Sens vs. Admirals 4/3/04 Articles: Norfolk Jumps Into Fourth Place With 3-1 Win Over The Sens
April 4, 2004

Posted by: Bob Howard
Credit: Binghamton Senators.com

Norfolk Jumps Into Fourth Place With 3-1 Win Over The Sens

A pair of power play goals early in the second period led the Norfolk Admirals to a 3-1 win over the Binghamton Senators Saturday night in front of 5,752 fans at the Scope.

After being held to just two shot on goal in the first period of Friday night’s win over the Admirals, Binghamton’s best chances in the opening twenty minutes Saturday never officially registered as attempts on goal in being outshot by a 9-6 margin.

Norfolk goaltender Craig Anderson (22 saves) got help from both posts on drives off of the sticks of Brad Tapper and Denis Hamel and later never was forced to make a save as breakaway attempts by Hamel and David Hymovitz were off the mark.

Penalties just five seconds apart early in the second period by Christoph Schubert (slashing) and Peter Smrek (roughing) provided the Admirals with a 5-on-3 power play chance which they didn’t waste.

Marty Wilford’s screen shot from the high slot just eight seconds into the two-man advantage beat Billy Thompson (33 saves) at 2:45 for a 1-0 lead.

With the Sens shorthanded for the fourth consecutive time on the night with Cory Pecker off for cross checking, Jason Morgan backhanded a rebound over the glove hand of Thompson at 6:33 to make it 2-0.

Binghamton cut the lead in half on a power play goal of its own when Charlie Stephens finished off a 2-on-1 rush by burying his 18th goal of the season with 1:51 left in the period.

Julien Vauclair and Hamel assisted on the Stephens goal, and for Hamel, it was his team-leading 65th point of the year.

Brandin Cote dashed any hopes of a comeback when he sent a long range blast behind Thompson with 1:47 to go in the game.

The loss dropped the Sens back to fifth place in the East Division, one point behind Norfolk. Binghamton makes up its game in hand on the Admirals tomorrow in Philadelphia when they take on the Phantoms at the Wachovia Spectrum at 5:05 p.m.