AHL Norfolk Admirals

Norfolk wins one, drops two against division foes

March 15, 2004 - American Hockey League (AHL)
Norfolk Admirals News Release


VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. – The Admirals hosted the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins twice last week, splitting the two contests before traveling to Hershey, where they were shut out by the Bears. The Blue and Gold held off a late Wilkes-Barre rally to down the Pens 3-2 on Wednesday, March 10. Andy Chiodo stopped all 30 Norfolk shots as the Penguins won 2-0 on Friday, March 12. The following night, Phil Sauve made 37 saves as the Bears defeated the Admirals by the same score.

The defending Calder Cup Champion Houston Aeros (Minnesota Wild) come to Norfolk for a rematch of last year's Conference Semifinal match up on Saturday, March 20 at 7:30 p.m. and again on Sunday, March 21 at 4:00 p.m. Houston currently sits fourth in the West Division with 63 points (24-30-11-4).

The Admirals are third in the East Division with a record of 31-29-4-5 (69 GP, 71 points). They trail Philadelphia (67 GP, 38-22-6-1, 83 points) and Bridgeport (66 GP, 34-19-9-4, 81 points), and are followed by Wilkes-Barre/Scranton (67 GP, 29-25-8-5, 71 points), Hershey (69 GP, 29-28-8-4, 70 points), Binghamton (69 GP, 30-30-7-2, 69 points) and Albany (68 GP, 16-32-11-9, 52 points).

THE WEEK AHEAD

Saturday, March 20 ... Norfolk vs. Houston Aeros ... 7:30 p.m.

Sunday, March 21 ... Norfolk vs. Houston Aeros ... 4:00 p.m.

Houston won the two previous match ups with Norfolk on December 16 and 17 in Texas, and now holds a 4-2-0-0 advantage in the all-time regular season series between the clubs. The Aeros have played the most games to date of any Western Conference team (69). Their 11 ties are most in that conference, and they are the only AHL squad without an overtime victory this season. Houston is 20th in the League on the power play (12.9) and 12th on the penalty kill (86.3). Travis Roche currently tops the club in assists (28) and points (34, six goals). Kyle Wanvig's 21 tallies and nine power play goals are most on the team. Mark Cullen (plus-2), Ben Storey (plus-1) and recently acquired Jordan Krestanovich (plus-1) are the only Aeros with positive ratings, while Wanvig's minus-11 rating is lowest on the current roster. Derek Boogaard has spent the most time in the penalty box with 207 PIM. He is third in PIM among rookie skaters and 11th overall in the League. Johan Holmqvist has seen the bulk of action in net, posting a record or 21-25-6 with a 2.49 GAA and a .910 spct. in 54 outings. Kyle Kettles has made 17 appearances, going 3-7-5 with a 2.65 GAA and a .900 spct. Holmqvist leads all AHL netminders in games played, is second in losses (Maxime Ouellet, POR - 27) and is among the top 10 in wins.

UPCOMING GAMES/PROMOTIONS

Saturday, March 20 (Houston Aeros)

* Military Appreciation Night. Show a valid military ID at the Scope Box Office or any TicketMaster outlet and receive a Blue or White level ticket for just $5.00. (While supplies last. This offer may not be combined with other coupons or discounts.)

* Team Poster Giveaway. The first 4,000 fans will receive a 2003-04 Team Poster, courtesy of Coca-Cola.

Sunday, March 21 (Houston Aeros)

* Dog Day Afternoon. The Norfolk SPCA will be selling special edition t-shirts featuring the Admirals' Marty Wilford and his dog Jax, and raffling off a variety of prizes to benefit the SPCA. A number of rescued SPCA pets will also visit.

* Family Fun Pack Game. Receive a Blue level ticket, hot dog and soft drink for just $11.00. Available at the Scope Box Office and all TicketMaster outlets. (Must be purchased in advance. Not available the day of the game. This offer may not be combined with other coupons or discounts.)

TEAM NOTEBOOK

* Norfolk was shut out in back-to-back games last week (2-0 March 12 vs. Wilkes-Barre, 2-0 March 13 at Hershey) ending a run of 25 consecutive games without being blanked. Prior to March 12, the last time the Admirals were held scoreless was January 10 vs. Bridgeport.

* The Admirals gave up empty net tallies in their last two games (March 12-13) for a franchise-high 11 empty net goals allowed this season. The previous mark was eight empty netters allowed in 2001-02.

* The Blue and Gold are ninth in the League in goals against (2.32 per game) and first in shots against (24.91).

* The Admirals have outshot their opponents in four straight contests, posting at least 30 shots in each one, and totaling 135 shots to 84 by their foes. However, they are 1-3-0-0 over that stretch.

* Norfolk is tied with Utah for the fewest ties in the League (four each).

* In his last eight starts (since February 27), G Craig Anderson has allowed two goals thrice and one goal five times. He is 5-3-0 with a 1.38 GAA and a .930 spct. during that span. With an overall GAA of 1.93, Anderson is currently tied with Dieter Kochan (BRI) for seventh in the AHL in GAA.

ON THE RADIO

All games are broadcast on the Admirals' Flagship Station, AM-1230 WJOI. The games are also cybercast on the World Wide Web at SportsJuice.com. Go to www.SportsJuice.com, or click on the link at www.norfolkadmirals.com. Pre-game broadcasts begin 15 minutes prior to game starting time.

TICKET INFORMATION

Individual tickets for the seven remaining contests on the Admirals' home schedule are available at the Scope Box Office, all TicketMaster outlets, charge-by-phone at (757) 671-8100 and online at www.ticketmaster.com. Group tickets and Calder Cup 2004 Playoff Packages are on sale through the Admirals' office. For more information, visit the club's website at www.norfolkadmirals.com or call the Admirals at (757) 363-1900.

Check out the Norfolk Admirals Statistics



American Hockey League Stories from March 15, 2004


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