AHL Bridgeport Islanders

Joensuu's hat-trick puts the Sound Tigers within a point of clinching a playoff spot

Published on April 10, 2010 under American Hockey League (AHL)
Bridgeport Islanders News Release


LOWELL, MA - Sound Tigers' forward Jesse Joensuu recorded his first career hat trick and Nathan Lawson stopped 31 shots, as the Sound Tigers beat the Lowell Devils 6-3 at the Tsongas Arena to deadlock the two teams at 84 points in the Atlantic Division.

Joensuu's tally at the 8:51 mark of the third period was his second of the game and was the eventual game-winner, breaking a 3-3 tie in the third period. After an errant pass in the Devils' corner, Jeremy Reich found Joensuu in front where Joensuu shot the puck past Devils' starter Mike Mckenna for his 13th goal of the season.

The Devils struck first in the opening period on Michael Swift's 22nd goal of the season. Former Sound Tiger Ben Walter backhanded the puck on net, and Sound Tigers' starter, Nathan Lawson could not control the rebound. Swift was there to deposit the puck into the back of the net at the 3:57 mark, giving Lowell the 1-0 lead.

Jeremy Reich helped the Sound Tigers get on the board, setting up Joensuu for his first of three goals in the contest. The first-year Sound Tigers took a shot from the high slot that net-minder Mike McKenna kicked aside, but the rebound sat in front. Joensuu was there to collect the loose puck and tally his 12th marker of the year, with 12:45 left in the first.

The Sound Tigers took their first lead of the game just 24 secondS, after Mike Radja scored his 12th goal of the season while the Sound Tigers were short-handed. Radja came down on a two-on-one and roofed the puck over McKenna to give the Sound Tigers the 2-1 lead.

The momentum remained with the Sound Tigers throughout the middle stanza, as they scored their third unanswered goal at the 6:21 mark, Reich's 11th tally of the season. Greg Mauldin, returning to the Sound Tigers earlier today after he played for the Islanders last night in Pittsburgh, found Reich at the back-door and slap passed him the puck. Reich did the rest, tapping the puck into the empty net.

The Devils did not go away, as Matthew Corrente pulled Lowell within one at 3-2. With a scrum in front of Lawson and time winding down in the second period, the puck bounced to Corrente in the right circle, who blasted it past Lawson with a second remaining for his fifth goal on the year.

Lowell tied things up in third on the power play, as Swift netted his second tally of the game on a rebound opportunity, just 2:43 into the third period.

However, the Sound Tigers erupted for three straight goals. Trevor Smith provided the Sound Tigers' fifth goal of the game, finishing a feed from Rhett Rakhshani. Smith took Rakhshani's pass and wristed the puck past the blocker of McKenna, 17:13 into the final period.

Joensuu put the nail in the coffin and completed his hat trick on an empty-net goal with 57 seconds left in the game.

The win puts the Sound Tigers at 37-31-4-6 and in a fourth place tie with Lowell in the Division.

Lawson picked up his 16th win of the season, while McKenna falls to 13-16-0 despite stopping 25 shots.

The Sound Tigers are home on Saturday to take on the Manchester Monarchs at 7 p.m. in what will be Mark Wotton's 1,000th career professional game. They will close out their 2009-10 regular season schedule on Sunday at 2 p.m. against the Hartford Wolf Pack. For group discounted tickets or information about the Sound Tigers, contact the team's front office at (203) 334-4625 or e-mail info@soundtigers.com.

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American Hockey League Stories from April 10, 2010


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