43 of 48 shots in the 5-4 overtime loss, nearly twice as many as his Toledo foe endured. On Sunday, the Bombers grabbed an early 1-0 lead, but Kevin Colley responded by dishing out a pair of goals (separated by nearly 22 minutes of play) for a 2-1 Bullies lead. Dayton knotted the game midway through the 2nd period, but Shawn Maltby's power play goal put AC back on top 11:05 into the 3rd frame. The Bombers rallied for a pair of goals to snatch a 4-3 lead, but Jade Galbraith saved the day with the game-tying goal with 57 seconds remaining in regulation to prompt another overtime. Unfortunately, the Bullies fell once again in the extra frame, allowing the game-winner 1:00 into overtime for a 5-4 loss. Matt Yeats was tagged with this loss, stopping only 27 of 32 shots. The twin overtime weekend road losses leave the Boardwalk Bullies with an 18-6-8 record, still good enough to lead the ECHL in points!


DECEMBER 20, 2002

The Bombers didn't make it easy for the visiting Boardwalk Bullies, but a win is a win! Dayton collected a shorthanded goal 4:57 into the game for a 1-0 lead, but Kirk Furey dumped the biscuit in the basket four minutes later to tie the game. Rookie-of-the-year candidate Jimmy Henkel scored his 14th goal of the season late in the period, but the Bombers responded at 7:07 of the 2nd period with a power play goal. The Bullies recaptured the lead 5 minutes later on a Paul Spadafora power play goal. A few minutes later, the pesky Bombers scored again to knot the game at 3-3. Dayton took charge of the game with a pair of early 3rd period goals (55 seconds apart), but Atlantic City refused to throw in the towel. Scott Matzka chipped away at the deficit with a goal midway through the period, then set up a heroic game-tying power play goal from Henkel with only 4 seconds remaining on the clock. Kevin Colley delivered the 6-5 win for the Bullies at the 1:37 mark of the overtime period. Despite another subpar performance in between the pipes, Scott Stirling netted the victory with 27 saves on 32 shots.


DECEMBER 18, 2002

Matt Yeats returned from his callup with the AHL's Philadelphia Phantoms to lead the Boardwalk Bullies to a 4-2 victory over the visiting Roanoke Express. In addition to stopping 23 of 25 shots, Yeats picked up his 1st professional assist. Roanoke scored a power play goal at 2:58 of the opening period and held onto the 1-0 lead until Scott Matzka lit the lantern at 1:11 of the 2nd frame. Midway through the period, Carl Corazzini scored for a 2-1 advantage which Jim Henkel extended later in the period with his 13th goal of the season. The Express scored at 5:21 of the 3rd period to narrow the Bullies' lead but Shawn Maltby's power play goal with 5 minutes remaining in regulation put the icing on the cake for a 4-2 win. At 17-6-6, Atlantic City sits atop the Northern Conference and remains tied with the Mississippi Sea Wolves for the ECHL points lead.


DECEMBER 18, 2002

The 2002/2003 Northern Conference All-Stars have been announced: the Boardwalk Bullies will be represented by Mike Haviland, Kevin Colley, Scott Stirling, and Scott Matzka! Haviland and Toledo's Claude Noel will serve as the Northern squad's coaches, while Stirling and Colley were both selected as starters. Matzka was selected as a reserve for the game on January 21st at Florida's TECO Arena. Congratulations Bullies!


DECEMBER 15, 2002

Different day, different location, different opponent.... same outcome. The Boardwalk Bullies suffered their 2nd consecutive 4-3 shootout loss after rallying back from a 3-1 deficit. The Cyclones scored a pair of goals 36 seconds apart for a 2-0 lead at 5:44 of the 1st period. Scott Matzka lit the lantern for Atlantic City 5 minutes later to trim Cincinnati's lead, but the visitors scored early in the 2nd period for a 3-1 advantage. Once again, Matzka answered the call and cut the deficit to one, notching a shorthanded goal midway through the period. Kevin Colley continued the comeback bid midway through the 3rd period with a power play goal to tie the game at 3-3. However, despite being outshot 49 to 28 in the contest, the Cyclones bested Scott Stirling and the Bullies in the shootout for the 4-3 win. At 16-6-6, the Boardwalk Bullies remain in 1st place in the Northeast Division (and tie for the ECHL points lead with the Mississippi Sea Wolves and Louisiana IceGators).


