Gerbe, Pirates continue to cruise

In Friday AHL action, Nathan Gerbe scored two goals and added an assist as the Portland Pirates beat the Albany River Rats, 6-3. The BC product now has 12 goals in as many games, good for second in the league. Marek Zagrapan and Mark Mancari (shortie) also added a goal and an assist each for the Pirates, while Derek Whitmore scored his first of the year in the win. With another two points, Mancari maintained his spot at the top of the AHL points leader board with 23 on the season. Jhonas Enroth made 27 saves for his sixth straight win. The Rundown: Gerbe: 2A, 1A, 6 SOG, +3 Zagrapan: 1G, 1A, +3 Mancari: 1G, 1A, 6 SOG, +1 Whitmore: 1G, +2 Kennedy: 1A, 5 SOG Kostka: 1A, +2 Gragnani: 1A, +3 Schutz: 1A, +1 Weber: +3 Card: +2 Funk: -1 Butler: -1 Enroth: 27 saves, W

Mancari earns AHL Player of the Week

Mancari named Reebok/AHL Player of the Week

Now in his fourth professional season after being drafted by the Buffalo Sabres in 2004, Mancari leads the entire AHL in points (22) and plus/minus rating (plus-14), tallying nine goals and 13 assists in just 11 games. He has totaled 71 goals and 107 assists for 178 points in 226 career AHL games with Portland and Rochester, and added one assist in three NHL games with Buffalo in 2006-07. A 23-year-old native of London, Ont., Mancari participated in the 2008 AHL All-Star Classic and set a league record by registering 102.8 mph during the Hardest Shot event at the annual Skills Competition.

Pirates stay hot in win over Phantoms

Mark Mancari continued his scoring tear with a goal and three assists, and Tim Kennedy got back on the sheet with a goal and an assist of his own as Portland defeated Philadelphia, 5-3. The victory makes it five in a row for the Pirates, as Mancari jumps into the AHL point lead with 22 (9+13) through 11 games. With the Pirates taking five straight, Jhonas Enroth made 16 saves to earn his fifth straight win. The Swedish rookie is now 5-1, with a 2.67 goals against average and a save percentage of .912. Mancari: 1G, 3A, +3 Kennedy: 1G, 1A, +2 Gragnani: 1A Gerbe: 1A Card: +2 Funk: +1 Kostka: +1 Weber: +1, 6 PIM Zagrapan: 2 SOG Schutz: even Butler: even Whitmore: even Enroth: 16 saves, W The Pirates will return to action on Friday when they host the Albany River Rats in Lewiston.

