AHL Rochester Americans

Amerks Set To Play Four Games In Five Nights

Published on March 24, 2008 under American Hockey League (AHL)
Rochester Americans News Release


(Rochester, NY)... After winning two of three games over the weekend which featured a homecoming after a five-game road stint, the Rochester Americans are preparing for a jam-packed week to close out their March schedule.

The four-game in five-night stretch begins on Wednesday, March 26th with game one of a two-game home ice mini-series against the Manitoba Moose. The 7:05 p.m. contest is the seventh of eight scheduled meetings between the divisional rivals and will be broadcast live on Hot Talk 1280 WHTK, whtk.com and B2 networks. The game will also be televised live on Time Warner SportsNet Channel 26. The Amerks have collected only one point from the Moose this season and fell 3-2 in their last meeting at the MTS Centre on January 5th. Rochester is 0-5-0-1 this season and 14-19-1 all-time against the Vancouver Canucks' affiliate.

Wednesday's game will feature the clevermethod business persons' special. Fans can turn in their business cards at The Blue Cross Arena Box Office and receive a $21.00 ticket for just $10.00. Contact the Amerks Office at (585) 454-5335 for more information.

The Moose will stay in Rochester to face the Amerks again on Friday, March 28th at The Blue Cross Arena. The contest marks the Amerks' 4,000th all-time regular season game. The Amerks first hit the ice on October 14, 1956 for a tie game against the Cleveland Barons. Rochester's first goal was scored by Mike Nykoluk at 11:03 of the first period. In the subsequent years, Rochester has collected six championship titles, 14 divisional championships and three conference championships. The 7:35 p.m. game will be broadcast live on Hot Talk 1280 WHTK, whtk.com and B2 networks. The game will also be televised on tape delay on Time Warner SportsNet Channel 26.

Friday's game also falls on the next installment of the Amerks' Friday Night Frenzies. Fans can enjoy live music from Bandit in the main lobby of The Blue Cross Arena up until gametime. A face painter will also be present as part of the festivities. Friday is also Scout Night. Scout troops are invited to purchase any 200 premium ticket for $12.00 (Regular price $21.00). Any 100 end ticket can be purchased for $10.00 (Regular price $17.00). Tickets may be purchased through the Amerks office at 585-454-5335 or through The Blue Cross Arena Box Office.

Rochester's weekend continues as the Amerks hit the road on Saturday, March 29th to face the Grand Rapids Griffins. The 7:00 p.m. contest will be broadcast live on Hot Talk 1280 WHTK, whtk.com and B2 networks. The Amerks have been fairly successful against this divisional competitor, improving the season series record to 3-1-0-1 with a 4-2 victory against the Griffins last Friday at The Blue Cross Arena. The Amerks are 15-15-2 all-time against the Detroit Red Wings' affiliate.

The fourth and final game of the week takes place Sunday, March 30th as the Amerks host the Binghamton Senators. The 6:05 p.m. matchup is the eighth and final meeting between the two teams and can be heard live on Hot Talk 1280 WHTK, whtk.com and B2 networks. The game will also be televised tape delayed on Time Warner SportsNet Channel 26. Rochester fell to Binghamton twice this month at the Broome County Veterans Memorial Arena, suffering a 7-4 loss last Saturday. The Amerks are 0-7-0-0 this season and 18-23-4 all-time against the Ottawa Senators' affiliate. Sunday's contest falls on Supercuts' $6.00 Sunday. Kids 12 and under can purchase a $6.00 Sunday ticket in the 100 and 200 end seating areas.

The Amerks grabbed a pair of wins last week in their three-in-three weekend. Despite the success, Rochester sits at the bottom of the North Division of the American Hockey League with a 20-39-6-4 record.

The Amerks ended their losing streak with a 5-4 overtime win on Thursday night against the Lake Erie Monsters. Thursday was a solid work day for any Amerk whose last name starts with the letter G; Rochester's four regulation goals were put in by Marc-Andre Gragnani, Rob Globke, Tommy Goebel, and Tanner Glass. Rookies Gragnani and Goebel both put forth a two-point effort, working together to assist David Brine with his game winning goal 2:55 in overtime.

Rochester sent the Grand Rapids Griffins packing after collecting a 4-2 victory at home on Friday night. Two-point efforts from Gragnani (1+1), Clarke MacArthur (1+1), and Dylan Hunter (2+0) set the tone for the Amerks' second straight win. Hunter sealed the win with the only goal of the third period, an empty netter with 14 seconds left on the clock. Goaltender Adam Dennis finished the game with 32 saves on the night.

Saturday's high-score loss marks the seventh defeat the Amerks have suffered at the hands of the Binghamton Senators. Drew Larman put two past Griffins' goaltender Brian Elliott in the 7-4 losing effort. Gragnani put forth yet another two-point effort (1+1) in the contest.

Gragnani's triple threat of two-point games this weekend places him fourth for scoring among league rookies with a total of 47 points (12+35). The rookie defenseman-turned-forward leads the Amerks in assists while Dylan Hunter and Stefan Meyer share the team lead for goals with 18 apiece. Fresh-faced forward Tommy Goebel collected four points (1+3) in his AHL debut weekend. The 23-year-old forward from Ohio State University was signed to an ATO on Thursday.

Amerks General Manager Jody Gage announced today that the Florida Panthers have reassigned rookie defenseman Peter Aston to the Florida Everblades. The move is being made to qualify Aston to dress for the ECHL playoffs. Aston played 56 games with Rochester this season, collecting 13 points (3+10).

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