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Falcons Down Rats, 4-3

November 26, 2004 - American Hockey League (AHL)
Springfield Falcons News Release


Albany, NY – Left wing Nikita Alexeev posted a goal and two assists to lead the Springfield Falcons to a 4-3 win over the Albany River Rats at Pepsi Arena on Friday. The contest provided the Falcons with their third win in their last four games. Forwards Shane Willis, Jason Jaspers and Mitch Fritz also scored for Springfield.

Willis scored 7:58 into the game as the Falcons cashed in on their first power play to grab a 1-0 lead. Willis combined with center Craig Darby on the goal that was reminiscent of several tallies the duo has posted this season. After receiving a pass from the half boards from Alexeev, Darby centered the puck from behind the net to Willis in the low slot. The 27-year-old winger one-timed the feed past River Rats netminder Scott Clemmensen for his team-leading eighth goal of the season.

Albany defenseman Ray Schultz evened the score 6:43 later with a shot from the right point that slipped between the pads of Springfield goaltender Brian Eklund.

Alexeev sent the Falcons to intermission with a 2-1 lead by scoring his third goal of the campaign with 1:24 remaining in the opening frame. Alexeev intercepted a pass from Rats left wing Dean McAmmond in the Albany zone and skated to between the face-off circles where he snapped a shot off the post and in.

Just 3:35 into the second period, the River Rats answered as the Falcons mishandled the puck in their own zone. Albany right wing Aleksander Suglobov knocked a puck behind the Springfield net and then whirled to find open forward Ilkka Pikkarainen in front. Pikkarainen buried the pass for his fourth marker of the season.

However, Springfield gained a measure of control in the game with back-to-back goals separated by 17 seconds. Alexeev collected his third point of the night by stripping an Albany defenseman of the puck below the goal line and then shoveled the puck to Jaspers near the corner. Jaspers banked a sharp-angled shot of the skate of Clemmensen and into the net at the 9:20 mark. The goal was Jaspers' first of the season and his first since rejoining the Falcons over the weekend via an exchange with Utah for center Jarrod Skalde.

Springfield left wing Mitch Fritz notched his first goal of the season at 9:37 during a scramble in front of the River Rats' net. Forwards Adam Henrich and Derek Bekar, who was making his Falcons debut in the game, registered assists on the score.

Eklund made several exceptional stops in the closing minutes of the second period, including a pad save on a breakaway chance by right wing Aaron Voros, to maintain the Falcons' 4-2 lead.

The Rats cut the Falcons lead to one with 1:48 remaining in regulation when center Pascal Rheame got behind the Springfield defense and lifted a shot under the crossbar for his fourth goal of the season.

Eklund finished the game with 36 saves to record his second win of the season. Clemmensen stopped 23 of 27 shots in the Albany net.

The Falcons scored on one of three power-play opportunities while killing off all six chances the River Rats had with the man advantage.

With his goal in the win over Albany, Willis has scored in three straight games.

The Falcons return to the Springfield Civic Center to host the Manchester Monarchs on Saturday night. Game time is 7:05 p.m. Having lost just once in 17 games this season, the Monarchs own the AHL's best record and boast a lineup that includes five of the league's top ten scorers. For tickets, please visit the Civic Center box office or call (413) 787-6600 or (800) 639-8602 to order by phone.

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