11/7 Recap: Eidsness bests #1; Adam pots pair

If you've been reading this space of late, we've talked about a looming shake-up in Gatineau where the Piques were riding a ten-game losing streak heading into Friday's game with Montreal. The shake-up came this week with Mario Richer resigning as coach, and being replaced by former NHLer Jerome Dupont. Gatineau owned the opening period of the new boss' debut, scoring three times on 17 shots, but Montreal stormed back with six unanswered goals for the win. Luke Adam lit the lamp twice, while the Juniors won their second straight game on T.J. Brennan's winner midway through the third period. Brennan and Adam also posted assists on the night, while the Piques' Paul Byron had a power play goal in the 6-3 loss. In other Q action from Friday, Jacob Lagacé scored a goal and an assist in Chicoutimi's 3-2 win over Victoriaville. Tied at one apiece heading into the third, Lagacé first set up Nicolas Deschamps (ANA) at 2:47, then scored his ninth of the year for the game winner about ten minutes later. Jordon Southorn scored a goal for PEI in their 4-3 loss to Cape Breton. The power play marker was Southorn's second of the season, and his play has been both improved and inspired since his return from suspension. J.S. Allard scored his fifth goal of the season as Quebec defeated Baie-Comeau, 8-6. The Remparts went 4/9 on the power play to earn the win. In the OHL, Nick Crawford was +2 in Saginaw's 7-2 win over Ottawa. His +8 for the season ranks him 20th overall in the O. From the WHL, Tyler Ennis scored his eighth goal of the year in Medicine Hat's 4-2 loss to Regina. Ennis tied the game at 2-2 early in the third when he raced in on a short-handed breakaway and made a nifty deke before roofing the puck over Linden Rowat (LA). The Pats would counter with two goals of their own to seal the victory. In NCAA play, Brad Eidsness made 29 saves as visiting North Dakota defeated #1 Colorado College, 3-1. Eidsness, who moved to 3-2 on the year, made many great saves to earn the W and should be back between the pipes when the two clubs play it back on Saturday. Freshman defenseman Corey Fienhage did not travel with the club for the weekend set. Alex Biega (+1) assisted on both Crimson goals as #18 Harvard lost to RPI, 3-2. The junior now has three points in three games. Matt Generous (+1) notched his first point* of the season, assisting on the overtime winner as St. Lawrence defeated Yale, 3-2. The senior started the game-winning play as he broke into the Yale zone and sent a shot just wide of the net. The puck was corralled and fed back to Brandon Bollig, who poked the puck over the line. Andrew Orpik was -1 as #2 Boston College suffered a 4-1 upset loss to #12 Notre Dame. The rematch of last year's NCAA final kicked off a Holy War weekend as the two school's football teams will also meet on Saturday. Corey Tropp (-1) returned to the #11 ranked Spartans lineup after a bout with mono in their 3-0 loss to Ohio State. In Alaska, Justin Jokinen (2 PIM) was even in #13 Minnesota State's 5-3 win over Anchorage. Freshman Drew MacKenzie was even in #16 Vermont's 2-2 tie with Providence. In the AHL, Tim Kennedy scored the shootout winner but saw his nine-game point streak snapped as Portland edged Springfield, 2-1. Mark Mancari scored on the power play, with Nathan Gerbe being credited with the assist. Adam Dennis made 26 saves to earn the win, while Mike Funk made his first appearance of the season after a concussion delayed the start of his schedule. The Rundown: Mancari: 1G, 6 SOG Gerbe: 1A, 7 SOG Kennedy: -1 Butler: 2 PIM Weber: even Schutz: 1 SOG Funk: 2 PIM Gragnani: 3 SOG Zagrapan: 2 PIM Funk: 2 PIM Kostka: -1 Whitmore: 2 SOG Card: even Dennis: 26 saves *Generous still hasn't been credited with an assist on Zach Miscovic's game winner against UNH a few weeks back.

11/5 Recap: On Pommer-like pace, Gerbe nets hatty

Nathan Gerbe scored an empty net goal in the final seconds to notch his first professional hat trick as Portland defeated Worcester, 5-3. Gerbe, who also added an assist, raised his goal total to 10 on the season including a league leading six on the power play. The blazing winger pounced on a Tim Kennedy rebound in the first period to score his eighth goal of the season. He later scored the unassisted game winner in third when he intercepted a cross-ice pass and buried the partial breakaway before topping the game off with :14 to play. Gerbe's early season ten-spot has him cruising at the same pace that Jason Pominville, then 23 in his fourth AHL season, was producing in 2005 before earning a call-up to Buffalo. Now a solid NHL performer, Pominville scored 19 goals in 18 games with Rochester before a J.P. Dumont abdominal injury forced the call-up. The 21-year old Gerbe is currently on pace to pot 20 goals in the same frame as a rookie. Mark Mancari tallied two goals and an assist in the win, while Kennedy added three helpers to extend his season-long point streak to nine games. Marc-Andre Gragnani skated as a forward due to a Colin Murphy injury scratch. Jhonas Enroth made 27 saves to earn his third consecutive win. The Rundown: Gerbe: 3G, 1A, 6 SOG Mancari: 2G, 1A, +2 Kennedy: 3A, +1 Gragnani: 1A Schutz: even Zagrapan: 1 SOG Card: even Butler: +1 Weber: 4 PIM Kostka: 1 SOG Whitmore: even Enroth: 27 saves, W ----------------------------------------------------------------------- In Wednesday QMJHL action, Jordon Southorn was +1 with three hits in PEI's 6-2 loss to Saint John. Luke Adam and T.J. Brennan were held pointless in Montreal's 1-0 shutout of Val-d'Or. Jean-Simon Allard was -1 in Quebec's 3-2 win over Rimouski.

