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Falcons Travel to Norfolk to Face Admirals this Weekend

January 26, 2005 - American Hockey League (AHL)
Springfield Falcons News Release


Springfield, Mass. – The Springfield Falcons will journey for a pair of match-ups this weekend with the Norfolk Admirals in the team's only visit to Virginia this season. The Falcons will aim to build on a 2-1 win over the Providence Bruins on Saturday. Right wing Shane Willis scored the game-winning goal with 1:59 remaining in regulation upon returning to the Springfield lineup due to an injury that caused him to miss nine games.

The Admirals, the top affiliate of the Chicago Blackhawks, share third place in the AHL's East Division and are currently riding a four-game winning streak. The team is led in scoring by University of Wisconsin product LW Rene Bourque who ranks second among all AHL rookies with 30 points (16g, 14a) this season.

Team Notes: D Mike Egener scored the first goal of his AHL and pro careers on Saturday.... LW Dennis Packard registered his first AHL point with an assist on a Ryan Craig goal versus Lowell on Friday.... G Jamie Storr has recorded a goals against average of 2.38 and a .911 save percentage over his last five contests.... D Gerard Dicaire is +5 over the last five games.... LW Nikita Alexeev leads the Falcons in January with five goals in nine games.... LW Derek Bekar needs two points to reach 250 for his AHL career.... D Marc Busenburg is two contests shy of 300 games played for his pro career.

Roster Update: Along with Willis, C Jason Jaspers returned to the Falcons' lineup to contribute to the team's win over Providence on Saturday. Jaspers had missed two games with an injury.... D Andreas Holmqvist returned to game action on Friday versus the Lowell Lock Monsters after sitting out the previous 11 contests with an injury.... D Brian Chapman has missed the last five games with an injury.... RW Darren Reid was injured in the Falcons' game versus the Lowell on Friday and did not play Saturday.

Upcoming Opponents:

Falcons at Norfolk Admirals

Norfolk Scope

Friday, Jan. 28

Saturday, Jan. 29

The Falcons face the Admirals (24-16-1-3, 52 pts) in the first two of four meetings between the clubs this season. The Admirals will visit Springfield for games on Feb. 23 and Feb. 26. The Falcons were 2-2-0-0 versus Norfolk last season and are 4-4-0-0 all-time against the franchise.... The Admirals are 13-5-0-0 at home this season.... Norfolk is the most penalized team in the AHL this season. The club has accumulated 1328 PIM.... The Admirals' four-game winning streak is the second longest current run in the AHL. The team has defeated the Philadelphia Phantoms and Hershey Bears two times each during the streak.... Norfolk is 3-4-0-1 versus Atlantic Division teams this season.... The Admirals rank second in the league in penalty killing in home games (92.2%) and have yielded just eight goals during opponents' power plays at The Scope this season.... Admirals G Michael Leighton ranks 13th among AHL netminders with a 2.25 GAA.... D Marty Wilford paces the Admirals in assists with 20.... RW Matt Keith leads Norfolk in plus/minus at +9.... Former Falcon C Jason Morgan has posted 18 points (5g, 13a) for the Admirals this season.... Norfolk LW Mike Brown shares the league lead with 25 major penalties and ranks sixth with 189 PIM.... The Admirals will host the Hartford Wolf Pack on Wednesday evening.... Bourque has scored six goals among 10 points over the last 10 games. Bourque is from the same hometown as Springfield's Reid – Lac La Biche, Alberta.

Radio Broadcasts: Tune into The ZONE – Sports Radio 640 to hear each Falcons' games this week. The Voice of the Falcons, Marc Shelanski, calls the action. The pre-game show begins 30 minutes prior to the opening face-off. Fans can also listen via the Internet by clicking on the MassLive.com Cybercast icon on the Falcons' official web site, www.falconsahl.com.

Tickets: Tickets for all Falcons' home games can be ordered in person or by phone through the Springfield Civic Center box office located along East Court Street. To order by phone, please call (413) 787-6600 or (800) 639-8602. Tickets can also be ordered online by visiting the Falcons' official web site, www.falconsahl.com. Groups of 15 or more can receive discount savings by contacting the Falcons' team office at (413) 739-3344. Group tickets must be ordered in advance.

This Weekend's Game Schedule:

Fri., Jan. 28 Falcons at Norfolk Admirals 7:30 PM Norfolk Scope The ZONE

Sat., Jan. 29 Falcons at Norfolk Admirals 7:30 PM Norfolk Scope The ZONE

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