AHL Bridgeport Islanders

Sound Tigers Complete Tough Home Stretch

March 29, 2005 - American Hockey League (AHL)
Bridgeport Islanders News Release


The Sound Tigers played three home games last week, one at the Nassau Coliseum on Long Island and two at Bridgeport's Arena at Harbor Yard, losing 4-2 to the Norfolk Admirals on Long Island Wednesday and 2-1 in Bridgeport to the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins Friday before beating the Hartford Wolf Pack 3-2 in overtime Saturday. The Sound Tigers finished last week in sixth place in the East Division with 68 points and a 32-33-3-1 record, including 24-10 at home and 8-23-3-1 on the road.

WED MAR 23rd vs. NOR on LI, 4-2 L: In front of 10,869 fans at the Nassau Coliseum, PAVEL VOROBIEV gave Norfolk an early 1-0 lead, but goals by MATT KOALSKA and ROB COLLINS put the Sound Tigers ahead 2-1 after two periods. RENE BOURQUE scored two third-period goals for the Admirals, including the eventual game-winner. The Sound Tigers appeared to have tied the game with 12.7 seconds left in the third period, but the referee ruled the puck was kicked into the net. AJAY BAINES then added an empty-netter to seal the win for Norfolk. The Sound Tigers were 0 for 7 on the power play while the Admirals were 1 for 2. WADE DUBIELEWICZ made 28 saves for the Sound Tigers while Adam Munro made 24 for Norfolk who had a 32-26 shots on goal advantage.

FRI MAR 25th vs. WIL, 2-1 L: SHANE ENDICOTT scored 29 seconds into the game and TOMAS SUROVY tallied on the power play 7:24 later for Wilkes-Barre/Scranton. JOHN MORLANG scored a third-period, four-on-four goal and DIETER KOCHAN made 22 saves for the Sound Tigers who were 0 for 4 on the power play and had a 25-24 shots on goal advantage. The Penguins were 1 for 6 on the power play.

SAT MAR 26th vs. HAR, 3-2 OTW: In front of 7,305 fans at Harbor Yard, LUCAS LAWSON and ALEXANDRE GIROUX spotted Hartford a 2-0 first-period lead, but the Sound Tigers rallied on a pair of goals by MATT KOALSKA, with STEVE REGIER assisting on both. WADE DUBIELEWICZ made 27 saves in regulation and two more in overtime allowing BRUNO GERVAIS to one-time home the game-winner on the power play with exactly 20 seconds left in the extra session. The Sound Tigers were 1 for 5 on the advantage, 5 for 5 on the penalty kill and won despite being outshot 31-25.

SOUND TIGERS PLAYER OF THE WEEK – LW MATT KOALSKA

Koalska scored the Sound Tigers' first goal in two of last week's three games. He also added the equalizer in Saturday's come-from-behind win and was a +2 in three games last week. The St. Paul, Minnesota native finished last week with six goals, five assists, 11 points and 16 penalty minutes in 50 games.

THIS WEEK – Big Road Trip Dominates Critical Four Game Week The Sound Tigers will play four games in five days this week starting with three in four days on the road. All four games will be versus East Division opponents. The Sound Tigers will visit Norfolk Wednesday and Friday and the Hershey Bears Saturday before hosting the Binghamton Senators Sunday.

WED MAR 30th at NOR, 7:30 p.m.: This will be the seventh of eight meetings of the teams this regular season, the third of four in Norfolk. The Sound Tigers are 6-10 all-time, including 2-4 this season with a pair of road losses, versus the Admirals who finished last week in third place in the East Division with 86 points and a 40-25-1-5 record, including 23-9-0-1 at home. The Sound Tigers have two games in hand on Norfolk who is 6-3-0-1 in the last ten games.

FRI APR 1st at NOR, 7:30 p.m.: This will be the eighth and final meeting of the teams this regular season. It will also mark the end of the second two-game set involving the teams in Virginia this year. The Sound Tigers split last season's four road games, also played in a pair of two-game visits, against the Admirals. Neither team plays Thursday.

SAT APR 2nd at HER, 7 p.m.: This will be the seventh of eight meetings of the teams this regular season, the fourth and final in Hershey. The Sound Tigers are 7-10-3 all-time, including 3-3 with a road win this season, versus the Bears against whom they will finish the regular season on Sunday, April 17th in Bridgeport. Hershey finished last week in fifth place in the East Division with 77 points and a 37-31-2-1 record, including 22-14-1 at home. The Sound Tigers begin this week with two games in hand on the Bears who will visit Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Wednesday and the Philadelphia Phantoms Friday.