Kennedy adds to streak; Mancari on pace to place

Tim Kennedy and Mark Mancari continued their hot hands with three-point nights, and Felix Schutz added a goal and an assist as Portland defeated Norfolk, 5-3. Jhonas Enroth was again excellent in the Pirates pipes, making 35 saves to earn the back-to-back road wins over the Admirals. Mancari upped his season points total to 14, and now sits in second place on the AHL leaderboard behind Hershey's Keith Aucoin (18). Nathan Gerbe was -3 in the win, and saw his five-game goal scoring streak snapped along the way. With a goal and two assists, Kennedy has now pointed in all eight games for a total of 12 this season. He had point streaks of eight and seven games last season at Michigan State, and will look to post his longest run since leaving the USHL on Wednesday at Worcester. The Rundown: Kennedy: 1 G, 2 A, +2, 4 SOG Schutz: 1 G, 1 A, +2 Mancari: 1 G, 2 A, +4, 6 SOG Kostka: 1 A, +1 Weber: 1 A, +1, 4 PIM Butler: 1 SOG, 4 PIM Gragnani: -2 Gerbe: 4 SOG, -3 Whitmore: 1 SOG Zagrapan: -2 Card: -1 Enroth: 35 saves, W

Enroth dismisses Admirals

Nathan Gerbe and Tim Kennedy continued their scoring binge with a goal each, and Felix Schutz knocked him home his first of the year as Portland defeated Norfolk, 4-0. Jhonas Enroth made 29 saves on the road to earn the first shutout of his contract. Gerbe's goal gives him seven in as many games, including five in his last four. Meanwhile Kennedy's marker puts him on a seven-game scoring streak heading into tomorrow's rematch with the Admirals. The Rundown: Enroth: 29 saves, SO Schutz: 1 G, +2 Kennedy: 1 G, +1 Gerbe: 1 G, +1 Mancari: 1 A +1 Gragnani: 1 A, +1 Butler: +3 Kostka: +1 Zagrapan: +1 Card: even Weber: even Whitmore: even

10/29 Recap: Gerbe, Kennedy keep firing

Playing catch-up... In a mid-week AHL tilt, Nathan Gerbe scored on the power play and Tim Kennedy added another assist as Portland dropped a 3-2 decision to Hartford. Gerbe's goal was his sixth in as many games, while Kennedy now has a point all six. Chris Butler, Marek Zagrapan, and Mike Kostka also posted assists in the loss. The Rundown: Gerbe: 1 G, 4 SOG Kennedy: 1 A, -1 Zagrapan: 1 A, -2, 4 PIM Kostka: 1 A, -1 Butler: 1 A, 3 SOG Schutz: 2 SOG Gragnani: -1 Mancari: -1 Whitmore: -1 Card: -2 Dennis: 20 saves, L It was also announced this week that Dylan Hunter will be out four-six weeks after taking a puck in the foot during Sunday's win. Mike Funk (concussion) has started skating with the team, but is expected to be held back until next week. Also on Wednesday, Tyler Myers skated to a +2 as Kelowna cruised to a 7-2 win over Seattle. In the Q, Jacob Lagacé (+2, 5 SOG) scored an empty-netter as Chicoutimi topped Rimouski, 5-2.

