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AHL Bridgeport Islanders

Sound Tigers Complete Second Leg Of Seven Game Trip

January 20, 2003 - American Hockey League (AHL)
Bridgeport Islanders News Release


The Sound Tigers played three road games in four days for the second week in a row losing 1-0 to the Portland Pirates Thursday, tying the Manchester Monarchs 4-4 Saturday and beating the Worcester IceCats 3-2 in overtime Sunday. The Sound Tigers finished the week in second place in the East Division with 50 points and a 20-15-9-1 record including 11-5-3-0 at home, 9-10-6-1 on the road and 2-3-1 on the first six games of the road trip.

THU JAN 16th at POR, 1-0 L: Despite a 35-save effort by RICK DiPIETRO, the Sound Tigers lost on a five-on-three power-play goal by TRENT WHITFIELD in their only visit to Portland this season. The Sound Tigers were 0 for 4 on the power play while the Pirates were 1 for 5 and had a 36-30 shots on goal advantage.

SAT JAN 18th at MCH, 4-4 T: JEFF HAMILTON scored two goals and assisted on another, MATT HIGGINS had two assists, and TRENT HUNTER and JUSTIN MAPLETOFT scored once each in an intense, playoff-like game. The Sound Tigers were 0 for 5 on the power play, 2 for 2 on the penalty kill and had a 36-32 shots on goal advantage with RICK DiPIETRO making 28 saves.

SUN JAN 19th at WOR, 3-2 OTW: MIKE SOUZA and ERIC MANLOW scored in regulation, JEFF HAMILTON notched the winning goal on the power play 1:13 into overtime, MATT HIGGINS had two assists, and RICK DiPIETRO made 43 saves including 20 in the second-period. The Sound Tigers were 1 for 6 on the power play in their only visit to Worcester this season while the IceCats were 1 for 2 and had a 45-23 shots on goal advantage. PLAYER OF THE WEEK – G RICK DiPIETRO

DiPietro stopped 106 of 113 shots averaging more than 35 saves per game and posting a 1-1-1 record, 2.25 goals against average and .938 save percentage in three games last week. The first overall pick in the 2000 NHL draft was the number one star of the game Sunday and the number two star Thursday. DiPietro is 12-10-8 and ranks third in the AHL with 801 saves and fourth with 1804:10 played. He is also tied for fifth in the league with three shutouts, is seventh with a 2.23 goals against average and has three assists and eight penalty minutes in 30 games this season.

THIS WEEK – Road Trip Ends With First Place Showdown In Binghamton Before Houston Comes To Town

The Sound Tigers will finish the seven-game road trip with a visit to Binghamton Wednesday to play the Senators who are one point ahead of them in first place in the East Division. The Sound Tigers will open a four-game homestand when they host the Houston Aeros for the first time ever Friday and Saturday.

WED JAN 22nd at BNG, 7:05 p.m.: This will be the third of six meetings, the second of three in Binghamton, this regular season. The Sound Tigers are 1-0-0-1 versus the Senators who enter this week atop the East Division with 51 points and a 22-14-6-1 record including 12-7-2-1 at home and 5-3-2-0 in the last ten games. They are also unbeaten, 4-0-1-0, in their last five games. Binghamton enters this week tied with Houston for the second-longest, active, home-ice win streak in the league with three straight victories at the Broome County Veterans Memorial Arena. The Senators do not play again until Wednesday.

FRI JAN 24th vs. HOU, 7:35 p.m.: This will be the Sound Tigers' first home game in 20 days. It will also be the third of four meetings, the first of two at Arena at Harbor Yard, between the teams this regular season. The Sound Tigers are 1-0-1-0 all-time versus Houston who enters this week in first place in the West Division with 62 points and a 29-11-4-0 record including 13-6-1-0 on the road and 7-1-2-0 in the last ten games. The Aeros have won two games in a row and will open an eight-game road trip Wednesday against the Hartford Wolf Pack. Houston Coach TODD McCLELLAN has replaced CLAUDE JULIEN, who was hired by the NHL's Montreal Canadiens last week, as the coach of the PlanetUSA team for next month's Dodge AHL All-Star Classic in Portland. LW JEAN-GUY TRUDEL is the league's third-leading scorer with 48 points on 20 goals and 28 assists this season.

