AHL Bridgeport Islanders

Record Crowd Sees Sound Tigers Beat Hartford

January 30, 2005 - American Hockey League (AHL)
Bridgeport Islanders News Release


BRIDGEPORT, CT – The American Hockey League's Bridgeport Sound Tigers, top affiliate of the National Hockey League's New York Islanders, beat the Hartford Wolf Pack 6-4 at home Sunday in front of a franchise-record crowd of 8,475. The win was the third in a row at home for the Sound Tigers who beat the Philadelphia Phantoms 2-1 Saturday in front of 8,034 fans at Bridgeport's Arena at Harbor Yard.

Hartford appeared to be on its way to an easy win grabbing a 3-0 lead by the mid-point of the first period. Craig Weller scored his eighth goal of the season with assists going to Dwight Helminen and Jed Ortmeyer at 8:23. Just 14 seconds later, Chad Wiseman put home his 15th goal of the season with Lucas Lawson and Jeff MacMillian both receiving an assist on the play. Sound Tiger Kevin Colley received a penalty for slashing at 9:21, and Wiseman took advantage of the extra attacker recording his 16th goal with assists going to Jeff Hamilton and Jamie Lundmark at the 10:24 mark. However, the Sound Tigers bounced back with three unanswered goals to tie the score at 3-3.

Blaine Down recorded his fourth of the season with assists going to Jim Campbell and Justin Mapletoft to make it 3-1 at 12:10. The assist came in Mapletoft's return to the lineup after missing 19 games with a wrist injury.

Hartford's Lucas Lawson received a five-minute major for high-sticking at 13:20, and Sound Tigers took advantage with a pair of goals in the ensuing power play. First, Chris Campoli shot the puck pasty partially-screened Wolf Pack goaltender Jason LaBarbera to record his sixth goal of the season at 14:44 off assists from Eric Godard and Brendan Yarema. Then, Sean Bergenheim notched his team-leading 12th goal of the season with assists from Campoli and Campbell at 16:29 to tie the game at 3-3.

It didn't take long for the Sound Tigers to score only 56 seconds into the second period when Rob Collins fired a shot past LaBarbera to break the 3-3 tie and put Bridgeport ahead by one. But not for long when Campoli received a minor penalty for holding at 8:07 the Wolf Pack capitalized on the man advantage. Bryce Lampman took a shot from the point that bounced off of the post and onto the stick of Dominic Moore who added a goal to his team leading 36 points. Hamilton and Lampman each recorded an assist on the play.

Rob Collins gave the Sound Tigers their first lead at 4-3 with a four-on-four goal just 56 seconds into the second period, tying Bergenheim for the team lead with his 12th marker on the play.

Hartford tied the score at 4-4 9:15 into the middle frame when Dominic Moore scored his 12th goal, his team-leading 37th point, off assists from Lawrence Nycholat and the former Sound Tiger Hamilton, but the Sound Tigers took the lead for good at 5-4 just 3:28 later as Campbell scored his sixth goal of the year, on the power play, off assists from Collins and Campoli.

The Wolf Pack replaced LaBarbera, who stopped 15 of 20 shots in 32:43 of work, with former Sound Tiger Stephen Valiquette after Campbell's goal.

Godard added some insurance with his career-high fifth goal and 11th point of the season off assists from Collins and Campoli 7:50 into the third period to make it 6-4.

Hartford pulled Valiquette in favor of an extra attacker with just over two minutes left to play but could not score.

Campbell was the first star of the game, Campoli the second and Collins the third. The Sound Tigers were 3 for 8 on the power play while the Wolf Pack were 2 for 8 and had a 30-23 shots on goal advantage. Wade Dubielewicz made 26 saves for his 11th win of the season while Valiquette stopped two of three shots in 24:35 of relief work.

The Sound Tigers will begin a stretch of three straight road games when they visit the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins this Wednesday at 7:05 p.m. Their next home game at Bridgeport's Arena at Harbor Yard will be Friday, February 11th when they host the Binghamton Senators at 7:35 p.m.

Information regarding Sound Tigers ticket packages and promotions is available by calling 203-334-GOAL or logging on to www.soundtigers.com. Groups, organizations, companies, etc. that are interested in having a member of the Sound Tigers appear at an event are invited to call 203-334-GOAL.

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American Hockey League Stories from January 30, 2005


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