Zagrapan, Gerbe pace Pirates

Down on the farm, Marek Zagrapan and Nathan Gerbe each potted a pair of goals as the Pirates extended their record to 4-1 with a 5-4 win over Wilkes Barre-Scranton. The goals were the first points of the season for Zagrapan, who also had an assist on the night, while Gerbe now has five in as many games. Marc-Andre Gragnani scored the first Pirates goal. Mark Mancari added three assists, while Jhonas Enroth made 33 stops to notch his first AHL win. Tim Kennedy racked up another assist, giving him points in all five games this season. The Rundown: Zagrapan: 2 G, 1 A, +1 Gerbe: 2 G, +2, 6 SOG Mancari: 3 A, +2 Gragnani: 1 G, +1 Card: 1 A, +1 Schutz: 1 A, +1 Kennedy: 1 A, -1 Weber: +2, 4 PIM Kostka: +1 Whitmore: 4 SOG Butler: -2 Hunter: left game (foot) Enroth: 33 saves, W

10/24 Recap: Orpik pots winner

In an ESPNU featured contest, Andrew Orpik (+1) scored what turned out to be the game winning goal for Boston College in their 3-2 win over Vermont. With BC up 2-1 late in the third, Orpik took the puck all the way down the right side from his own end and lifted a sharp wrister over Mike Spillane's shoulder to put the Eagles ahead by two. West Seneca, NY native Brian Roloff would score in the final minute to close the gap for UVM. In the end Orpik was excellent, hitting at even strength while helping control things down low on the power play to earn the game's #2 star. 2007 seventh-rounder Drew MacKenzie was -1 for the Cats. In NCAA exhibition play, shot machine Alex Biega fired six at the Trois-Rivieres net in Harvard's 3-1 win. Corey Tropp (mono) sat out as Michigan State skated to a 2-2 tie with Northern Michigan. In the DEL, Philip Gogulla potted the first Sharks goal then assisted on the game winner as Cologne keeps their momentum going with a 3-2 win over Kassel. The victory gives the Sharks their first two-game win streak of the season. In WHL action, Tyler Myers had two assists in Kelowna's 6-0 shellacking of Chilliwack. The Rockets shutout was the second straight against the Bruins after a 5-0 win on Wednesday. Myers now has a goal and five assists this season. Jacob Lagacé (+2, 2 PIM) had a goal and an assist to earn the game's #2 star in Chicoutimi's 7-1 win over Halifax. The win snaps a four-game skid for the Sags. J.S. Allard (-2) went pointless for the third straight game as a rusty Quebec team fell to Drummondville, 5-2. The Remparts, who played for the first time in eight days, lost just their second game of the season. Paul Byron (+1) had an assist while winning 13 of 17 draws for Gatineau in their 3-2 loss to Montreal. T.J. Brennan (1 SOG) and Luke Adam (2 SOG) were held scoreless but were otherwise effective for the Juniors. Adam was taken down by Byron with 1:06 left in the third, but his penalty shot was stopped by Maxime Clermont. Jordon Southorn was +1 in PEI's 5-2 win over Val-d'Or. Rocket 'tender Bobby Nadeau made 44 saves to earn the victory. Nick Crawford was -1 in Saginaw's 3-2 win over Erie. The Spirit (16 pts) sit in a distant second place in the OHL's Western Division behind CHL's top-ranked Windsor (26 pts). Drew Schiestel (2 PIM) was +1 as Niagara put forth a better effort than Thursday, but still came up short in a 4-3 loss to Mississauga. The Hamilton native was credited with breaking up a 2-1 break in the second period while skating without a point for the third time this season. In the AHL, Portland overcame a poor start to defeat Bridgeport, 4-3. Trailing 2-0 after one, the Pirates got their junk together in the final 40:00 with goals by Nathan Gerbe, Chris Butler, and Mark Mancari to set-up Tyler Bouck's game winner late. Adam Dennis made 33 saves for the win, while Tim Kennedy extended his point streak to four games with an assist on Gerbe's goal. The Rundown: Gerbe: 1 G, 5 SOG Mancari: 1 G, +1, 2 PIM Butler: 1 G, +1 Hunter: 2 A, +2 Kennedy: 1 A, +1 Gragnani: 1 A, +1, 4 PIM Whitmore: 1 A, +2 Kostka: +2 Weber: +2, 9 PIM Zagrapan: -1 Card: 4 PIM Schutz: even

