AHL Bridgeport Islanders

First Place Sound Tigers Come Back For Weekend Sweep

Published on November 25, 2002 under American Hockey League (AHL)
Bridgeport Islanders News Release


Erasing 1-0 deficits on consecutive nights, the Sound Tigers beat the Syracuse Crunch 3-1 on the road Friday and the Philadelphia Phantoms 2-1 at home Saturday to solidify their hold of first place in the East Division with 25 points and a 10-5-4-1 record including 6-2-2-0 at home, where they are unbeaten in their last eight games at 6-0-2, and 4-3-2-1 on the road.

FRI NOV 22nd at SYR, 3-1 W: TRENT HUNTER, JEFF HAMILTON and MIKE SOUZA scored one goal apiece, and RADEK MARTINEK, in his Sound Tigers' debut, and Souza had one assist apiece. RICK DiPIETRO made 28 saves. The Sound Tigers were 1 for 6 on the power play, 3 for 3 on the penalty kill and had a 38-29 shots on goal advantage.

SAT NOV 23rd vs. PHI, 2-1 W: MATT HIGGINS and JEFF HAMILTON scored, and STEVE VALIQUETTE made 35 saves. DANIEL TKACZUK and MIKE SOUZA notched the assists as Hamilton scored the game-winning goal for the second night in a row. The Sound Tigers were 0 for 6 on the power play while Philadelphia was 1 for 7 and had a 36-30 shots on goal advantage.

PLAYER OF THE WEEK – LW MIKE SOUZA

Souza scored one goal and assisted on three others in two games last week. The Wakefield, Massachusetts native assisted, along with DANIEL TKACZUK, on both game-winning goals by JEFF HAMILTON. Souza has two goals, five assists and seven points in nine games with the Sound Tigers and four goals, seven assists and 11 points in 14 AHL games overall this season. He was reassigned to the Sound Tigers from the Norfolk Admirals November 8th.

THIS WEEK – Sound Tigers Open Holiday Season With ‘Turkey Sandwich' The Sound Tigers will head into the holiday season by playing the first of three straight four-game weeks including a pair of home games sandwiched around the Thanksgiving holiday. They will host the Manchester Monarchs Wednesday at 7:05 p.m. and the Springfield Falcons Friday at 7:35 p.m. then visit the Lowell Lock Monsters Saturday at 7 p.m. and the Hershey Bears Sunday at 6 p.m.

WED NOV 27th vs. MCH, 7:05 p.m.: This will be the first of four meetings this regular season. The Sound Tigers are 1-2-1 all-time versus Manchester who enters this week in second place in the North Division with 24 points and an 11-4-2-0 record including 5-1-1-0 on the road. Goaltender CRISTOBAL HUET enters this week ranked sixth in the League with a 2.30 goals against average. The Monarchs also enter this week with the AHL's best power play, 26.5%, scoring a League-leading 30 goals on 113 opportunities. They do not play again until Wednesday.

FRI NOV 29th vs. SPR, 7:35 p.m.: This will be the third of eight meetings, the second in Bridgeport, this regular season. The Sound Tigers are 6-3-1 all-time, including 2-0 this year, versus Springfield who enters this week in fourth place in the East Division with 18 points and a 9-13-0-0 record including 3-8-0-0 on the road. D MARTIN GRENIER enters this week fifth in the AHL with 90 penalty minutes. The Falcons do not play again until Friday.

SAT NOV 30th at LOW, 7 p.m.: This will be the first of two meetings, the only in Lowell, this regular season. The Sound Tigers are 2-2 all-time versus the Lock Monsters who enter this week in fifth place in the North Division with 13 points and a 6-13-1-0 record including 5-5-1-0 at home. Lowell will host the Hamilton Bulldogs Wednesday and will visit the Providence Bruins Friday.

SUN DEC 1st at HER, 6 p.m.: This will be the first of four meetings this regular season. It will also be the Sound Tigers' first-ever trip to the 10,500-seat Giant Center which has replaced the Hersheypark Arena as the Bears' home after 64 years. The Sound Tigers are 0-2 all time versus Hershey who enters this week in second place in the South Division with 23 points and a 10-4-2-1 record including 6-1-2-0 at home. The Bears will host the Grand Rapids Griffins Wednesday and Syracuse Saturday with a trip to Philadelphia in between on Friday.

