Lawrence, Chris

Ads storm out to a 4-0 lead and hold on for the win.

MAN-3
NOR-4

Ryan Munce stopped 35 of 38 shots faced for the win.

First Period
NOR Kearns, (6) (Mihalik, Segal), 2:42 (PP)
NOR Lawrence, (5) (Klinkhammer), 12:36

Second Period
NOR Smolenak, (15) (Bates), 0:41
NOR Kearns, (7) (Schneider, Tyrell), 6:40 (PP)
MCH Purcell, (21) (Milam, Likens), 10:18 (PP)
MCH Cliche, (9) (Kidd, Tukonen), 18:09

Third Period
MCH Meckler, (21) (Milam), 14:40 (PP)

Bracken Kearns, Jamie Bates, and Brandon Segal were named the game's three stars. Bates, 23, was signed to an ATO contract today out of Quinnipiac University. Bates scored 123 points in his 4 year career at Quinnipiac, including 34 points in 34 games this season.

Can we get the rest of the organization's forwards on what Radek Smolenak and Michel Ouellet have been eating the last month or so? Mercy.

Dana Tyrell has 3 assists now in his 5 ATO games with the Admirals. Not bad for a 19 year old.

Chris Lawrence's goal was his first since November 30, 2007. The linebackeresque forward now has 1 goal and 6 points in his last 8 games. Lawrence missed a month and a half in January and February with a shoulder injury.

Tonight's win was Norfolk's 26th of the season, two shy of Springfield's total from last season. The win gave the team their 58th and 59th points of the season, which ties the Falcons' point total from last season.

Box score from TheAHL.com.

Ads lose a tough one late.

LOW-4
NOR-2

Marc Denis allowed 3 goals on 31 shots in the loss.

First Period
LOW Vrana, (14) (Gionta, Khomutov), 4:46 (PP)

Second Period
NOR Klinkhammer, (12) , 2:32 (PEN/SH)

Third Period
NOR Segal, (9) (Tyrell, Lawrence), 3:43
LOW Bergfors, (11) , 8:22 (PP)
LOW Ryznar, (7) (Davis, Fraser), 12:40
LOW Marshall, (5) (Ryznar, Ruggeri), 19:38 (EN)

Rob Klinkhammer was named the game's second star. The young man may have earned himself an NHL contract.

Congratulations to Dana Tyrell on his second professional point in as many games.

Chris Lawrence has 4 assists in his last 5 games.

Box score from TheAHL.com.

Third period comeback effort falls short.

NOR-4
WOR-5

Jonathan Boutin allowed 5 goals on 32 shots for the loss.

First Period
NOR Kvapil, (1) (Scalzo, Henrich), 1:40 (PP)
WOR Iggulden, (20) , 10:02
WOR Mink, (17) (Cavanagh, Iggulden), 15:45 (PP)
WOR Raduns, (12) (Spang, Walsh), 18:47 (PP)

Second Period
WOR Iggulden, (21) (Armstrong, Evans), 2:20
WOR Iggulden, (22) (Evans, Armstrong), 12:26

Third Period
NOR Kearns, (4) , 4:56 (SH)
NOR Henrich, (10) (Lawrence), 11:51
NOR Jones, (11) (Segal, Kearns), 19:27 (PP)

Norfolk allowed 5 unanswered goals after scoring the game's opening marker before scoring 3 of their own in the third period in a failed comeback bid.

Adam Henrich was named the game's third star. Henrich has 2 goals and 7 points in his last 10 games, and appears to have gained a good measure of the momentum he had earlier in the season prior to getting hurt. From the outside looking in, it certainly appears that the former 2002 second round pick has done everything you could ask of him to earn a contract next season.

Blair Jones has 3 goals and 11 points in his last 13 games, which is a hopeful sign for a guy who had gone scoreless in his previous 13 games.

It was also really good to see Chris Lawrence get a helper in his first game back after missing a month and a half with a shoulder injury.

Box score from TheAHL.com.

Maybe this is the weekend the Admirals make their move after all?

SPR-2
NOR-4

Jonathan Boutin stopped 30 of 32 shots faced in the win. The young netminder has now run his record to 5-2-2 on the season with a 2.57 GAA and .925 save percentage.

First Period
NOR Stewart, (3) (Keller, Jones), 5:12
NOR Campbell, (2) (Klinkhammer, Lawrence), 5:42
NOR Klinkhammer, (1) (Leach, Mihalik), 11:30
NOR Lawrence, (3) (Klinkhammer, Mihalik), 11:46
SPR Thoresen, (12) (Schremp, Syvret), 19:41

Second Period
SPR Sestito, (2) (Schremp, Syvret), 7:43

Third Period
NO SCORING

Rob Klinkhammer, Boutin, and Chris Lawrence were the game's three stars.

Norfolk improves its record to 7-10-2 on the season with one more game to go against Springfield this weekend.

Norfolk is now tied with Wilkes/Barre Scranton with 16 points, 2 back of Hershey for the final playoff spot in the division and 3 back of Albany and Binghamton. Once they play Springfield tomorrow night they get back into division play on the road with two games against Albany and then matchups with Binghamton and Hershey, so a winning streak now can flip their fortunes in the division quickly.

Can't look ahead though. Springfield's going to come out flying Saturday night.

Game sheet from TheAHL.com.

As readers of this site know, we typically release our annual Preliminary Rankings of the Lightning's prospects around the first week of October once Lightning camp breaks. Obviously we haven't done that yet, so I just wanted to give everyone an update on where we are.