AHL Bridgeport Islanders

Sound Tigers Back In First Place After Three Rallies

February 2, 2004 - American Hockey League (AHL)
Bridgeport Islanders News Release


The Sound Tigers rallied from a trio of third-period deficits to tie the Albany River Rats 2-2 at home Wednesday and beat the Manchester Monarchs 5-2 on the road Friday and the Portland Pirates 3-2 in overtime on the road Saturday. The five-point week put the Sound Tigers back into first place in the East Division and Eastern Conference at week's end with 63 points and a 27-11-6-3 record, including 12-4-3-1 at home and 15-7-3-2 on the road.

WED JAN 28th vs. ALB, 2-2 T: In the third meeting of the teams in less than a week, DEREK BEKAR gave the Sound Tigers a 1-0 first-period lead, ILKKA PIKKARAINEN tied the game at 1-1 in the second period and put the River Rats up 2-1 mid-way through the third, but BRENT GAUVREAU, in his Sound Tigers debut, tied the scored at 2-2 with 1:54 left in regulation. The Sound Tigers ousthot Albany 37-25 and were 0 for 5 on the power play while the River Rats were 0 for 3 on the advantage.

FRI JAN 30th at MCH, 5-2 W: Playing in Manchester for the first time since games one and two of last spring's Eastern Conference Quarterfinal, which they won three games to none, the Sound Tigers fell behind 2-0 just 2:00 into the second period but scored five unanswered goals. RYAN KRAFT, DEREK BEKAR and KEVIN COLLEY scored once, and ROB COLLINS notched the unassisted, shorthanded, game-winning goal and an empty-netter. Collins also had an assist. DIETER KOCHAN made 33 saves. The Sound Tigers were 0 for 4 on the power play while the Monarchs were 0 for 3 and had a 35-25 shots on goal advantage.

SAT JAN 31st at POR, 3-2 OTW: Portland took a 2-0 lead 2:57 into the third period, but CAIL MacLEAN and JUSTIN MAPLETOFT scored 5:32 apart to tie the game. RYAN KRAFT, who assisted on Mapletoft's tying goal, then scored the game-winner with just four seconds left in overtime. The Sound Tigers were 0 for 4 on the power play, including a full advantage during the extra session, and outshot the Pirates 33-30. Portland was 0 for 2 on the advantage. It marked the first win by the road team in the all-time series.

SOUND TIGERS PLAYER OF THE WEEK – G DIETER KOCHAN

Kochan made 33 saves Friday and 28 Saturday to go 2-0 with a 1.92 goals against average and .938 save percentage last week. He finished last week fifth in the League with a 1.85 goals against average and .934 save percentage and 14-7-4 in 25 appearances on the season.

THIS WEEK – Home Heavy February Begins With Two Game Weekend

The Sound Tigers will play the first two of eight home games in the month of February when they host the Lowell Lock Monsters this Friday and the Albany River Rats this Saturday.

FRI FEB 6th vs. LOW, 7:35 p.m.: This will be the third of four meetings of the teams, the first of two in Bridgeport, this regular season. The Sound Tigers are 6-2 all-time, including a pair of road wins this season, versus Lowell who begins this week in fifth place in the Atlantic Division with 48 points and a 21-18-3-3 record, including 9-13-1-1 on the road and an impressive 8-2 in the last ten games. RW PAVEL BRENDL has been named to the PlanetUSA team, which will be coached by Sound Tigers Head Coach GREG CRONIN and Assistant Coach DAVE BASEGGIO, while C MIKE ZIGOMANIS will skate for the Canadian team at next week's AHL All-Star Classic in Grand Rapids, Michigan. The Lock Monsters will host the Worcester IceCats this Wednesday.

SAT FEB 7th vs. ALB, 7:05 p.m.: This will be the fifth of eight meetings of the teams, the third of four in Bridgeport, this regular season. The Sound Tigers are 12-4-4 all-time, 1-1-2 this season, versus Albany who begins this week in seventh place in the East Division with 38 points and a 13-20-6-6 record, including 5-9-3-4 on the road and winless in four straight games at 0-2-1-1. RW ALEKSANDER SUGLOBOV and C CRAIG DARBY have both been named to the PlanetUSA team for next week's AHL All-Star Classic. The River Rats will visit the Hershey Bears this Wednesday and the Philadelphia Phantoms Friday.