Enroth gets first start; Kennedy streaking

In Portland, Tim Kennedy and Mark Mancari assisted on the only Pirates goal in their 4-1 loss to Providence. From behind the B's net, Kennedy found Mancari who shuttled the puck to Paul Baier at the left circle. His shot beat Tuukka Rask at the 4:03 mark of the first period to give the Pirates the 1-0 lead. Kennedy's helper gives him a point in each of Portland's three games this season and a total five on the year. Jhonas Enroth got his first start out of the way for the Pirates, stopping 26 of 29 shots in defeat. Meanwhile, Marek Zagrapan would like to improve on the 0-0-0 -2 line he's put up in the young season. The Rundown: Kennedy: 1A, +1 Mancari: 1A, +1 Gerbe: +1 Butler: 3 SOG Weber: 3 SOG Card: even Zagrapan: 2 PIM Schutz: 1 SOG Whitmore: -1, 2 PIM Kostka: -1 Hunter: -1 Gragnani: -2, 2 PIM Enroth: 26 saves, L

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.

Pirates majestic in 6-3 win over Monarchs

Mark Mancari scored a hat trick and two assists to lead the Portland Pirates to a 6-3 season opening win over the Manchester Monarchs. One impressive first impression:

"(Mancari) put some points on the board, and he was a presence," Dineen said. "I think he is very aware he's playing with some guys who have some special skills, and he's embracing that."

The two "guys with special skills" happen to be prospects Tim Kennedy and Nathan Gerbe. Kennedy added a goal and two assists in his first professional game, while Gerbe posted a pair of helpers to propel the Pirates. Adam Dennis made 28 saves between the pipes to secure the win. The rundown: Mancari: 3 goals, 2 assists, Kennedy: 1 goal, two assists, +2 Gerbe: 2 assists, +2 Butler: 2 assists, +2 Gragnani: 1 assist, +1 Hunter: assist, +1 Whitmore: 1 assist Kostka: even Schutz: 2 PIM Zagrapan: -1 Weber: -2 Card: -2

Dennis to start; Funk out indefinitely

The Portland Pirates will kick off their 2008-09 season tonight with a skate against Manchester. The Maine Hockey Journal reports that Kevin Dineen will likely keep Jhonas Enroth in waiting, instead giving the start to veteran netminder Adam Dennis. MHJ has also posted what they feel will the line combos for the contest.

F Mancari – Kennedy – Gerbe Darche – Zagrapan – Murphy Whitmore – Hunter – Bouck Fretter – Schutz – Bonneau

D Weber – Card Butler – Baier Kostka – Gragnani

With Mike Funk concussed, the presence of Mike Weber should provide quite a spark to the Pirates blueline. Per the Portland Press Herald, Weber thinks there might be a natural flicker by no longer sharing an AHL affiliation with the Florida Panthers.

Portland Pirates defenseman Mike Weber had been in town less than 24 hours, but he already sensed a big difference between this AHL team and the one he played on last season in Rochester.

"It's a better setup than what we had in Rochester," Weber said Friday morning. "We had two different (NHL) teams barking at the coaching staff, and there was a divide in the locker room. Here, it's a different situation."

Last spring, the Sabres ended a 29-year relationship with the Rochester Americans after sharing the AHL affiliate with the Florida Panthers for three seasons.

"Florida said they wanted these systems, and Buffalo said they wanted these systems, and the players were in the middle," Weber recalled. "It was a little bit crazy."

In June, Buffalo became the new NHL parent of the Pirates after the Anaheim Ducks ended their three-year affiliation with Portland.

"Everyone's on the same page here," Weber said. "It provides a less stressful environment."