SOUND TIGERS ON THE AIR

All games are broadcast live on "The ZONE" FOX Sports Radio 1300 and at www.soundtigers.com. WSTC/WNLK 1400/1350 also broadcasts road games, and "The Sound Tigers Report" airs Tuesdays from 7 p.m. until 8 p.m. on "The ZONE". ALAIN NASREDDINE will be this week's special guest on "The Sound Tigers Report"

SOUND TIGERS STREAKS

The Sound Tigers are unbeaten, 6-0-2, in their last eight home games. G RICK DiPIETRO is unbeaten, 7-0-4, in his last 11 appearances. MIKE SOUZA (1g,3a) is on a two-game assist and point streak. JEFF HAMILTON (2GW) is on a two-game goal streak. DANIEL TKACZUK (2a) is on a two-game assist streak. MATT HIGGINS (1g,1a) is on a two-game point streak. Souza and Tkaczuk have assisted on Hamilton's game-winning goals in each of the last two contests.

CLAW MARKS

November is the Sound Tigers' busiest month of the 2002-03 season with 15 games on the schedule. This week is the first of three straight four-game weeks. Saturday's win over Philadelphia opened a three-game homestand and a stretch in which the Sound Tigers play six of eight games at the Arena at Harbor Yard. However, they will then play six straight games and eight of ten on the road. Friday and Saturday marked the Sound Tigers' first wins this season when allowing the first goal of the game. G STEVE VALIQUETTE tied his own team mark for the most saves in a period this season with 15 in the second and set the team mark for most in a game this year with 35 overall Saturday versus Philadelphia. Hershey is one of three teams, along with Norfolk and Providence, the Sound Tigers have played but never beaten.

SOUND TIGERS TRANSACTIONS

C ERIC MANLOW, D SVEN BUTENSCHON, D RAY SCHULTZ and RW MATTIAS WEINHANDL are on recall to the Islanders. D RADEK MARTINEK is on a conditioning assignment from the Islanders. G RICK DiPIETRO was recalled by the Islanders Saturday morning and reassigned Saturday evening. D KEVIN BOLIBRUCK has been released.

COMMUNITY CALENDAR & PROMOTIONAL NEWS

The Sound Tigers will conclude their food drive to benefit the Connecticut Food Bank with the "Feed The Tiger Finale" at this Wednesday's home game. If the donated food fills the Tiger Tunnel, those people who donated food will receive a free ticket to an upcoming home game. All adults who donate non-perishable items will receive a voucher good for $4 off the price of a regular ticket, and kids who donate will receive a Sound Tigers pin...The Sound Tigers raised over $10,000 for the March of Dimes this past weekend through Saturday's "Blue Jeans For Babies Night" at the Arena at Harbor Yard and Sunday's participation in "Bowling For Babies"....The Sound Tigers will hold a "Meet The Team" party for season ticket holders tonight from 6 p.m. until 8 p.m. at the Arena at Harbor Yard...The Sound Tigers will visit the St. Paul's Child Development Center on Noble Avenue in Bridgeport Tuesday at 2:45 p.m. and Kids in Motion in New Canaan Tuesday at 3:30 p.m....Shaw's Supermarkets and Nutmeg Bowl will present "Turkey Bowling" during the first intermission of Wednesday's game with prizes including $100 in groceries from Shaw's and gift certificates for free bowling at Nutmeg Bowl...Friday will be "Super Duper Weenie Night" at the Arena at Harbor Yard with an intermission promotion in which fans can shoot frozen hot dogs from Super Duper Weenie at the goal. Fans can also show their ticket stub from Friday's game at Super Duper Weenie in Fairfield and receive free french fries.

THIS WEEK'S SCHEDULE

The Sound Tigers will practice at the Arena at Harbor Yard Tuesday at 10:30 a.m., Wednesday at 10 a.m. and Friday at 10 a.m. Thursday's practiced is to be determined. The team will leave for Lowell after Friday's game.




American Hockey League Stories from November 25, 2002


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