University of Connecticut Athletics
Scherer Wins Kelley Cup With South Carolina Stingrays
6/11/2009 12:00:00 AM | Men's Ice Hockey
June 11, 2009
STORRS, Conn. - In his second season with the South Carolina Stingrays, former University of Connecticut men's hockey star Matt Scherer helped his team to a 4-2 game seven victory over the Alaska Aces to earn their third Kelly Cup since 1997.
The right wing recorded a goal and an assist in the seven-game series with the Aces. His Game Four goals came in a 5-0 victory giving South Carolina a 3-1 series advantage. In Game Seven, Scherer recorded an assist on the second goal of game seven helping them earn ECHL champion bragging rights.
Scherer was a standout on the UConn hockey team from 2003-07 recording 62 goals and 43 assists in 138 games with the Huskies. His 62 goals stands first on the Division I Goals Scored list while his 138 games played ranks second all time.
The Kelly Cup trophy is named for Patrick J. Kelly, who presents it each year to the postseason champion. Kelly was one of the founding fathers of the ECHL and the second inductee into the ECHL Hall of Fame in 2008. Kelly served as Commissioner for the league's first eight seasons and was named Commissioner Emeritus in 1996, a title that he continues to hold. Kelly, who celebrated his 55th season in professional hockey in 2007-08, coached 1,900 career games and had 935 wins. Kelly coached in the Eastern Hockey League, the Southern Hockey League and the National Hockey League where he was the only coach to ever lead the Colorado Rockies to the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
The Stingrays are the first three-time winner of the Kelly Cup having won the coveted trophy the first time it was presented in 1997 and again in 2001 when they became the first two-time winner.
During the 2009 postseason, Scherer scored nine goals, including two multi-goal efforts and recorded three assists helping his team to the championship title. He finished third on the team in goals scored in the playoffs, playing 22 of the 23 playoff games this season. He started out in the playoffs with the hottest hand scoring five goals in the first seven playoff games helping the Rays come back from down 2-0 in the opening series to Charlotte, and start out on the right foot against Florida on the road.
Scherer finished the season with 21 goals and 20 assists in 81 games played. In his two years with the Stingrays he has played in 150 games scoring 35 goals and recording 30 assists.
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