DECEMBER 13, 2002

The Trenton Titans finally figured out how to beat the Bullies, but not without Atlantic City earning another point in the standings. Trenton staked a 2-0 opening period lead at Sovereign Bank Arena but red hot Jimmy Henkel and Stefan Rivard scored late in the period for a 2-2 tie. Henkel's goal was his 5th in the past 3 games. Atlantic City claimed a 3-2 lead at 14:45 of the 2nd period on a Shawn Matlby shorthanded goal, but the Titans returned with a power play goal at 15:17 of the 3rd period to set up the bonus round. After a scoreless overtime, Trenton prevailed in the shootout for a 4-3 win over the Bullies and former Titans netminder Scott Stirling.


DECEMBER 11, 2002

Jersey Jim Henkel notched his 1st professional hat trick to lead the Boardwalk Bullies to a 5-1 court martial of the Greensboro Generals. After a scoreless 1st period, Henkel collected a pair of goals in the middle frame for a 2-0 Atlantic City advantage. The Generals cracked the scoreboard in the opening minute of the 3rd period, but Henkel responded 45 seconds later to keep the game out of Greensboro's reach. Kevin Colley deposited an empty netter with 1:13 left in regulation, then J.F. Caudron scored 35 seconds later with former NHLer Daniel Berthiaume back in goal for the 5-1 road win. Scott Stirling stood on his head for the win, stopping 41 of 42 Generals shots nearly half of which came in the 2nd period. He improves to 9-2-1 on the season as the Boardwalk Bullies climb to 16-6-4.


DECEMBER 8, 2002

The Boardwalk Bullies split a home-and-home series with the Roanoke Express. Last night, Scott Stirling stopped all 26 Roanoke shots for a 3-0 shutout at Boardwalk Hall. Scott Matzka, Kevin Colley, and Ryan Mougenel tallied the goals for the Bullies. Today, the Express took their revenge with a 5-4 win in Roanoke. Scott Matzka drew first blood at 2:25 of the opening period, but the Express rallied back for a 2-1 lead. At 18:20 of the 1st period, Jim Henkel found the net to tie the game 2-2. Roanoke recaptured the lead in the opening minute of the middle frame, but Jade Galbraith notched a power play goal 41 seconds later to knot the game once again. Three minutes later, the Express lit the lantern for a 4-3 advantage. Shawn Maltby came thru at 2:36 of the 3rd period with another game-tying goal, but Rick "Killer" Kowalsky scored on a power play at the 9:00 mark for his 13th goal of the season and a 5-4 final. Scott Stirling slipped to 8-2-1 on the season with 34 saves on 39 shots in the loss. Meanwhile, Matt Yeats won his AHL debut Saturday night, leading the Philadelphia Phantoms over the Bridgeport Sound Tigers.


DECEMBER 6, 2002

If at first you don't succeed, try, try again. That's what the Dayton Bombers did and skated away with a 4-1 win for a split of their 2-game series in Atlantic City. After a 5-1 defeat on Wednesday night, the Bombers staked a 2-0 first period lead tonight. Jim Henkel notched his 7th goal of the season early in the 2nd period to slice the Bullies' deficit in half, but Dayton added a pair of insurance goals early in the 3rd period to secure the victory, snapping Atlantic City's 6-game unbeaten-in-regulation streak. Scott Stirling was tagged with his first regulation loss of the season with 27 saves on 31 shots. The 14-5-4 Bullies face the Express at Boardwalk Hall tomorrow night and complete a home-and-home in Roanoke on Sunday.


DECEMBER 4, 2002

Best in the ECHL! The Boardwalk Bullies are a league leading 14-4-4 after a 5-1 home win over the Dayton Bombers! Shawn Maltby, Ryan Mougenel, and Kevin Colley each hit the jackpot in the opening period for a 3-0 Bullies lead. The Bombers scored their lone goal of the game with 30 seconds remaining in the period, but Jerry Galway added an insurance goal midway through the 2nd period and Scott Matzka put the icing on the cake at 12:52 of the 3rd period for a 5-1 final. The revolving door o' goalies continued with Matt Yeats returning to the AHL's Philadelphia Phantoms. Fortunately, Scott Stirling returned from the AHL's Worcester IceCats in time to rack up 24 saves on 25 shots to improve to 7-0-1 on the season.