It's safe to say that these comments validate the patience that many have taken with promising talents like Marek Zagrapan. On top of lacking veterans, last year's Amerks lacked any sense of cohesion.

Sabres make Pirates; Ennis interviewed

As expected, the Sabres sent eight more players down to Portland as they get closer to opening the regular season a week from tonight.

Buffalo Sabres GM Darcy Regier announced today the Sabres have assigned eight players to the Portland Pirates of the American League. Heading to Portland are: forwards Mathieu Darche (pending waivers), Mark Mancari (pending waivers), Nathan Gerbe, Tim Kennedy, Dylan Hunter and Marek Zagrapan; and defensemen Chris Butler and Michael Funk.

No real surprises with the moves. With a consistent, productive carry-over to start the season, Zagrapan seems poised for his first call-up. As rooks, Gerbe, Kennedy, and Butler should greatly benefit from getting their skates wet in the AHL. As of now, Mike Weber, 20, remains with the Sabres. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Worth a look: WHL Web-TV has an interview up with Medicine Hat forward Tyler Ennis. The shifty Alberta native speaks about a busy summer that included the NHL draft, Team Canada's development camp, and his first NHL training camp. The segment also contains some game footage for those who haven't seen him in action. Fresh Rollout: The Burlington Free Press introduced first-year defender Drew MacKenzie to their readers as they profiled the UVM incoming freshman class.

Drew MacKenzie, freshman defenseman, 6-2, 200: Vermont’s young defense has another player of outstanding potential. MacKenzie has size and he offers a combination of defense and offense. With his hands, he could be a critical component on one of the UVM power play units.

Leafs upend Sabres, 7-4

It was a back-and-forth third period, but in the end the Sabres didn't have enough as they opened the 2008 pre-season with a 7-4 loss to Toronto. (see previous posts for 1st and 2nd period scoring notes). Trailing in the third, Mark Mancari one-timed a Marek Zagrapan shovel past Justin Pogge to cut the Leafs lead to 5-3. Jaro Spacek also received an assist on the play. The Leafs would come right back short-handed, as a crashing Dominic Moore slid to the ice, in the process causing the puck to escape Jhonas Enroth and enter the net for a 6-3 Leafs lead. Jochen Hecht later buried a Drew Stafford pass to make it 6-4. A Toronto empty netter would end it. Zagrapan - 1 goal, 2 assists, -2 MacArthur - 2 assists, -3 Sekera - 23:00, 1 assist, -2 Weber - 20:41, EVEN Mancari - 1 goal, -3 Gogulla - 1 goal, -2 Card - 17:08, -3 Hunter -- Jhonas Enroth stopped 10 of 13 shots in relief of Ryan Miller, who stopped 8/11.

Zagrapan showing wares in KHL camp

At the advice of his agent, forward prospect Marek Zagrapan is currently skating in a tryout camp for Spartak Moscow of the newly formed KHL. Zagrapan has one year remaining on his three-year entry level deal with the Sabres. It is thought that the Slovakian, chosen 13th overall in 2005, will return to North America for 2008-09 (likely in Portland of the AHL) with the European tryout being more of a preliminary assessment for both sides. In 147 games over the past two seasons in Rochester, Zagrapan has 35 goals and 43 assists and has yet to earn a callup to Buffalo. Staying in Europe, Eishockeynews has confirmed that Philip Gogulla will return to Kolner Haie (DEL) in 2008. The 6'2 left wing will still participate in Buffalo's training camp this fall. In other news, forwards Clarke MacArthur and Mark Mancari have signed their qualifying offers with Buffalo. Both have three professional seasons under their belt, and will be subject to waivers on their way to the AHL if they do not make the Sabres out of camp.

