Four unanswered goals from Hershey helps Bears jump over Sound Tigers for top spot in East Division
November 22, 2008 - American Hockey League (AHL)
Bridgeport Islanders News Release
Hershey, PA - The Hershey Bears scored four unanswered goals, with three of the tallies coming in the final period of regulation to beat the Sound Tigers 4-1. Jesse Joensuu put the Sound Tigers on the board in the first period but Hershey answered when Keith Aucoin scored his eighth of the year, two minutes later. Sami Lepisto, Oskar Osala and Graham Mink would each score in the third period help the Bears improve their record to 14-5-0-1, giving them 29 points and jumping one point ahead of the Sound Tigers for the top spot in the East Division. Yann Danis started in goal for the Sound Tigers making 35 saves on 39 shots but it was Daren Machesney earning the win with 17 saves.
Joensuu gave the Sound Tigers the 1-0 lead just over the halfway mark of the first period. Ben Walter dished a saucer pass to Blake Comeau in the left circle where he took the puck and wheeled behind the net. Comeau came out just off the right post and back-handed a no-look pass to Joensuu in the left circle where he one-timed the puck past Machesney's blocker for his seventh goal this season. Danis was the story during the first period as he was peppered with 19 shots, tying the mark for the most the Sound Tigers have given up this season. The league's leading scorer, Aucoin, was able to put one past him however at the 12:08 mark when he tucked a wrap-around just inside the left post to knot the score at 1-1. Alexandre Giroux and Chris Bourque assisted on Aucoin's eighth tally this season, coming on the power-play.
Both goaltenders were able to keep the game tied at one in the middle frame as Danis once again saw double digits in shots, turning aside all 10. Machesney stopped seven Sound Tiger shots in the period.
Hershey would use the third period to bury three goals and earn the victory over the Sound Tigers. The first marker came from Lepisto when he skated into the Sound Tigers' zone on the man-advantage and wristed a shot that snuck under Danis' pad to give the Bears a 2-1 lead. Bourque and Machesney assisted on Lepisto's third goal this season coming 3:07 into the final period of regulation. Osala leap-frogged his teammate Giroux for the club lead in goals, when he scored his 13th tally this season to give Hershey the 3-1 lead. The marker came just over a minute after Lepisto's and Mathieu Perreault and Patrick McNeill had the assists. Mink would ice the game at 10:27 with his tenth this season when he picked up a loose puck off to Danis' right shoulder and stuffed it through the goalie to close out the scoring at 4-1. Aucoin and Karl Alzner had the helpers.
The Sound Tigers were 0-for-3 on the power-play while Hershey went 2-for-8 on the man-advantage. The loss drops the Sound Tigers' record to 13-4-0-2, leaving them with 28 points. Hershey passes the Sound Tigers for the top spot in the East Division with the win, upping their record to 14-5-0-1 for 29 points.
Tomorrow, the Sound Tigers will play their first home game since November 9th, as they take on the Philadelphia Phantoms in an evening game starting at 4 p.m. Hundreds of Boys and Girls Scouts will attend the game to help cheer on the Sound Tigers. For information or tickets, contact the team's front office at (203) 334-GOAL or e-mail info@soundtigers.com.
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