DECEMBER 1, 2002

If you can't win them all, at least pick up a point. That's what the Bullies did as they fell to the Richmond Renegades 4-3 in overtime. Richmond opened the scoring with a shorthanded goal in the 1st period, then scored at 3:13 of the 2nd period for a 2-0 lead over the visitors. The Bullies turned the tables on the Renegades with a power play goal from Shawn Maltby, a shorthanded tally from Jim Henkel, and an even-stength goal from J.F. Caudron for a 3-2 advantage less than 10 minutes later. However, the Atlantic City attack ran out of gas and Richmond tied the game with 2:45 remaining in regulation. A dollar forty-one into the overtime, the Renegades iced the Bullies with the game-winner. Matt Yeats, just back from a tour with the AHL's Philadelphia Phantoms, absorbed the overtime loss with 24 saves on 28 shots. The Renegades recaptured the division lead by virtue of wins, but remain tied with the Bullies by points (and Atlantic City has 3 games in hand). The Boardwalk Bullies are a torrid 8-1-3 in their last 12 games. With Yeats' return, Atlantic City released Dave Marlin. Hopefully, his win on Saturday will bump him up on the ECHL goalies phone list.


NOVEMBER 30, 2002

There's no doubt about it: the Atlantic City Boardwalk Bullies are the best ECHL team in New Jersey (not to mention one of the best in the entire league)! Skating away from Sovereign Bank Arena with a 4-1 victory for the 3rd consecutive win over the Titans (and 4th consecutive win overall) should silence the last of the critics. Even the Titans fans and Trenton media were quick to admit that they were outplayed and outcoached by their South Jersey rivals. And of course, the Bullies did it with an emergency backup in goal! Scott Stirling was recalled by the AHL's Worcester IceCats before the game, forcing Atlantic City to sign emergency backup Dave Marlin and pickup John Chain as the new emergency backup. Marlin stole a page right out of Chain's book: allowing just a single goal in his surprise Bullies debut for a solid victory! Stefan Rivard, fresh off the IRL, notched a shorthanded goal in the 1st and a power play goal in the 2nd while Marlin held the lackluster Titans scoreless. Trenton slipped one past him early in the 3rd period, but Ian Walterson and Scott Matzka lit the lantern for a 4-1 road win. Marlin picked up his 1st win of the season with 21 saves on 22 shots, boosting the Boardwalk Bullies to a Northeast Division leading 13-4-3 record.


NOVEMBER 29, 2002

The first period provided all the offense the Bullies would need once again as they crowned the Reading Royals 3-2. Ryan Mougenel, Kevin Colley, and Mike Martiniello chalked up 1st period tallies for a 3-0 lead, then Atlantic City coasted to the finish line. The Royals mounted a 2-goal rally in the 3rd period, but goalie Scott Stirling held them off with 25 saves for the 3-2 road victory.


NOVEMBER 27, 2002

The Boardwalk Bullies received opening period power play goals from Shawn Maltby, Kevin Colley, and J.F. Caudron complimented by an even-strengther from Jim Vickers for a commanding 4-0 lead over the visiting Charlotte Checkers. The momentum continued into the middle frame as Caudron notched another power play tally followed by another goal from Maltby for a 6-0 advantage. The Checkers finally found the scoreboard later in the 2nd period, but Ryan Mougenel offset the goal 25 seconds into the 3rd period. Charlotte rallied for a pair of goals late in the 3rd period to soften their defeat with a 7-3 finale. Scott Stirling, back from a brief callup to the AHL, picked up the win for the Bullies with 31 saves on 34 shots as they boosted their record to 11-4-3 on the season. Dave Marlin served as Atlantic City's emergency backup goalie for the game, prior to which the Bullies released forward Derek Hahn.


NOVEMBER 22, 2002

Who needs goalies anyway? With Scott Stirling already on loan to the AHL's Cincinnati Mighty Ducks, Matt Yeats has been recalled by the AHL's Philadelphia Phantoms. Fortunately, the Boardwalk Bullies have until next Wednesday to get one back or sign another goalie.