4/5 Recap: Byron, Schiestel, MacKenzie pot big goals

Paul Byron scored a pair of goals, including his second straight game winner, as Gatineau defeated Quebec, 5-2. The Remparts were up 2-0 before Byron finished a Claude Giroux (PHI) feed to get les Olympiques on the board in the second period. He put Gatineau up for good with his sixth of the playoffs midway through the third, and added an assist in the final minute to push his playoff point total to nine in seven games. Gatineau leads the series 2-0 with the teams heading to QC for game three on Tuesday. In the OHL, Drew Schiestel scored his first goal of the playoffs in Niagara's 5-3 win over Oshawa. The Generals continued their dominance early, scoring three times in a span of 1:26 to jump ahead 3-0, but the Dogs would score five unanswered to even the series at one game each. Just minutes after the Generals surge, Schiestel notched the second of two Niagara power play goals in :24 to spur the Dogs home-ice comeback. Niagara looks to carry their momentum into Oshawa's barn for tomorrow's game three. The entire Dogs roster struggled there in Thursday's 6-1 road loss, including Schiestel, whose giveaway led to Dale Mitchell's game winner. Oshawa will be without Shea Kewin for the rest of their run, as the RW broke his leg after falling in a fight with Matt Corrente. In a USHL playoff preview, Waterloo defenseman Drew MacKenzie blasted the overtime game-winner as the Black Hawks edged Cedar Rapids, 3-2. The Connecticut native finishes his only tier one season 4-14-18 with 103 PIM and a +7 in 57 games. The same two teams will square off in round one of the Clark Cup Playoffs, beginning next Friday with a back-to-back set in Waterloo. Four of their regular season games went to OT. On the farm, Marek Zagrapan banged in a rebound and Mark Mancari tapped a backhander five-hole for the Rochester goals in their 3-2 loss to Grand Rapids. Adam Dennis made 36 saves while goaltender coach Bob Janosz watched from the bench as the Amerks back-up for the evening. The Rundown: Zagrapan - goal (17) Mancari - goal (19) Hunter - assist MacArthur - assist Whitmore - -1 Gragnani - -1 Funk - 0's

4/4 Recap: Byron nets winner; Whitmore lights lamp in loss

In the QMJHL playoffs, Gatineau C Paul Byron notched the game winning goal as les Olympiques defeated Quebec, 3-1. The goal, Byron's fourth of the playoffs, put Gatineau in front 1-0 in their second round series. The Remparts will get their suspended coach, Patrick Roy, back behind the bench for tonight's game two. Roy's son Jonathan was also suspended after the first-round brawl with Chicoutimi, and will not return to the Quebec crease until game four.

Drew MacKenzie had four shots on net as Waterloo picked up their sixth straight win with a 7-1 dumping of Green Bay. The Black Hawks close their USHL regular season this evening against the same Cedar Rapids team they will meet next week in the first playoff round.

In the AHL, Rochester native Derek Whitmore scored his first professional goal in Rochester's 4-3 loss to Syracuse. The defeat came in the final minute of play, and was the Amerks' eighth straight loss against the state rival. Mark Mancari also scored for Rochester, while Marek Zagrapan added a pair of assists in a losing effort.

The Rundown:
Whitmore - goal, 4 SOG, +2
Mancari - goal, +1
Zagrapan - two assists, +2
Hunter - assist, +1
MacArthur - +1
Gragnani - 3 SOG
Funk - 2 PIM
Dennis - 27 saves

3/30 Recap: Amerks defeat(!) B-Sens

OK, I think I have it straight now! Mark Mancari scored a power-play goal and added a helper in Rochester's 3-2 shootout win over Binghamton. The goal was just his second in his last 22 games, and his two points tie him with Marc-Andre Gragnani for the team lead in points (50). Gragnani and Clarke MacArthur scored in the shootout to deliver the win, while Adam Dennis got the win for Rochester. Mancari - goal, assist, -2 Hunter - assist, 4 SOG, 12 PIM, -2 MacArthur - assist, -2 Whitmore - 1 SOG Zagrapan -1 Gragnani -2 Dennis - 33 saves In the USHL, Drew MacKenzie registered two shots on goal as Waterloo dominated Sioux Falls, 7-2.