Falcons Host Crunch Tonight
January 7, 2006 - American Hockey League (AHL)
Springfield Falcons News Release
The Springfield Falcons return to action tonight when they host the Syracuse Crunch at the MassMutual Center starting at 7:05 PM. Saturday's contest will mark Syracuse's only trip into Springfield this season with the two teams completing their season series next Saturday in Syracuse. Tonight will also mark the first time this season the Falcons have matched up against a team from the Western Conference.
The Falcons head into tonight's contest looking to rebound from a 4-1 defeat Wednesday night against the Albany River Rats at the Pepsi Arena. Marek Kvapil scored the lone goal for the Falcons, while goaltender Gerald Coleman made 27 saves between the pipes. Springfield will play back-to-back games this weekend as they head to Manchester to battle the Monarchs on Sunday afternoon.
The Crunch head into tonight's contest having defeated the Albany River Rats, 4-2, on Friday night at the Pepsi Arena. Syracuse used three first period goals and a hat trick from center Peter Sarno to skate past the Rats. Goaltender Martin Prusek stopped 35 of the 37 shots he faced in earning the win. Syracuse improved their record to 6-3-1-0 in their last 10 games.
1,000 GAMES FOR TILES: Springfield Falcons defenseman Brad Tiley played in his 1,000th professional game on Wednesday night in Albany. It was also Tiley's 700th career American Hockey League contest as the 15-year veteran has shared time with the Falcons, Binghamton Rangers, Philadelphia Phantoms and Milwaukee Admirals. In 237 career games with the Falcons, Tiley has collected 34 goals and 129 assists for 163 points, which is good for fourth on the Falcons' all-time scoring list. Tiley was originally drafted by the Boston Bruins with their fourth selection in the 1991 NHL Entry Draft and the native of Markdale, Ontario won a Calder Cup with Milwaukee in 2004.
BACK FROM THE BOLTS: Falcons right winger Jim Campbell was reassigned to Springfield by the Tampa Bay Lightning on Friday. Campbell skated in the Lightning's 1-0 win on Tuesday, January 3 at Madison Square Garden. Campbell is currently fifth on the Falcons in scoring this season with 11 goals and seven assists for 18 points in 27 games played. Campbell scored a goal and added two assists on December 31 against Portland before being recalled to Tampa Bay.
FALCONS DEBUT: Springfield left wing Randy Rowe made his Falcons debut on Wednesday night in Albany after starting the season with Springfield's ECHL affiliate, the Johnstown Chiefs. In 23 games with the Chiefs this season, Rowe collected 11 goals and seven assists for 18 points and was second on the team in scoring and tied with teammate Justin Kelly for the club lead in goals. Rowe is in his fifth season of professional hockey and spent the previous four seasons with Peoria (ECHL). Rowe previously saw time at the AHL level with the St. John's Maple Leafs during the 2003-04 campaign.
ADDING SOME OFFENSE: Syracuse center Peter Sarno recorded a hat trick last night in Albany giving him four goals and one assist in his last two games and six goals and two assists over his last five contests. In 12 games with Syracuse this season, the 5-foot-11, 185-pound native of Toronto, Ontario has collected nine goals and four assists for 13 points. Sarno was signed as a free agent by the Columbus Blue Jackets on August 22, 2005 after spending last season with the Manitoba Moose. Sarno was originally drafted by the Edmonton Oilers with their sixth choice (141st overall) in the 1997 NHL Entry Draft.
ON A STREAK: Crunch blueliner Andy Delmore is currently on a 12-game point streak collecting two goals and 19 assists in that span. Delmore's 12-game scoring streak is the longest by any Syracuse player this season. Syracuse center Mark Hartigan also extended his scoring streak Friday night to nine games collecting six goals and 11 assists for 17 points in that span.
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American Hockey League Stories from January 7, 2006
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