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 Norfolk Admirals

Norfolk climbs to third place in East

March 8, 2004 - American Hockey League (AHL)
Norfolk Admirals News Release


VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. – The Blue and Gold won two of their three contests against division foes last week to claim third place in the East Division. On Wednesday, March 3, the Admirals scored three times in the first period en route to a 4-2 win over Philadelphia. Jason Morgan, Yorick Treille and Shawn Thornton all had two points to lead Norfolk to a 4-1 victory over Albany on March 5. The Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins ended the Admirals’ five-game winning streak with a 2-1 decision on Sunday, March 7.

The season series against Wilkes-Barre/Scranton (Pittsburgh) concludes with a pair of contests at Scope this week. The Pens visit on Wednesday, March 10 at 7:15 p.m. and again on Friday, March 12 at 7:30 p.m. The Blue and Gold travel to Hershey (Colorado/Tampa Bay) to face the Bears on Saturday, March 13 at 7:00 p.m.

The Admirals are third in the East Division with a record of 30-27-4-5 (66 GP, 69 points). They trail Philadelphia (63 GP, 35-21-6-1, 77 points) and Bridgeport (63 GP, 32-18-9-4, 77 points), and are followed by Hershey (67 GP, 28-27-8-4, 68 points), Wilkes-Barre/Scranton (63 GP, 27-24-7-5, 66 points), Binghamton (65 GP, 28-29-6-2, 64 points) and Albany (63 GP, 16-29-11-7, 50 points).

THE WEEK AHEAD

Wednesday, March 10 … Norfolk vs. Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins … 7:15 p.m.

Friday, March 12 … Norfolk vs. Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins … 7:30 p.m.

The Penguins are 4-3-1-0 against the Admirals this year, including a 2-1-0-0 mark in Hampton Roads. Wilkes-Barre leads the all-time series with a record of 18-15-3-0. Matt Ellison tops all Admirals with 3+5=8 points and Marty Wilford has six assists (six points) versus the Penguins this year. Eric Meloche (2+4) and Toby Petersen (1+5) have chipped in six points apiece for the Baby Pens against Norfolk. Wilkes-Barre’s power play unit is 13th in the League (15.3) while its penalty killers are 27th (80.3). Michel Ouellet is atop the team scoring list with 25+16=41 points. He is first among AHL rookies in tallies and tied with Kyle Wellwood (STS) for third in scoring. Patrick Boileau’s 25 assists are most on the team. Kris Beech’s plus-12 rating leads the Pens while Matt Hussey and Guillaume Lefebvre share the lowest rating at minus-3 each. David Koci has spent 240 minutes in the ‘sin bin’, placing him sixth in the AHL in PIM. Minding the cage are Sebastien Caron (12 GPI, 7-3-2, 2.13 GAA, .933 spct.) and Nick Boucher (4 GPI, 1-0-0, 2.43 GAA, .919 spct.)

Saturday, March 13 … Norfolk @ Hershey Bears … 4:00 p.m.

Norfolk is 2-4-1-1 versus Hershey this season and is winless at the Giant Center (0-2-1-0). However, the Admirals maintain an edge of 17-11-5-3 in the squads’ all-time series. Ellison (2+2) and Ajay Baines (0+4) have four points each against the Bears in 2003-04. Hershey’s scoring leaders against Norfolk this year are Eric Perrin (2+4=6 points), Pascal Trepanier (2+3=5 points) and Sheldon Keefe (1+4=5 points). The Bears are 10th in the AHL on the power play (15.56) and 20th when shorthanded (84.27). Perrin’s 68 points (21+47) are most on the club. He is first in the League in helpers and tied with Miroslav Zalesak (CLV) for first in scoring. Steve Brule’s 26 lamplighters place him among the top six in the AHL in goals. Trepanier (11+27=38 points) is third among AHL defensemen in scoring (Curtis Murphy, MIL; Garrett Stafford, CLV - 39 points each) and tied with several others for third in tallies by a League blueliner. His minus-28 rating is the lowest in the entire AHL. Marc Busenberg’s plus-19 rating is best on Hershey and places him among the top 15 in the League. Dennis Bonvie has picked up 110 PIM in 18 games with the Bears, and he has 247 PIM overall this season, ranking him fourth in the AHL in PIM. Between the pipes, Peter Budaj is 15-19-6 with a 2.88 GAA and a .915 spct. in 42 games, and Tom Lawson is 13-12-2 with a 2.30 GAA and a .932 spct. in 32 outings. Lawson ranks seventh among League goalies in save percentage.