SOUND TIGERS TICKETS

Individual-game tickets are on sale at Bridgeport's Arena at Harbor Yard box office Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. until 4 p.m., Saturday between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. and during all game days, as well as at www.ticketmaster.com or by calling Ticketmaster at 203-368-1000. Information regarding season tickets, partial plans, flex packs, group discounts, birthday parties and suite packages is also available by calling 203-334-GOAL or at www.soundtigers.com.

SOUND TIGERS STREAKS

The Sound Tigers are unbeaten, 3-0-1, in four games in a row and their last three home games at 2-0-1. • The Sound Tigers are also on a two-game, road winning streak. • C KEVIN COLLEY (1g,3a) is on a four-game point streak. • C RYAN KRAFT is on a two-game goal streak (TG,OT-GW) and a three-game point streak (2g,2a). • D TOMI PETTINEN (2a) and D ALAN LETANG (2a) are both on two-game assist streaks. • C JUSTIN MAPLETOFT (1g,1a) is on a two-game point streak. • G DIETER KOCHAN is on a two-game winning streak. • G WADE DUBIELEWICZ (1-0-1) is unbeaten in his last two games.

SOUND TIGERS TRANSACTIONS

LW/C EVAN CHEVERIE was released from a professional tryout contract today. • RW/C BRENT GAUVREAU signed a PTO last Monday. • D MATTIAS TIMANDER was recalled by the Islanders and traded to the NHL's Philadelphia Flyers Thursday, January 22nd. • C JUSTIN MAPLETOFT was reassigned to the Sound Tigers by the Islanders Wednesday, January 21st. • LW DEREK BEKAR was reassigned by the Islanders Friday, January 16th. • C ERIC MANLOW, D SVEN BUTENSCHON, G RICK DiPIETRO and RW MATTIAS WEINHANDL remain on recall to the Islanders.

COMMUNITY CALENDAR & PROMOTIONAL NEWS

The Team Mascot STORM will make several appearances tomorrow visiting Helen Keller Middle School in Easton at 8:30 a.m., Davenport Ridge School in Stamford at 11:15 a.m. and Meadowside Elementary School in Milford at 2:45 p.m. • STORM and GRAHAM BELAK will also visit Kendall School in Norwalk tomorrow at 3 p.m. • It will be a "Family Four Pack Night" when the Sound Tigers host Lowell this Friday at 7:35 p.m. "Family Four Packs" include four tickets, four hot dogs and four sodas for just $55 and are available by calling 203-334-GOAL. • This Friday will also be "Trumbull Family Night" with specially-priced tickets for all Trumbull families. • The first two-thousand fans who enter this Friday's game will receive a free poster featuring GRAHAM BELAK and JODY ROBINSON courtesy of Repro Services. • It will be "Bridgeport Family Fun Night", with specially-priced tickets for city residents and employees, when the Sound Tigers host Albany this Saturday at 7:05 p.m. • BJ's Wholesale Club members can purchase specially-priced tickets for this Saturday's game. BJ's will also be giving away ten free memberships and holding enter-to-win contests this Saturday. • In conjunction with Disney's release of the movie "Miracle", all fans at this Saturday's game will have a chance to win a replica 1980 USA Olympic hockey jersey signed by some of the players from the gold-medal winning team and actors from the movie, including KURT RUSSELL.

SOUND TIGERS ON THE AIR

Both of this weekend's games will be broadcast live on 600 WICC-AM and at www.soundtigers.com. • Head Coach GREG CRONIN is interviewed live on WICC every Friday at 9:30 a.m.

THIS WEEK'S SCHEDULE

The Sound Tigers will practice at the Rinks at Shelton Wednesday and Thursday at 10 a.m. and at Bridgeport's Arena at Harbor Yard Friday and Saturday at 10 a.m. Call 203-334-GOAL to confirm practice times and locations or with any special media requests.

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American Hockey League Stories from February 2, 2004


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