Barons Fall at Grand Rapids, 3-2
Published on March 17, 2006 under American Hockey League (AHL)
Cleveland Barons News Release
GRAND RAPIDS, MI -- Nolan Schaefer's 39-save performance was not enough as the Barons fell to Grand Rapids 3-2 Friday night in Michigan. The two teams will meet again on Thursday night, in their ninth of ten meetings on the season, at National City Rink at the Q.
The Barons, looking for just their second win of the series, scored the game's first two goals and led 2-1 after twenty minutes of play. Craig Valette jammed home a rebound goal for a 1-0 lead at the 10:06 mark against Griffins' starting goaltender Joey MacDonald. Matt Carkner and Bracken Kearns assisted on the goal, Valette's fourth of the season. Cleveland then extended their lead to 2-0 on a power play goal from Aaron Power three minutes later. Power's third of the year was assisted by Tom Cavanagh and Mike Iggulden at 13:07. The Griffins trimmed the lead in half as Nate DiCasmirro scored his 16th goal of the season with just 17-seconds remaining in the period. Nolan Schaefer, who made his 31st appearance of the year for the Barons made a first save on Darryl Bootland before DiCasmirro swept home the rebound. The teams followed the Griffins goal with a fight filled disruption that included Carkner getting ejected from the game and 54, of the period's 64 minutes in penalties, being called.
The Barons' discipline issues led to the Griffins scoring the game's tying goal on a power play. Bootland's rebound goal, his 24th of the year at 15:12, tied the game at 2-2. Earlier in the period the Barons had a second defenseman ejected from the game when Tim Conboy was sent to the showers before the seven minute mark of the period. The Barons were outshot 20-7 in the stanza with Grand Rapids enjoying seven minutes of power play time. Jimmy Howard, who replaced MacDonald for the final forty minutes made all seven saves in the period.
The game-winning goal came from the Griffins just 51-seconds into the final frame on a short-distance goal from Matt Ellis, his 18th of the year. The Barons best chance to even the score was denied by a post as Josh Hennessy's power play wrist shot clanged off the pipe behind Howard with a little over two minutes remaining the game. Nolan Schaefer completed the night with 39-saves in the losing effort for Cleveland. Howard, making 12-saves on the night in relief duty, earned the win for Grand Rapids, his 20th of the season and his seventh in-a-row.
The Barons and Griffins continue their regular season series Thursday night at 7pm at National City Rink in Cleveland. Tickets for that night's action are available for as little as $9 per ticket at the Quicken Loans Arena Box Office. Following the game on the 23rd the Barons will kick-start the month of April with a five-game home stand to close out the regular season with a back-to-back weekend series against the Iowa Stars on the 1st and 2nd.
American Hockey League Stories from March 17, 2006
- Barons Fall at Grand Rapids, 3-2 - Cleveland Barons
- Peoria Suffers Third Overtime Loss of Season - Peoria Rivermen
- Haydar Picks up 100th Career Goal in Ads Win - Milwaukee Admirals
- Shorthanded Sound Tigers Beat P-Bruins 3-2 - Bridgeport Islanders
- Three-goal second period propels Admirals - Norfolk Admirals
- Senators prevail in a shootout Friday 3-2 at Binghamton - Hershey Bears
- Green Jerseys Brought Monarchs Overtime Luck - Manchester Monarchs
- Griffins eclipse 100 points with 3-2 win - Grand Rapids Griffins
- P-Bruins Fall to Sound Tigers 3-2 - Providence Bruins
- Phantoms Get Jiggy on St. Pat's Day - Adirondack Phantoms
- Senators win second straight shootout - Binghamton Senators
- Milwaukee scores four PPG to close gap to four points - Houston Aeros
- Iowa's lucky charms gives Stars a point - Iowa Chops
- Rivermen Games This Weekend to be Shown on B2 Networks - Peoria Rivermen
- Giveaway Highlights Back-to-Back Battles with Rochester - Grand Rapids Griffins
- Moose, Power 97 join forces to "Cut for Cancer" in support of Cancer Care Manitoba - Manitoba Moose
- Griffins introduce "Hockey for the Heart" - Grand Rapids Griffins
- AHL Quick Hits - AHL
- Canucks Recall Josh Green - Manitoba Moose
- Falcons Host Lock Monsters Tonight - Springfield Falcons
- Houston can clinch playoff berth tonight - Houston Aeros
- Rampage to wear St. Patrick's Day jerseys Saturday - San Antonio Rampage
- Bears head north tonight to face Binghamton - Hershey Bears
- 'Dogs face Amerks Saturday - Hamilton Bulldogs
- Go "Power Bald" with Moose, Power 97 in Support of Cancer Care Manitoba - Manitoba Moose
- B2 Networks AHL Game of the Week - AHL
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