NOVEMBER 21, 2002

The Boardwalk Bullies trailed the Greensboro Generals 2-0 after 49 minutes of play, but rookie Jim Henkel ignited a rally for a 4-2 Atlantic City victory! The New Jersey native notched his 4th goal of the season at 9:07 of the opening period to put the visitors on the scoreboard, then found the net again 3 minutes later with the eventual game-winner. Henkel's 2nd goal came just 9 seconds after J.F. Caudron tied the game at 2-2. The rally began less than 2 minutes after an 8-player melee that led to 96 penalty minutes with 5 game misconducts (3 for AC). Shawn Maltby, acquired last week from the Toledo Storm for future considerations, made his Bullies debut with 17 of the penalty minutes (fighting, instigating, game misconduct). Scott Matzka and Steve Munn were the other Bullies sent to the showers early. Evidently, the Bullies were divinely inspired by the ruckus. Paul Spadafora added an empty-netter in the final minute of regulation for the 4-2 win. Atlantic City reclaimed the Northeast Division lead with their 10-4-3 record while Matt Yeats picked up his 6th victory of the season with 31 saves on 33 shots. Josh Steel (of the Atlantic City Boardwalk's Steel's Fudge Shop) served as the Bullies emergency backup goalie for the game. Kevin Colley served a 1-game ECHL suspension for delivering an elbow/forearm to the head of a Royals player during Tuesday's game.


NOVEMBER 19, 2002

It was fight night at Atlantic City's Boardwalk Hall as the Bullies and the Reading Royals dropped the gloves for 6 fights. Kevin Colley recorded a hat trick in the contest; unfortunately, it was 3 fights and not 3 goals. The Bullies could have used the latter as they fell to the visiting Royals 7-1. Reading entered the 2nd period with a modest 1-0 lead, but nothched a trio of goals in a 70 second span of the 2nd period causing tempers to flare. The fisticuffs intensified and the Royals added another goal (Tom Rouleau completing a natural hat trick) in the final minute of the period for a 5-0 lead heading into the final frame. Reading poured on 2 more goals in the early going of the 3rd period as the Dogs of War were unleashed. In addition to Colley's 3 bouts (and game misconduct), Mike Martiniello, Jim Vickers, and Kirk Furey stepped into the ring for Atlantic City. Martiniello was ejected with Colley and a pair of Royals. J.F. Caudron spoiled the shutout bid at the 17:49 mark of the 3rd period for the Bullies' lone goal. Matt Yeats (7 saves on 10 shots) and Scott Stirling (12 saves on 16 shots) shared the 'glory' in goal for the Bullies. Yeats was pulled after Reading's 3rd goal and gets tagged with the loss. Stirling, who wasn't any better in net, was called up by the AHL's Cincinnati Mighty Ducks following the game.


NOVEMBER 15, 2002

Ryan Mougenel tallied 2 goals and 2 assists to lead the Northeast Division leading Boardwalk Bullies over the Reading Royals 7-6. Atlantic City skated out of a wild opening period with a 4-2 lead, then outscored the home team 3-1 in the middle frame for a 7-3 lead. The Royals rallied for 3 in the 3rd, but their comeback bid fell just short for a 7-6 finale. Jade Galbraith and Kevin Colley each registered a goal and 2 assists in the contest, while Stefan Rivard and J.F. Caudron notched a goal and an assist apiece. Ian Walterson scored the remaining Bullies' goal. Despite a rough night in goal (27 saves on 33 shots), Scott Stirling skates away with his 4th victory of the season while the Bullies improve to 9-3-3.


NOVEMBER 12, 2002

He was in town just long enough to lead the team in penalty minutes. Six games and 40 minutes later, right wing Brendan Walsh was recalled by the AHL's Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins. As expected, they left him in Atlantic City for two weeks, just long enough to sharpen his teeth on ECHL opponents before skating into battle back in the AHL. Temporarily tied with Walsh for the Boardwalk Bullies' penalty lead, Kevin Colley acquired his sin bin time over the course of 14 games (leaving Walsh's average of 6.67 PIM per game standing tall).


