Saturday, October 18, 2008
Gerbe guns for two in Pirates win
Returning to the state where he achieved collegiate stardom, Nathan Gerbe scored a pair of goals to earn the game's #1 star as Portland won their second straight, 3-2 over Springfield. The explosive rookie was active throughout, firing a game-high seven shots on goal to lead the attack. Colton Fretter scored the other Portland goal.
All three Pirates goals on the evening came with the man advantage. Gerbe closed a passing play with Tim Kennedy to give Portland a 2-0 lead in the first, then later lit the game winner in the mid-second. Marc-Andre Gragnani added a pair of power play assists for the Pirates, while Adam Dennis made 21 saves to get the win.
The Rundown:
Gerbe: 2 G, 7 SOG
Gragnani: 2 A
Kennedy: 1 A
Butler: 1 A, -2
Kostka: 1 A
Mancari: 5 SOG
Weber: 4 PIM
Hunter: 2 SOG
Whitmore: 2 SOG
Schutz: -1
Zagrapan: -1
Card: 4 PIM
Dennis: W, 21 saves
Look for Jhonas Enroth to get his first AHL start on Sunday when the Pirates do battle with Providence.