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AHL Rochester Americans

Amerks Host Bears in Battle of AHL's Oldest Teams

February 20, 2009 - American Hockey League (AHL)
Rochester Americans News Release


Tonight, the oldest rivalry in the American Hockey League will be renewed as the second place Hershey Bears make their annual trip to The Blue Cross Arena. The battle of the league's two oldest franchises is slated for a 7:35 p.m. start and can be heard live on SportsRadio 1280 WKTK, whtk.com and AHL Live.

Promotions: To start the night, the first 2,000 fans will take home a Zamboni lunch bag, courtesy of Zweigle's. Tonight's contest features a variety of promotions, starting with Scouts Night. All Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts, along with their families and friends can purchase discounted tickets between $10 and $12, depending on seating arrangements. Please call John Cochol at (585) 454-5335 x.3011 for more information. The matchup also features the next installment of the Amerks' $7 Fridays, where fans can purchase 200 Upper End and 200 Balcony tickets for just $7. The game also falls on AAA Discount Night. All AAA members can bring their cards to The Blue Cross Arena Box Office to receive 100-End Seating for $12 each (Reg. Price $18.25) or 200-End Seating for $9 each (Reg. Price $14.25). Further, it's Wendy's Night. Fans can pick up a Wendy's Buy One, Get One ticket voucher at area participating Wendy's locations. Redeem your vouchers directly at The Blue Cross Arena Box Office. It's also an RBA Special Night. All Rochester Business Alliance members can purchase discounted 100 Level End tickets (regular price $16) for just $10 by calling Adam Winslow at (585)-454-5335 x3019.

The biggest promotion of the night will take place during the second intermission when one lucky randomly selected fan will have the opportunity to shoot for a house from the far blue line. The puck must clear a target, which will be stationed in front of the goal (some restrictions apply.)

Tonight also marks the second night of the Amerks' "Star Toss," with all net proceeds of the promotion going toward the recovery of Rochester police officer Anthony DiPonzio. The promotion begins tonight and will run during the second intermission through the Amerks' remaining 12 home games. Stars can be purchased at any Amerks home game for just $1 each or in groups of six for $5. The 23-year-old Officer DiPonzio was shot in the line of duty on January 31st. He faces a long recovery following brain surgery.

Head-to-Head: The matchup is the second and final meeting between the AHL's cornerstone franchises. The Amerks were the victims of an 8-3 rout to the Bears in the only previous meeting of the season between the two teams back on October 26th at Giant Center. Rochester is 180-200-53 lifetime against its archrival.

Amerks Notes: Rochester (20-31-0-5, 45 points), whose collected points in five of its last eight, enters the contest after coming up short in a 2-1 shootout loss to the Grand Rapids Griffins Wednesday night at The Blue Cross Arena. Defenseman Jordan Henry notched the Amerks' lone goal in regulation and goaltender Mike Brodeur made 27 saves in a battle of goaltending.

Rookie forward Michal Repik, who shows 14 points (6+8) in his last 11 games, currently paces Rochester's offense with a team-high 33 points (13+20) through 50 games. His 33 points ranks him 16th among AHL rookies in scoring. Veteran forward Janis Sprukts, who skated in his 100th game in an Amerk uniform last Sunday night at Peoria, remains the Amerks' top goal scorer with a team best 15 goals.

Rookie defenseman Jason Garrison has a team best 21 assists and remains Rochester's top scoring defenseman with 25 points overall, good enough for third on the team. Michael Duco is first on the team with 114 penalty minutes (PIM), with Tanner Glass a close second at 100 PIM. Brodeur boasts a 14-6-3 record in 25 games for the Amerks. His 2.21 goals-against average and .930 save percentage currently rank him third among AHL netminders in both goaltending categories, respectively. Further, his two shutouts tie him for fifth in the league. Tyler Plante is 3-3-0 since his return to the Amerks and is 3-8-0 on the season with 3.24 goals-against average and a .899 save percentage.

Player Moves: Amerks General Manager Jody Gage announced today that the Florida Panthers have reassigned goaltender Chris Beckford-Tseu to the Florida Everblades of the ECHL. The 24 year old heads to Florida after appearing in 22 games with the Amerks this season where he posted a 3-14-1 record with a 3.94 goals-against average and a .868 save percentage, while making 478 saves. Beckford-Tseu boasts a 36-44-8 record in 102 career American Hockey League contests with Worcester, Peoria and Rochester. A native of Toronto, Ontario, the 6-foot-3, 201-pound netminder signed a two-year deal with the Florida Panthers on July 3, 2008. He was originally a fifth-round selection (159th overall) in the 2003 National Hockey League Entry Draft.

Hershey Notes: Hershey (36-16-0-4, 76 points), playing Game 2 of its current two-game North Division road trip, comes into the matchup after dropping four of its last five. The Bears' only win in that span came in a 3-2 win over the Syracuse Crunch Monday night at the War Memorial at Oncenter.

The Bears own the AHL's top two scorers in Keith Aucoin (19+51) and Andre Giroux (38+26). Aucoin sits atop the league in both points (70) and assists (51), while Giroux has league best 38 goals. Giroux set an AHL record on January 18th, scoring a goal in his 15th straight game that night in Hershey's 3-2 shootout win over the Worcester Sharks. Giroux broke the record held by Moncton Golden Flames forward Brett Hull during the 1986-87 season. Hull scored in 14 straight games en route to a 50-goal season for which he won the Dudley "Red" Garrett Award as the AHL's outstanding rookie. Hull went on to score 741 goals over a 17-year career in the National Hockey League. Aucoin picked up his 500th AHL point February 14th, scoring one goal and adding one assist, to become 74th AHL player to capture that milestone. Hershey also has local ties to Rochester as forward Steve Pinizzotto was member of the RIT Tigers Hockey Club for two seasons prior to turning pro.

Greg Amadio is first on the team and 10th in the league with 154 PIM. Third-year goaltender Daren Machesney is 15-7-1 with a 2.99 goals-against average and a .879 save percentage in 25 games between the pipes for the Bears. Hershey is presently first in the East Division and second overall in league standings.

Next Game: On Saturday, February 21st, Rochester travels north of the border for the first leg of a home-and-home series with the Toronto Marlies in a 4:00 p.m. matinee at Ricoh Coliseum. The Amerks return home Sunday, February 22nd to complete the two-game set at 6:05 p.m. at The Blue Cross Arena. The contests will be the fifth and sixth of eight meetings between the two teams and will be carried live on SportsRadio 1280 WHTK, whtk.com and AHL Live. The Marlies own a perfect 4-0-0-0 record and have outscored the Amerks 17-8 throughout the season series thus far. The Amerks are 10-19-1 all-time against the Toronto Maple Leafs' affiliate.

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