NOVEMBER 10, 2002

A pair of 3rd period goals from Jade Galbraith erased a 2-0 deficit and salvaged a point for the Bullies by forcing overtime. However, for the second consecutive game, Atlantic City lost one in a shootout, falling 3-2 to the Richmond Renegades. Matt Yeats picked up the loss in goal for the Bullies, who remain atop the Northeast Division with an 8-3-3 record.


NOVEMBER 9, 2002

Great goaltending from Andrew Allen (39 saves not including the shootout) led the Dayton Bombers to a 2-1 shootout victory over the Boardwalk Bullies. J.F. Caudron's 1st period goal wasn't matched until 6:34 into the 3rd period, but the game remained knotted 1-1 through the balance of regulation and overtime. Dayton prevailed 2-1 in the 6-round shootout, handing goalie Scott Stirling his first AC loss of the season.


NOVEMBER 8, 2002

The Atlantic City Boardwalk Bullies delivered a 3-1 knockout blow to the Trenton Titans in the battle for hockey supremacy in the Garden State. Stefan Rivard scored midway through the opening period for a 10 Boardwalk lead, then Jade Galbraith lit the lantern at 7:36 of the 2nd stanza to double the lead. Trenton notched a power play goal late in the 2nd period, but former Titan Paul Spadafora chalked up an insurance goal early in the 3rd frame. Matt Yeats made 30 saves on 31 shots as the Bullies skated to a 3-1 victory over the Titans. As expected, Scott Stirling rejoined the Bullies and Ryan Kiernan was released. The Bullies are now 8-3-1 on their sophomore season.


NOVEMBER 4, 2002

They're back in 1st! What a difference two games can make! Kevin Colley nothced a pair of goals to erase a 2-0 deficit that the Boardwalk Bullies acquired in the first 4:42 of the game, then Scott Matzka bagged the game-winning power play goal early in the 3rd period. Matt Yeats stopped 22 saves of 24 shots to improve to 4-3-1 while the 7-3-1 Bullies recaptured the Northeast Division lead! Colley now shares the ECHL lead with 10 goals in just 11 games. Both he and Matzka posted 3-point performances tonight. Scott Stirling made his AHL debut with the Worcester IceCats yesterday, picking up a win. However, he could be back in a Bullies jersey as early as this weekend if Titans netminder Cody Rudkowsky drops down from the St. Louis Blues (expected anytime now that Fred Brathwaite and Tom Barrasso are on their active roster).


NOVEMBER 2, 2002

They're back on track! J.F. Caudron gave Atlantic City a 1-0 lead in the opening period, which Paul Spadafora and Kevin Colley tripled with power play goals in the 2nd period. The Men O' War found the scoreboard later in the middle frame, but Jade Galbraith's power play goal in the 3rd period sealed the 4-1 home victory over Lexington. The Bullies pounded former Titans netminder Dan Murphy with 44 shots while Matt Yeats made 24 saves on 25 shots to even his record at 3-3-1. The 6-3-1 Bullies are now in the middle of a five team cluster (12 - 14 points) atop the Northeast Division.


NOVEMBER 1, 2002

The Atlantic City Boardwalk Bullies achieved another milestone.... to the dismay of their fans. For the first time since moving to New Jersey, the franchise has lost 3 consecutive games in regulation. Ryan Mougenel (shorthanded) and Kevin Colley notched 1st period goals for a 2-0 Bullies lead, but their hosts came clawing back. The Express posted a power play goal late in the opening period and another late in the 2nd frame to tie the game, then chalked up a shorthanded tally at 3:55 on the 3rd period to complete the rally for a 3-2 victory over Atlantic City. Matt Yeats stopped 22 of 25 shots with the loss putting him in red ink for the season (2-3-1), while the 5-3-1 Bullies watch another team (Reading Royals) skate past them in the Northeast Division standings. Hopefully, hosting the Lexington Men O' War on Saturday night might help them regain their mojo, but they may be facing former Titans netminder Dan Murphy. He was 4-2-0 against the Bullies last year, but they did manage to chase him from the game during their first encounter.


