Bears Hold off Sound Tigers 6-4
Published on February 19, 2011 under American Hockey League (AHL)
Bridgeport Islanders News Release
HERSHEY, PA - Steve Pinizzotto and Boyd Kane each recorded two goals and held off a late charge from the Sound Tigers as the Hershey Bears defeated Bridgeport 6-4 at Giant Center in Hershey on Saturday night. The Bears improve to 35-17-1-3 overall. The Sound Tigers fall to 19-29-3-4.
Hershey jumped in front early of what became a wild first period. Patrick McNeill was sent back down to Hershey from Washington earlier in the day, and the defenseman made his presence known with a goal just 1:02 into the first to put the Bears in front. The Sound Tigers evened the score on the power play at 5:40 of the period. Bears goalie Braden Holtby came out of his net to clear the puck but fired it right into the body of Justin DiBenedetto who was entering the zone. DiBenedetto sent the puck past Holtby who was out of position for his team-leading 14th goal of the year to tie the score 1-1.
Steve Pinizzotto retook the lead for Hershey 2:09 later to make the score 2-1 in favor of the Bears, and former Sound Tiger Joel Rechlicz scored his first goal of the year on a deflection to make the score 3-1 at 11:31. On the ensuing faceoff, Rechlicz and Brett Gallant squared off in one the best brawls this season lasting over a minute, and soon after the Sound Tigers responded with a goal. David Ullstrom skated through the slot on a delayed penalty call and scored his second goal in two games at 12:34 to make the score 3-2 headed to the second period.
Pinizzotto netted his second of the game at 3:44 of the second period to push the Bears lead back to two. Mikko Koskinen was pulled at that point in favor of Joel Martin, but the Sound Tigers were resilient and Robin Figren fired a shot from the right circle over Holtby's left shoulder just two minutes later to make the score 4-3. The Sound Tigers had multiple chances to tie the score on a power play a few minutes later, but Holtby made pivotal saves and Hershey scored as the Sound Tigers power play ended. Boyd Kane crashed the net and knocked a rebound past Martin as Hershey retook their two-goal lead at 14:17 of the middle frame.
The score remained 5-3 until Ullstrom struck once more for the Sound Tigers. While on the power play, Figren made a gorgeous cross-ice pass to Ullstrom below the faceoff dots and the rookie forward slammed the puck into the open net to cut the deficit to 5-4 at 5:14 of the third. The Sound Tigers dictated the play for most of the third, but were unable to draw even and Kane's second goal of the game with 3:04 left in regulation put the game away for the Bears.
The Sound Tigers return home tomorrow for an afternoon tilt against the Manchester Monarchs at 3 p.m.
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