SUN APR 3rd vs. BIN, 4:05 p.m.: Following back-to-back nights of long travel for the Sound Tigers and the start of Daylight Savings Time, this will be the sixth of eight meetings of the teams this regular season, the third of four in Bridgeport. The Sound Tigers are 10-9-1 all-time versus Binghamton, including 4-2 this season winning both games in Bridgeport. The Senators finished last week in second place in the East Division but just a half game out of first with 88 points and a 38-20-5-7 record, including 17-14-2-3 on the road and 6-1-0-3 in their last ten contests. Binghamton will host division-leading Philadelphia Wednesday, the Worcester IceCats Friday and the Manitoba Moose Saturday.

SOUND TIGERS TEAM LEADERS

Goals – ROB COLLINS, 21
Penalty Minutes – ERIC GODARD, 260
Assists – ROB COLLINS, 33
Wins – DIETER KOCHAN, 17
Points – ROB COLLINS, 54
Goals Against Average – DIETER KOCHAN, 2.54
Plus / Minus – CHRIS CAMPOLI, +12
Save Percentage – DIETER KOCHAN, .917

SOUND TIGERS SPECIAL TEAMS; AHL RANK Power Play – 49 for 335, 14.6; 20th Shorthanded Goals Against – 7; t-12th

Penalty Kill – 330 for 401, 82.3%; 22nd
Shorthanded Goal For – 12; 5th

SOUND TIGERS STREAKS

D CHRIS CAMPOLI is on a two-game assist streak with a pair of helpers in that time.

SOUND TIGERS TRANSACTIONS

RW JEFF SZWEZ signed a professional tryout contract last Tuesday, March 22nd. • D ED CAMPBELL was named the fourth captain in team history on Tuesday, March 15th. • RW JASON SESSA signed a PTO on March 15th. • D VINCE MACRI was recalled from the ECHL's Atlantic City Boardwalk Bullies on March 15th. • D RICHARD SEELEY was reassigned to Norfolk on March 15th. • F/D DOUG CHRISTIANSEN signed a PTO on March 13th and was released on March 15th. • LW JEFF HUTCHINS signed a PTO on Wednesday, March 9th. • RW JOHN MORLANG was re-signed to a PTO on March 4th.

SOUND TIGERS COMMUNITY CALENDAR & PROMOTIONAL NEWS

The team mascot STORM is scheduled to make a pair of appearances this Saturday visiting "Healthy Kids Day" at the Ansonia YMCA at 10 a.m. and "Bowl For Kids Sake" at the AMF Lanes in Milford at 1 p.m. • The Sound Tigers and Leadership Greater Bridgeport Class of 2005 will sponsor a food drive to "Feed The Tiger" during this Sunday's home game at Bridgeport's Arena at Harbor Yard. All donations will benefit the Connecticut Food Bank and food programs in the greater Bridgeport area. Fans are asked to bring non-perishable food items, which will be collected in the Tiger Tunnel outside the arena. Monetary donations to the Connecticut Food Bank will also be accepted. Everyone who makes a donation will receive a voucher good for one free ticket to the Wednesday, April 6th home game versus the Albany River Rats. • Girl Scouts from the Housatonic Council will be selling cookies during this Sunday's game to send to troops overseas. • The first 1,000 fans age 14 and under who enter this Sunday's game will receive a free Sound Tigers Clapper. • The Sound Tigers are scheduled to make a celebrity reading appearance at Wilcoxin School in Stratford at 9 a.m. on Thursday, April 7th. • STORM is slated to visit Clintonville School in Northford at 6 p.m. on Friday, April 8th. • The first 2,000 fans who enter the Saturday, April 9th home game versus the Lowell Lock Monsters will receive the fifth and final of this season's card sets courtesy of Painter's Supply. The final card set will feature BLAINE DOWN, DIETER KOCHAN, JUSTIN PAPINEAU and CHRIS CAMPOLI. • The Sound Tigers will wear their all-black uniforms when they host Lowell and Binghamton on Saturday and Sunday, April 9th and 10th. The black jerseys will be auctioned off following the Sunday, April 10th game to benefit "Swim Across the Sound". • Also following the Sunday, April 10th game, the Sound Tigers will host a charity contest pitting the Bridgeport Fire Department against the Bridgeport Police Department. Proceeds from that game will also benefit "Swim Across the Sound".

SOUND TIGERS ON THE AIR

All Sound Tigers games are web-cast live at www.soundtigers.com. This week's three road games will also be broadcast live on 600 WICC-AM. Fans can email Voice of the Sound Tigers BILL McLAUGHLIN who will respond live on the air.

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American Hockey League Stories from March 29, 2005


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