AHL Bridgeport Islanders

11,500 Watch Sound Tigers Stay In First Place

Published on February 9, 2004 under American Hockey League (AHL)
Bridgeport Islanders News Release


The Sound Tigers skated to a pair of ties on home ice in front of a total of 11,500 fans this past weekend. They deadlocked 3-3 with the Lowell Lock Monsters Friday in front of a crowd of 5,169 despite the fact yet another winter storm pounded the area all day and 1-1 with the Albany River Rats Saturday in front of a crowd of 6,331. The Sound Tigers finished last week in first place in the East Division and the Eastern Conference with 65 points and a 27-11-8-3 record, including 12-4-5-1 at home and 15-7-3-2 on the road.

FRI FEB 6th vs. LOW, 3-3 T: The Sound Tigers rallied from 1-0 and 2-1 deficits on a power-play goal and shorthanded goal by RYAN KRAFT sandwiched around a goal by BRENT GAUVREAU. MIKE ZIGOMANIS, BRAD FAST and MATT DAVIDSON did the scoring for Lowell. The Sound Tigers had a 29-21 shots on goal advantage and both teams were 1 for 5 on the power play. WADE DUBIELEWICZ made 18 saves for the Sound Tigers.

SAT FEB 7th vs. ALB, 1-1 T: TOMI PETTINEN scored his first goal of the season, just his second in two years as a Sound Tiger, with 10:12 left in the third period to tie the score at 1-1. TUOMAS PIHLMAN scored a power-play goal for Albany early in the first period. The Sound Tigers were 0 for 5 on the power play and had a 22-19 shots on goal advantage. DIETER KOCHAN made 18 saves for the Sound Tigers. The River Rats were 1 for 3 on the power play.

SOUND TIGERS PLAYER OF THE WEEK – C RYAN KRAFT Kraft gave the Sound Tigers their only lead of the weekend with a second-period, shorthanded goal Friday. He also scored on the power play back in the first period en route to earning first star of the game honors. Kraft finished Friday's game on a three-game goal streak and a four-game point streak. After being held off the score sheet Saturday, he finished last week with nine goals, 14 assists, 23 points, 12 penalty minutes and a +7 in 47 games this season.

THIS WEEK – Only Meetings With Springfield Highlight Three Game Week

The Sound Tigers will play three games this week, including their only two of the regular season versus the Springfield Falcons. They will host Springfield Wednesday and visit the Falcons Saturday. The Sound Tigers will also host the Hershey Bears Sunday.

WED FEB 11th vs. SPR, 7:05 p.m.: This will be the first of two meetings of the teams, the only at Bridgeport's Arena at Harbor Yard, this regular season. The Sound Tigers are 11-4-1 all-time, including 7-1 last season, versus Springfield who begins this week in seventh place in the Atlantic Division with 37 points and a 15-27-5-2 record, including 6-16-3-1 on the road and 9-11-2-1 at home. The game will be the first after the AHL All-Star Break for both teams.

SAT FEB 14th at SPR, 7:35 p.m.: This will be the second and final meeting of the teams, the only in Springfield, this regular season. Neither team will play a game between this week's two meetings. Last week, the Falcons announced they were ending their ten-season affiliation with the Winnipeg Jets / Phoenix Coyotes and will have the Tampa Bay Lightning as their lone NHL partner starting next season.

SUN FEB 15th vs. HER, 4:05 p.m.: This will be the seventh of eight meetings of the teams, the third of four in Bridgeport, this regular season. The Sound Tigers are 3-6-3 all-time, including 3-2-1 this season, versus Hershey who begins this week in third place in the East Division with 61 points and a 25-20-8-3, including 13-10-4-0 on the road. The Bears will visit Albany this Friday and host the Portland Pirates this Saturday.

SOUND TIGERS ON THE AIR

All three of this week's games will be web cast live at www.soundtigers.com. Sunday's game will also be broadcast live on 600 WICC-AM pending the completion of University of Connecticut basketball. • Head Coach GREG CRONIN is interviewed by News Director TIM QUINN live on WICC every Friday at 9:30 a.m. • Fans can email Voice of the Sound Tigers BILL McLAUGHLIN, who will respond live on the air during all broadcasts, via the links on the front page of www.soundtigers.com. Links for all web casts are also posted on the front page of www.soundtigers.com.

SOUND TIGERS STREAKS

The Sound Tigers are on a six-game unbeaten streak, 3-0-3, and a five-game home-ice unbeaten streak, 2-0-3. • They have also tied two straight games and their last three in a row at home. • The Sound Tigers are on a two-game, road winning streak as well. • They have also outshot the opposition in three straight games by a combined margin of 84-70 going 1-0-2 in that time. • C JUSTIN MAPLETOFT (1g,3a) is on a four-game point streak. • G DIETER KOCHAN (2-0-1) and G WADE DUBIELEWICZ (1-0-2) are both on three-game unbeaten streaks.

SOUND TIGERS TRANSACTIONS

C PRESTON MIZZI was re-signed to a professional tryout contract Thursday. • LW/C EVAN CHEVERIE was released from a PTO last Monday. • RW/C BRENT GAUVREAU signed a PTO Monday, January 26th. • C JUSTIN MAPLETOFT was reassigned to the Sound Tigers by the Islanders Wednesday, January 21st. • LW DEREK BEKAR was reassigned by the Islanders Friday, January 16th. • C ERIC MANLOW, D SVEN BUTENSCHON, G RICK DiPIETRO and RW MATTIAS WEINHANDL remain on recall to the Islanders.

COMMUNITY CALENDAR & PROMOTIONAL NEWS

This past Saturday, 17-year-old LAUREN MECOZZI from Wilton won a replica of the jersey worn by the 1980 United States Olympic hockey team that was signed by several members of the gold-medal-winning squad and actors from the Disney movie "Miracle". • The Sound Tigers will host the last of this season's four weekday matinees when the Worcester IceCats make their only visit of the regular season next Tuesday, February 17th at 4:05 p.m. • It will be "Milford Family Fun Night" when the Sound Tigers host the Norfolk Admirals on Saturday, February 21st at 7:05 p.m. with specially-priced tickets for Milford residents and employees. • Saturday the 21st will also be "Labor Day in February" and "Union Appreciation Night" with specially-priced tickets for all labor union members and their family and friends. • The first two-thousand fans who enter the February 21st game will receive a free hat courtesy of Freedom Plains. • In conjunction with Bridgeport Hospital and BJ's Wholesale Club, the Sound Tigers will hold "Connecticut's Largest Baby Shower" when they host the Providence Bruins on Saturday, February 28th at 7:05 p.m. • AAA members who show their AAA card at the box office will receive a special ticket price of $12.50 for all home games in February. • It will be "Norwalk Family Night" with specially-priced tickets for town residents when the Sound Tigers host the Binghamton Senators on Sunday, March 7th at 4:05 p.m. • The next "Family Four Pack Night" will be Wednesday, March 10th when the Sound Tigers host Providence at 7:05 p.m. "Family Four Packs" include four tickets, four hot dogs and four sodas for $55 dollars and are available by calling 203-334-GOAL. • It will be "United States Surgical Night" when the Sound Tigers host the Manchester Monarchs on Sunday, March 14th at 4:05 p.m.

THIS WEEK'S SCHEDULE

The Sound Tigers are off until Tuesday for the AHL's All-Star Break. The team will practice at Bridgeport's Arena at Harbor Yard Wednesday at 10 a.m. and at the Rinks at Shelton Thursday through Saturday at 10 a.m. Call 203-334-GOAL to confirm practice times and locations or with any special media requests.

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American Hockey League Stories from February 9, 2004


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