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March 26, 2003 - American Hockey League (AHL) News Release


Utah scored three times in the first 5:39 of the third period to claim a 4-2 win in San Antonio on Monday night, preventing the Rampage from clinching a berth in the 2003 postseason. On goals by Jeff Toms and Ryan Jardine, San Antonio took a 2-1 lead into the final frame, but Barrett Heisten, Jeff Bateman and David Gosselin struck for the Grizzlies, who avenged Saturday's 4-1 loss to the Rampage.

LOOKING AHEAD:

To extend its run at the West Division title, Chicago needs a victory on Wednesday over first-place Houston at Allstate Arena (7:00 CT), where the Wolves have won eight in a row. The Aeros, 1-5-1-1 in their last eight on the road, own an 11-point lead over Chicago as they try to nail down their first AHL division championship. Chicago's Simon Gamache leads all scorers with eight goals and 10 points in the season series, which has seen six of the last seven meetings require overtime (with five of the OT games ending on a goal).

Philadelphia continues its late playoff push in Norfolk on Wednesday (7:15 ET). A 5-4 overtime win over Hartford on Sunday allowed the Phantoms to reclaim 10th place in the Western Conference as they try to avoid missing the playoffs for the first time in the team's seven-year history. The Admirals, meanwhile, snapped a nine-game winless skid on Sunday to remain one point ahead of Hershey atop the South Division. Defense has dominated the season series, with a total of 26 goals scored in the teams' first eight meetings. Norfolk's Peter White has tallied seven points in the series – five in four games as an Admiral, and two in four games as a Phantom.

Hershey, 3-0-1-0 in its last four, starts a six-game road trip in Milwaukee on Wednesday (7:12 CT, 8:12 ET), looking to take over the South Division lead and the #3 seed that goes with it. The Admirals are finishing up a six-game homestand and are ninth in the Western Conference, seven points away from the Bears and dodging the best-of-three qualifying round. Former Hershey defenseman Alex Riazantsev, has two goals and an assist in seven games since joining Milwaukee at the trade deadline.

(all times local)
Wed 3/26
St. John's at Hartford, 7:05... Philadelphia at Norfolk, 7:15... Houston at Chicago, 7:00... Hershey at Milwaukee, 7:12

Thu 3/27
Portland at Lowell, 7:00

Fri 3/28
St. John's at Saint John, 7:30... Hershey at Cleveland, 7:05... Binghamton at Wilkes-Barre, 7:05... Chicago at Grand Rapids, 7:30... Hamilton at Syracuse, 7:30... Albany at Bridgeport, 7:35... Philadelphia at Cincinnati, 7:35... Worcester at Manchester, 7:35... Norfolk at Rochester, 7:35... Hartford at Springfield, 7:35... Milwaukee at San Antonio, 7:00... Providence at Manitoba, 7:30... Houston at Utah, 7:00

ALUMNI WATCH:
On Tuesday night, Igor Radulov scored his first two NHL goals 13 seconds apart during Chicago's 9-2 loss to the N.Y. Islanders... Two-time Calder Cup champion and former AHL MVP Jean-Francois Labbe made 33 saves as Columbus defeated Los Angeles in overtime, 2-1... Making his Capitals debut, 2001 AHL All-Star Josef Boumedienne scored in overtime to give Washington a 4-3 win over Montreal.

ON THE AIR:
Friday, Binghamton at Wilkes-Barre -- Adelphia 63/WNEP-DT 16-2 (NE Pennsylvania) -- 7:05 ET
Friday, Hamilton at Syracuse -- Time Warner Cable 13 (Syracuse) -- 7:30 ET
Friday, Norfolk at Rochester -- Time Warner Cable 98 (Rochester) -- 7:35 ET

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