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AHL Bridgeport Islanders

First Place Sound Tigers Make First Ever Trip To Texas

December 16, 2002 - American Hockey League (AHL)
Bridgeport Islanders News Release


The Sound Tigers made their first-ever trip to the state of Texas for their first-ever meetings with the San Antonio Rampage and Houston Aeros this week losing to San Antonio 2-1 Tuesday and 4-2 Saturday with a 4-1 Thursday win and a 1-1 Friday tie in Houston in between. The Sound Tigers finished the week in first place in the East Division with 39 points and a 16-9-6-1 record including 9-4-2-0 at home and 7-5-4-1 on the road. They are 2-2-1 on a six-game road trip which will end this coming Wednesday.

TUE DEC 10th at SAN, 2-1 L: ERIC MANLOW scored a power-play goal, and RICK DiPIETRO made 26 saves, but the Sound Tigers had their four-game, road, unbeaten streak snapped. The Sound Tigers were 1 for 6 on the power play and 4 for 5 on the penalty kill. San Antonio had a 28-27 shots on goal advantage.

THU DEC 12th at HOU, 4-1 W: TRENT HUNTER and ERIC MANLOW notched two assists apiece on goals by RAY SCHULTZ and JEREMY ADDUONO, KONSTANTIN KALMIKOV and RAFFI TORRES each added unassisted goals, and STEVE VALIQUETTE made 36 saves as the Sound Tigers won their first-ever meeting with Houston. The Sound Tigers were 0 for 2 on the power play, 3 for 3 on the penalty kill and won despite being outshot 37-26.

FRI DEC 13th at HOU, 1-1 T: RAFFI TORRES scored a power-play goal, and RICK DiPIETRO made a franchise-record 45 saves and had an assist. The Sound Tigers were 1 for 4 on the power play, 4 for 4 on the penalty kill and were outshot 46-23.

SAT DEC 14th at SAN, 4-2 L: ERIC MANLOW and TRENT HUNTER scored for the Sound Tigers, but former Sound Tiger JURAJ KOLNIK scored two power-play goals to lead San Antonio. RICK DiPIETRO made 19 saves for the Sound Tigers who were 0 for 4 on the power play and outshot the Rampage 25-23. San Antonio was 2 for 6 on the advantage.

PLAYER OF THE WEEK – C ERIC MANLOW

After scoring the team's only goal Tuesday, Manlow notched two assists in the first period Thursday then added a goal and an assist Saturday for a total of two goals, three assists and five points, as well as a +4 in four games last week. Manlow has nine goals, ten assists, 19 points and 16 penalty minutes and is a +5 in 18 games with the Sound Tigers, as well as two goals, one assist, three points and four penalty minutes in eight NHL games the Islanders this season.

THIS WEEK – Sound Tigers Finish Road Trip With Playoff Rematch At Hamilton The Sound Tigers will finish their six-game road trip then return home for the first time in two weeks. They will visit the Hamilton Bulldogs Wednesday at 7 p.m. and host the Lowell Lock Monsters Saturday at 7:05 p.m.

WED DEC 18th at HAM, 7 p.m.: This will be the first of two meetings, the only in Hamilton, this regular season, as well as the first since last year's Eastern Conference Finals which the Sound Tigers won four games to three when RAFFI TORRES broke a scoreless tie with 1:27 left in game seven. The Sound Tigers are 1-1 all-time versus the Bulldogs during the regular season. Hamilton enters this week in first place in the overall AHL standings with 49 points and a 23-6-1-2 record including 9-2-1-1 at home. The Bulldogs have won an AHL-leading 14 road games and seven games in a row and are unbeaten, 9-0-0-1, in their last ten games. They also boast the League's two leading scorers, BENOIT GRATTON with 28 assists and 43 points and JASON WARD with 24 assists and 38 points, and leading goaltender, TY CONKLIN with a 2.05 goals against average.

SAT DEC 21st vs. LOW, 7:05 p.m.: This will be the second and final meeting, the only in Bridgeport, this regular season. The Sound Tigers are 3-2 all-time versus Lowell including a 3-2 road win this season on November 30th. The Lock Monsters enter this week in fifth place in the North Division with 15 points and a 6-21-3-0 record including 1-11-1 on the road. Lowell enters the week with the AHL's lowest-ranked penalty-killing unit at 73.7% and will visit the Providence Bruins Friday.

