Jaspers scores game-winner in Falcons' triumph at Bridgeport

February 11, 2004 - American Hockey League (AHL)
Springfield Falcons News Release


Bridgeport, CT – Jason Jaspers scored the game-winning goal midway through the third period as the Springfield Falcons defeated the Eastern Conference-leading Bridgeport Sound Tigers, 4-1, at the Arena at Harbor Yard on Wednesday night. Springfield goaltender David LeNeveu returned from Monday's AHL All-Star Game to turn aside 28 of 29 shots to register the win. Forwards Kiel McLeod, Frantisek Lukes, and Trevor Gillies also scored for Springfield. All-Star forward Jeff Hamilton scored the lone goal for the Sound Tigers. The Falcons' victory snapped a six-game unbeaten streak for Bridgeport.

McLeod opened scoring with a low wrist shot from between the face-off circles to complete a two-on-one rush with Gary Shuchuk three minutes into the third period. McLeod got the Falcons' rush started with a pass to Shuchuk in the neutral zone before receiving the return pass from the veteran.

Hamilton tied the game for Bridgeport with a snap shot from near the dot in the left face-off at the 8:12 mark after collecting a failed clearing attempt by Springfield inside the Falcons' blue line. The goal was Hamilton's 26th of the season to tie the forward with Cleveland Barons right wing Miroslav Zalesak for the AHL lead.

Jaspers regained the lead for the Falcons 1:36 later while standing a few feet above the middle of the crease with a skillful redirection of a shot from defenseman Igor Knyazev. The shot appeared to be going wide, but Jaspers was able change the course of the puck so that it sailed inside the right post.

With former Falcon goaltender Dieter Kochan removed from the Bridgeport net for an extra skater and moments after Hamilton knocked a bouncing puck wide of an open Springfield net, Lukes clinched the game by lifting a puck from his own defensive zone that landed in the Sound Tigers' net. The 140-foot empty net goal with 25 seconds remaining to play was Lukes' third marker of the season.

Gillies barreled down the slot to cap scoring in the game with his second goal of the campaign by redirecting a centering pass from the side boards by right wing Nick Lent with three seconds remaining.

The Falcons controlled the majority of play in the scoreless first period, limiting the Sound Tigers to two shots and forcing Kochan to make 10 saves during the frame. Bridgeport center Blaine Down took a spill into the side boards after exiting the penalty box and left the game with an injury in the period.

LeNeveu stopped each of the Sound Tigers' 18 shots in the second period including a pair of tough saves to stymie forward Cail MacLean while Bridgeport pressured midway through the stanza. A minute later, LeNeveu made a pad save on a breakaway by Tigers left wing Derek Bekar and then stopped the follow-up attempt by center Kevin Colley.

The Falcons best chance in the second period came with less than six minutes remaining in the frame when center Erik Westrum, with a pass from his knees after losing an edge during a rush, set up trailing blueliner Bryan Helmer. However, Helmer's low snap shot from 20 feet in front of the goal missed to the right of the net.

The Falcons will look to make it back-to-back wins over Bridgeport on Saturday night as the Sound Tigers will visit the Springfield Civic Center. Game time is 7:35 p.m. For ticket information, please contact the Falcons team office at (413) 739-3344.



American Hockey League Stories from February 11, 2004


The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.

OurSports Central