OCTOBER 30, 2002

The Roanoke Express got the upper hand on the Bullies with 2 first period goals and never looked back en route to a 4-2 victory. J.F. Caudron scored early in the 2nd period to cut Atlantic City's deficit in half, but the Express retaliated 4 minutes later with a power play goal. At 12:58 of the middle frame, Scott Matzka notched a power play goal to pull the Bullies within one, but Roanoke wouldn't let them get any closer. An empty-netter with 2 seconds left in regulation sealed the 4-2 home loss for the Bullies (5-2-1) and goalie Matt Yeats (2-2-1). Atlantic City is 1-2-1 after an impressive 4-0-0 start and has surrendered the Northeast Division lead to the Trenton Titans.


OCTOBER 29, 2002

Bruising right wing Brendan Walsh was assigned to Atlantic City by the AHL's Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins. He began the season with the Penguins serving a 5-game AHL suspension for an incident that occurred last season (3/30/01) against the Syracuse Crunch, and was a healthy scratch in 2 additional games. To prevent their ECHL affiliate Wheeling Nailers from needing to drop a veteran, WBS sent Walsh to the Bullies for a couple of weeks until he gets into 'game shape' for them. To make room for him on the roster, the Boardwalk Bullies have traded forward Mike Scott to the Mississippi Sea Wolves for cash. Meanwhile, defenseman Ian Walterson was placed on the 7-day injured reserve list while forward Mark Loeding was activated. The Bullies also signed Brick, N.J. native Ryan Kiernan as their backup goaltender, replacing emergency backup Joe Tonzola. The Bullies' press release makes it sound like they intend to start Kiernan in goal tomorrow night against the Roanoke Express; it would be his professional debut.


OCTOBER 26, 2002

Despite outshooting the Nailers 31 to 17, the Boardwalk Bullies skated away from Wheeling with their first regulation loss of the season. Kevin Colley broke a scoreless struggle at 1:49 of the 2nd period, but the Nailers lashed back with a pair of goals in the following 82 seconds. The Bullies tied the game early in the 3rd period on a Luke Curtin power play goal, but Wheeling bagged a shorthanded lantern lighter at 14:06 of the 3rd period for the victory. Matt Yeats shouldered the loss allowing 3 goals on 17 shots as the Bullies slipped to 5-1-1 on their sophomore season.


OCTOBER 25, 2002

It's a good thing the clock ran out when it did, otherwise the Boardwalk Bullies probably would have kissed their victory goodbye. Atlantic City dominated the visiting Trenton Titans for the first 31:54 of the game, outshooting them 29-8 while building a 4-0 lead. Jim Henkel scored his 3rd goal of the season at 13:28 of the 1st period to open the scoring for the Bullies, and Kevin Colley followed 2 minutes later to double their lead. At 8:12 of the 2nd period, J.F. Caudron contributed a power play goal for a 3-0 advantage. Colley converted on a power play 3 minutes later for his 2nd tally of the night and a commanding 4-0 Bullies lead. However, the Titans came raging back to outshoot Atlantic City 23-9 for the balance of the game. Trenton chipped away at their deficit with a power play goal at 14:13 of the 2nd period and with a pair of goals 39 seconds apart midway through the 3rd frame. The Titans poured on the pressure right up until the final horn as Matt Yeats and the Bullies barely escaped with a 4-3 home victory. Yeats stopped 28 of 31 shots to improve to 2-0-1 while the Bullies gain the Northeast Division lead with a 5-0-1 record.


OCTOBER 23, 2002

The Reading Royals have tarnished the Boardwalk Bullies' record with a 3-2 shootout victory. The visitors posted a power play goal at 12:11 of the 1st period to stake a 1-0 lead, but Jim Henkel notched a shorthanded tally 2 minutes later to even the score. Reading regained the lead at 8:11 of the 2nd period, but Carl Corazzini registered a power play goal later in the middle frame for a 2-2 tie. The stalemate lasted through the 3rd period and overtime before the Royals prevailed in the shootout. Despite the setback, Matt Yeats was strong in his 2nd pro performance, stopping 32 of 34 Royal shots. The Bullies, now 4-0-1 on the season, remain 2 points behind the league leading Trenton Titans, but have a game-in-hand. Conveniently enough, the Bullies host the Titans at Boardwalk Hall on Friday night in the first of ten regular season meetings.