SOUND TIGERS ON THE AIR

All games are broadcast live on "The ZONE" FOX Sports Radio 1300 and at www.soundtigers.com. Road games are broadcast on WSTC/WNLK 1400/1350. Fans can also click on the "Ask The Broadcaster" link at www.soundtigers.com and email their questions and comments to Voice of the Sound Tigers BILL McLAUGHLIN who will answer them on air.

SOUND TIGERS TEAM LEADERS
Goals – TRENT HUNTER, 13
Penalty Minutes – ERIC GODARD, 91; ALAIN NASREDDINE, 50

Assists – TRENT HUNTER, 15
Wins – RICK DiPIETRO, 10Points – TRENT HUNTER, 28
Goals Against Average – RICK DiPIETRO, 2.18

Plus / Minus – TOMI PETTINEN, +7
Save Percentage – RICK DiPIETRO, .922

SOUND TIGERS SPECIAL TEAMS
Power Play – 26 for 182, 14.3%; 21st
Shorthanded Goals Against – 7
Penalty Kill – 157 for 178, 88.2%; 3rd
Shorthanded Goal For – 4

SOUND TIGERS STREAKS

G STEVE VALIQUETTE has won five games in a row. G RICK DiPIETRO is winless, 0-4-1, in his last five games.

CLAW MARKS

The first game of the current six-game road trip, December 8th versus the Albany River Rats, opened a stretch in which the Sound Tigers will play 15 of 19 games away from home. This Saturday's game will be their first of two in a row at home following the six-game road trip. They will then play two more road games, against the Manitoba Moose December 28th and 31st, to finish calendar 2002. The Sound Tigers are 7-5-4-1 on the road this season. They are 10-5-4-1 when outshot as opposed to 6-4-2-0 when they have the shots on goal advantage. The Sound Tigers are 13-4-3-1 versus Eastern Conference teams, 8-2-1-0 at home and 5-2-2-1 on the road. They are 3-3-1-0 versus Canadian Division opponents, 2-1-1-0 on the road, and 4-0-1-0 versus North Division opponents, 3-0-1-0 at home. The Sound Tigers are 4-1-1-0 on Wednesdays, 0-0-1-0 on the road, and 4-4-2-0 on Saturdays, 1-2-1-0 at home. G RICK DiPIETRO set a new franchise record for saves in a game with 45 in last Friday's 1-1 tie at Houston. DiPietro also notched his second assist of the season Friday and enters this week leading all AHL goaltenders with 1405:13 played and 605 saves.

SOUND TIGERS TRANSACTIONS

D RADEK MARTINEK and RW MATTIAS WEINHANDL remain on recall to the Islanders. D SVEN BUTENSCHON and RW ERIC GODARD were recalled by the Islanders Thursday. D MIKE GAFFNEY signed a professional tryout contract Thursday and was released Sunday. D J.F. DAVID has also been released from his AHL contract by the Sound Tigers.

COMMUNITY CALENDAR & PROMOTIONAL NEWS

The Sound Tigers are operating their Team Shop Holiday Kiosk on the upper level of the Westfield Shoppingtown in Trumbull during extended mall hours through Christmas Eve. The team is offering special holiday packages including Ticket Gift Certificates, Team Shop Gift Certificates and Gift Packs. Led by Head Coach STEVE STIRLING's wife FRANCESCA STIRLING, wives and girlfriends of Sound Tigers' players are selling Candy Grams for $1 to benefit the Kennedy Center; Grade A Shop Rite of Norwalk donated the candy canes. The Team Mascot Storm will visit St. Mary's School in Milford this Tuesday at 7 p.m. The Sound Tigers will hold their annual "Teddy Bear Toss" this Saturday to benefit several local charities including Children's Connection in Norwalk, and Coca-Cola will sponsor a target with prizes available; fans must register at the Kid's Club table on the concourse. Sound Tigers' players and Storm will also visit area hospitals delivering toys to children this Sunday. This Saturday will be "Shelton Appreciation Night" at the Arena at Harbor Yard with specially-discounted tickets for Shelton residents.

THIS WEEK'S SCHEDULE

The Sound Tigers will travel to Hamilton Tuesday where they will practice Wednesday at 11:15 a.m. and play at 7 p.m. The team will travel back to Bridgeport Wednesday night into Thursday morning and practice at the Wonderland of Ice Friday at 9:30 a.m. and the Arena at Harbor Yard Saturday at 10 a.m. Call 203-334-4625 to confirm practice times and locations or with any special media requests.

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