SAT JAN 25th vs. HOU, 7:05 p.m.: This will be the fourth and final meeting, the last of two in Bridgeport, this regular season. The four games also mark the all-time series. This is Houston's second season in the AHL. The Aeros played in the International Hockey League from 1994 through 2000 winning the Turner Cup Championship in 1999.

SOUND TIGERS TEAM LEADERS (active roster with more than one game)

Goals – TRENT HUNTER, 16

Penalty Minutes – ERIC GODARD, 124

Assists – TRENT HUNTER, 18

Wins – RICK DiPIETRO, 12

Points – TRENT HUNTER, 34

Goals Against Average – RICK DiPIETRO, 2.23

Plus / Minus – TOMI PETTINEN, +6

Save Percentage – RICK DiPIETRO, .923

SOUND TIGERS SPECIAL TEAMS

Power Play – 34 for 250, 13.6%; 25th

Shorthanded Goals Against – 9

Penalty Kill – 201 for 229, 87.8%; 4th

Shorthanded Goal For – 5

SOUND TIGERS STREAKS

The Sound Tigers are unbeaten in two straight games, 1-0-1-0, and are in the middle of a seven-game road trip which will be followed by a four-game homestand. C MATT HIGGINS has two assists in each of the last two games. C JEFF HAMILTON (3g,1a) has goals and points in each of the last two games.

SOUND TIGERS TRANSACTIONS

D SVEN BUTENSCHON and LW RAFFI TORRES joined D RADEK MARTINEK and RW MATTIAS WEINHANDL on recall to the Islanders last week. D BRANDON SMITH was recalled by the Islanders Tuesday and reassigned, along with RW TRENT HUNTER and RW ERIC GODARD, Thursday. G DAVID ST. GERMAIN was recalled from the East Coast Hockey League's Trenton Titans Tuesday.

COMMUNITY CALENDAR & PROMOTIONAL NEWS

Wives and girlfriends of players, coaches and staff will begin a "Send A Valentine To Your Favorite Sound Tiger" fundraiser to benefit the Kennedy Center at this weekend's games. For a $1 donation, fans can send a personalized valentine to their favorite Sound Tiger. The donation will also enter each fan into a raffle to win a team-autographed helmet. Fans can redeem unused tickets from the Friday, January 3rd home game versus the Hershey Bears for a ticket of equal or lesser value to this Friday's game against Houston. The tickets must be redeemed at Arena at Harbor Yard box office by 4 p.m. this Thursday. G RICK DiPIETRO and RW TRENT HUNTER will be presented with their All-Star jerseys in a pregame ceremony, the national anthem will be sung by the Weston Middle School Chorus, and D RAY SCHULTZ will be signing autographs after the game Friday. This Saturday will be "Milford Appreciation Night" at Arena at Harbor Yard with discounted tickets for Milford residents and a ceremonial face-off with Mayor RICHARD RICHETELLI. The Harborside School Choir will sing the national anthem and there will also be a MasterCard youth hockey mini-game during an intermission featuring players from the Southern Connecticut Youth Hockey mites program. G STEVE VALIQUETTE will be presented with the Sound Tigers Booster Club Player of the Month Award before the game and will be signing autographs after it Saturday.

SOUND TIGERS ON THE AIR

All games are broadcast live on "The ZONE" FOX Sports Radio 1300 and at www.soundtigers.com. WSTC/WNLK 1400/1350 also broadcasts road games. Fans can also email questions and comments to Voice of the Sound Tigers BILL McLAUGHLIN by clicking on "Ask The Broadcaster" at www.soundtigers.com.

THIS WEEK'S SCHEDULE

The Sound Tigers will practice at the Wonderland of Ice in Bridgeport Tuesday and Thursday at 11:30 a.m., in Binghamton Wednesday at 11:15 a.m. and at Arena at Harbor Yard Friday and Saturday at 10 a.m. Call 203-334-4625 to confirm practice times and locations or with any special media requests.

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