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Phantoms win 5-3 at Wilkes-Barre

April 5, 2002 - American Hockey League (AHL)
Adirondack Phantoms News Release


(WILKES-BARRE, Pa., April 5, 2002) - Rookie Mike Lephart recorded a career-high four points, including the only two goals of the third period, to lead the Philadelphia Phantoms to a 5-3 victory over the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins tonight at the First Union Arena.

Lephart registered his second two-goal game of the season and assisted on Mike Watt's two goals for Philadelphia, which extended its unbeaten streak to four games (3-0-1) with two remaining in the regular season. Goaltender Corey Hirsch finished with 19 saves.

With the score knotted at 3-3 after two periods, Philadelphia took the lead for good 13 seconds after Wilkes-Barre's Jason MacDonald was sent off for roughing. Jarrod Skalde sent a pass to defenseman David Harlock, who let fly a shot from just inside the blue line. Lephart managed to redirect it past Penguins goaltender Sebastian Caron at the 5:19 mark for his ninth goal of the year.

After Hirsch and the Phantoms withstood heavy pressure from the Penguins over the next 14 minutes, Lephart sealed the victory with an empty-net goal with 35.7 seconds remaining. Lephart joined Mark Greig, John Slaney and Pavel Brendl as the only Phantoms to total four points in a game this season.

"I have to give a lot of credit to the line I played on, especially Guillaume Lefebvre, who played really well tonight," said Lephart. "We did a nice job of bringing the puck to the point. (On the game-winning goal) Harlock put a nice wrist shot on net and allowed me to tip it in."

With the win, Philadelphia finished with a 7-2-3 record against the Penguins this season and improved to 20-9-3 in the all-time series.

The Penguins opened the scoring 10:17 into the game after Philadelphia's Greg Koehler was sent off for high-sticking. Defenseman Brooks Orpik set up the play with a hard shot that flew wide right. But the rebound bounced back to Martin Sonnenberg at the edge of the crease and the forward knocked it in for his 20th goal of the year.

Watt evened things up at 1-1 at the 15:32 mark when he took a centering pass from Lefebvre and one-timed it past Caron. Lephart also assisted on Watt's 10th of the year.

A holding penalty on Penguins defenseman Ross Lupaschuk led to Philadelphia's second goal at the 17:15 mark. Koehler was stuffed on two shots from in close before Kirby Law came up with the puck behind the net and fed Mark Freer for his 15th marker of the season and first in the last 12 games.

But Wilkes-Barre answered 44 seconds later as Jan Fadrny and Tom Kostopoulos assisted on Peter Ratchuk's 16th of the year that knotted the score at 2-2.

Philadelphia re-took the lead 8:33 into the second period on Watt's second goal of the night. Lephart did the dirty work on the play, fighting to maintain possession behind the net before getting free for a shot at a difficult angle. Caron was not able to control the puck and Watt was right there to poke it in.

The Penguins did not fold, however, and evened the score at 3-3 with 7:15 to play in the middle stanza. Hirsch attempted to clear the puck out of the Phantoms zone from behind the net, but John Jakopin kept it in along the near boards and uncorked a line drive that made its way through traffic and past Hirsch for his third of the season.

The Phantoms close out the home portion of the regular season Saturday at 7:05 p.m. when the Norfolk Admirals hit town. It will be Fan Appreciation Night, as dozens of prizes will be awarded, including the players' jerseys through the Shirts off our Backs promotion. Philadelphia then concludes the season on Sunday at 6:05 p.m. when they travel to take on the Hershey Bears in the last-ever regular-season game at Hersheypark Arena. The game will be televised live on CN8, the Comcast Network.

Phantoms Notes: Sonnenberg's goal was the first on the power play for Wilkes-Barre since March 13. The Penguins had been unsuccessful on their last 45 man-advantage opportunities ... Philadelphia had killed 19 straight opponent power plays before Sonnenberg's goal ... Watt recorded his first multi-goal game of the season.

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