OCTOBER 22, 2002

Bullies goalie Scott Stirling has been recalled by the AHL's Worcester IceCats to help with their goalie crisis. Worcester's NHL affiliate, the St. Louis Blues, has 3 injured goaltenders (Brent Johnson and Fred Brathwaite, plus Worcester callup Reinhard Divis) forcing them to recall two others from the IceCats: Curtis Sanford and Cody Rudkowsky (who started the season with the Trenton Titans before being called up to Worcester). The IceCats briefly used former Titans netminder Dan Murphy as a backup for goalie Phil Osaer, but Murphy was needed back with the ECHL's Lexington Men O' War after their other goalie was recalled by the AHL's Utah Grizzlies. The Bullies have signed training camp attendee Joe Tonzola to serve as an emergency backup for Matt Yeats.


OCTOBER 19, 2002

Scott Stirling and the Boardwalk Bullies took the show on the road with a 3-2 victory over the Reading Royals! Jade Galbraith scored at 14:51 of the 1st period to neutralize a 1-0 Reading lead, and Kevin Colley handed the Bullies a 2-1 lead at 14:20 in the 2nd period. With just 64 seconds remaining in regulation, Carl Corazzini added an insurance goal - a good thing since the Royals found the net with 3 seconds left on the game clock! Atlantic City improved to 4-0-0 with the 3-2 win, while Stirling stopped 20 shots to boost his record to 3-0-0. All three of tonight's Bullies goal scorers provided goals in last night's victory as well.


OCTOBER 18, 2002

The Boardwalk Bullies made Matt Yeats' professional goaltending debut a cake walk, giving the rookie 8 goals to work with. Scott Matzka and Carl Corazzini each scored a pair of goals, complimented by solo shots from Kevin Colley, Paul Spadafora, Kirk Furey, and Jade Galbraith. Matzka also picked up a trio of assists on the evening. Yeats stopped 21 of 23 shots for the win as the Bullies improved to 3-0-0 on their sophomore season with an 8-2 home victory over the Wheeling Nailers.


OCTOBER 14, 2002

Great Scott! Add another trophy to his mantel: Scott Stirling has been selected as the ECHL's Goalie of the Week! He led the Bullies to a 2-0 start while collecting his first shutout of the season (more to certainly follow) and posting a 1.45 goals against average with a .951 save percentage. CONGRATULATIONS STIRLING !!!


OCTOBER 12, 2002

It was a goalie duel between Atlantic City's Scott Stirling and Richmond's Marc Magliarditi until the 3rd period when the Bullies offense slipped into high gear. Ryan Mougenel, Jersey native Jim Henkel, and Kevin Colley each chalked up their first goal of the season for a 3-0 victory! Netminder Scott Stirling stood on his head to stop 35 Renegades shots for his first shutout of the season! At 2-0-0, the Boardwalk Bullies share the Northeast Division lead with the Greensboro Generals. TRADE: The Bullies lifted the suspension of defenseman Chris Thompson and traded him to the Dayton Bombers for future considerations. The Bombers now have two Chris Thompsons on their roster.


OCTOBER 11, 2002

It came down to a shootout but the Boardwalk Bullies prevailed over the Roanoke Express 4-3 for an Opening Day victory! J.F. Caudron gave Atlantic City a 1-0 lead at the 14:42 mark of the opening period, but the Express fired back with a power play goal 3 minutes later to tie the game. The Bullies recaptured the lead at 7:25 of the 2nd period on a Stefan Rivard power play tally, but Roanoke bagged a pair with the man advantage just 10 seconds apart later in the period for the 3-2 lead. With just 11 seconds remaining in regulation, Luke Curtin found the net to send the game into overtime. After a scoreless overtime period, the Bullies prevailed in the shootout! Scott Stirling stopped 23 of 26 Express shots for the victory.


OCTOBER 11, 2002

Opening Day 2002/2003 is finally here! The Atlantic City Boardwalk Bullies drop the puck for season number two tonight, hosting the Roanoke Express at Boardwalk Hall. The Bullies have a new arrival for the game: Boston Bruins right wing prospect Carl Corazzini, assigned from the AHL's Providence Bruins.


OCTOBER 8, 2002

Kevin Colley is a man of his word. Upon being cut from the AHL Rochester Americans' training camp, the high-scoring center re-signed with the Atlantic City Boardwalk Bullies for the 2002/2003 season. Difficult decisions are on tap for General Manager Matt Loughran and Head Coach Mike Haviland: they need to trim their squad to a maximum of 20 players by Wednesday's ECHL roster deadline. Especially difficult will be on offense where they have a surplus of players under contract.