UPCOMING GAMES/PROMOTIONS

Wednesday, March 10 (Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins)

* The Blue and Gold host their rivals for another key divisional match.

Friday, March 12 (Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins)

* Pre-game Party at AJ Gator’s. For just $15, receive a Blue Level ticket to that night’s game, a voucher for two drinks and an hors d’oeuvre buffet at AJ Gator’s, 344 Granby Street in Norfolk. Available at the Scope Box Office and all TicketMaster outlets. Special discounts available for season ticket holders through the Admirals’ office.

Saturday, March 20 (Houston Aeros)

* Military Appreciation Night. Show a valid military ID at the Scope Box Office or any TicketMaster outlet and receive a Blue or White level ticket for just $5.00.

* Team Poster Giveaway. The first 4,000 fans will receive a 2003-04 Team Poster, courtesy of Coca-Cola.

Sunday, March 21 (Houston Aeros)

* Dog Day Afternoon. The Norfolk SPCA will be selling special edition t-shirts featuring the Admirals’ Marty Wilford and his dog Jax, and raffling off a variety of prizes to benefit the SPCA. A number of rescued SPCA pets will also be on display.

* Family Fun Pack Game. Receive a Blue level ticket, hot dog and soft drink for just $11.00. Available at the Scope Box Office and all TicketMaster outlets. Must be purchased in advance. Not available the day of the game.

TEAM NOTEBOOK

* The Blue and Gold are ninth in the League in goals against (2.33 per game) and second in shots against (25.02).

* Last week, the Admirals defeated Philadelphia (4-2 on March 3) and Albany (4-1 on March 5) in consecutive games, despite being outshot both times. The team is just 5-11-1-3 when being outshot this season.

* Since February 11, Norfolk has held the opposition to one or two goals in 11 of its 12 games, posting a record of 10-1-0-0 in the 11 matches. Lowell won 3-2 on February 20 the only time an opponent scored more than twice during that span.

* RW Yorick Treille has seven points (3+4) over his last seven games (since February 20).

* C Jason Morgan has three goals and three assists (six points) in his five games with the Admirals (since February 27)

* F Carsen Germyn has 6+4=10 points in his last 10 games (since February 14).

* G Matt Underhill made 29 saves in his NHL debut and C Tyler Arnason scored a pair of goals in Chicago’s 4-3 overtime loss to Edmonton on March 7.

* Today, RW Matt Keith was recalled to the Blackhawks and RW Pavel Vorobiev was reassigned to the Admirals.

ON THE RADIO

All games are broadcast on the Admirals’ Flagship Station, AM-1230 WJOI. The games are also cybercast on the World Wide Web at SportsJuice.com. Go to www.SportsJuice.com, or click on the link at www.norfolkadmirals.com. Pre-game broadcasts begin 15 minutes prior to game starting time.

TICKET INFORMATION

Individual tickets for all remaining contests on the Admirals’ home schedule are available at the Scope Box Office, all TicketMaster outlets, charge-by-phone at (757) 671-8100 and online at www.ticketmaster.com. Group tickets and Calder Cup 2004 Playoff Packages are on sale through the Admirals’ office. For more information, visit the club’s website at www.norfolkadmirals.com or call the Admirals at (757) 363-1900.


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