By Brett Friedlander
Staff writer
A year ago at this time, Ryan Kiley left the Cape Fear FireAntz to help a team in another hockey league make its run to the postseason.
FireAntz fans have been concerned the scenario might repeat itself after the Fresno Falcons traded Kiley's ECHL rights to the Wheeling Nailers last week.
But the high-scoring forward said it won't happen until after he takes the FireAntz as far into the South East Hockey League playoffs as he can.
"I'm not going anywhere," Kiley said after Saturday's 5-3 win against Winston-Salem at the Crown Coliseum. When I came here, I said I was coming to stay and I mean it. They can count on me."
Kiley, a 25-year-old native of Reading, Mass., led the FireAntz with 26 goals in 53 games last season before leaving for Fresno in mid-February.
He said that he left because the FireAntz had fallen out of playoff contention and he had a falling out with then-coach Bryan Wells.
Circumstances are much different this year.
Not only does Kiley have a good relationship with new coach Scott Rex, but the FireAntz are riding a hot streak as they surge toward the postseason. Cape Fear is 11-5 since Kiley joined the team on Jan. 2, after spending the early part of the season with the Miami Manatees of the financially strapped WHA2.
"Things are a lot better here now than they were," Kiley said. "This has always been a great place to play. The fans here are great. I really like playing here. I want to be around and help win a championship for the team and these fans."
The SEHL regular season runs through the second week in March, with another three weeks for its two rounds of playoffs.
Even if the FireAntz made it to the finals against first-place Huntsville, Kiley would still have time to join a team in another league for its playoff drive. Wheeling currently leads its division in the ECHL despite being short several players because of injuries and callups.
Kiley said the decision whether to play in Wheeling will depend on how both he and his wife feel after the FireAntz season is over.
In the meantime, Kiley might be getting a little time to rest up for the playoffs.
Ron Hansis, the SEHL's vice-president for hockey operations, was in Fayetteville on Monday reviewing the tape of Saturday's brawl with the TBirds, in which Winston-Salem enforcer Hunter Lahache suffered a broken orbital bone.
Although Kiley inflicted most of the damage on Lahache in the fight, he was not penalized by game referee Bill Kicinski. Hansis will determine what kind of supplemental discipline is warranted against Kiley and FireAntz captain Aaron Shrieves.
A decision is expected today.
Web posted on Feb. 17, 2004
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