OCTOBER 6, 2002

The Bullies capped off their short preseason schedule with a 4-2 road loss to the Trenton Titans. Scott Matzka and Derek Hahn scored for Atlantic City while Matt Yeats and Joe Tonzola shared netminding duties.


OCTOBER 5, 2002

Scott Matzka tallied a pair of goals to lead the Boardwalk Bullies to a 4-1 preseason victory over the Richmond Renegades at the Vineland Ice Arena. Jade Galbraith and Luke Curtin also scored for Atlantic City, while goalie Scott Stirling stopped 22 of 23 shots.


OCTOBER 3, 2002

With 2002/2003 training camp in full swing, the Atlantic City Boardwalk Bullies have signed a pair of 1998 Los Angeles Kings draft picks: center Jim Henkel (a NJ native) and goaltender Matt Yeats.


SEPTEMBER 28, 2002

The Bullies have hired former University of Maine assistant coach Matt Thomas as their new assistant coach, filling the void created when Leigh Mendelson left Atlantic City.


SEPTEMBER 27, 2002

The Boardwalk Bullies have traded defenseman Tyler Johnston and future considerations to the Jackson Bandits for veteran right wing Ryan Mougenel.


SEPTEMBER 19, 2002

Atlantic City has re-signed forwards Scott Matzka and J.F. Caudron for the 2002/2003 season. The duo tallied 41 goals and 51 assists for the Bullies last season. Fourteen players are now under contract for Atlantic City's sophomore season.


SEPTEMBER 16, 2002

The Boardwalk Bullies added 3 more names to the 2002/2003 roster: former South Carolina Stingrays defenseman Mike Nicholishen, Alberta Junior Hockey League standout Jade Galbraith, and Rochester Institute of Technology offensive blueliner Jerry Galway.


SEPTEMBER 10, 2002

University of New Hampshire winger David Busch and veteran left wing Jason Clark are the Atlantic City Boardwalk Bullies' 8th and 9th signees for the 2002/2003 season! While Busch is a rookie, Clark has 6 seasons of professional hockey (Germany/ECHL/AHL/WPHL) under his belt.


SEPTEMBER 4, 2002

The Bullies have announced their 7th signing for the 2002/2003 season: forward Mike Scott!


SEPTEMBER 1, 2002

Atlantic City has re-signed defenseman Ian Walterson! He joins goalie Scott Stirling, defenseman Kirk Furey, forwards Luke Curtin and Stefan Rivard, and newcomer Paul Spadafora on the 2002/2003 Bullies roster.


AUGUST 28, 2002

The Boardwalk Bullies have signed another former Trenton Titan! Center Paul Spadafora, most recently with the Florida Everblades, has signed with the Boardwalk Bullies for the 2002/2003 season! ...and don't be alarmed if you see him listed on the fight card at Boardwalk Hall - there's a champion boxer by the same name.


AUGUST 24, 2002

Goaltender Scott Stirling has re-signed with the Boardwalk Bullies for the 2002/2003 season! He is only the 4th signing announced by Atlantic City for the upcoming season.


AUGUST 9, 2002

The Boardwalk Bullies have re-signed blueliner Kirk Furey for the 2002/2003 season. Furey provided solid defense for the Bullies during their inaugural season and led the team with a +16 plus/minus rating.


JUNE 20, 2002

Congratulations to Atlantic City Boardwalk Bullies General Manager Matt Loughran: he has been selected as the ECHL's Executive of the Year for the 2001/2002 season!


MAY 31, 2002

The Boardwalk Bullies traded goaltender Shawn DeGagne to the New Orleans Brass to complete an earlier transaction.


MAY 30, 2002

The Bullies have re-signed their leading scorer Luke Curtin for the 2002/2003 season.


MAY 29, 2002

Hopefully the first of many returnees: Atlantic City re-signed Captain Stefan Rivard for the 2002/2003 season.


MAY 21, 2002

Assistant Coach Leigh Mendelson has parted ways with the Boardwalk Bullies, accepting an Associate Head Coach position with the United States Hockey League's Omaha Lancers. Good Luck Leigh!


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