AHL Bridgeport Islanders

Sound Tigers Go 2-1-1 In Tough Week

April 4, 2005 - American Hockey League (AHL)
Bridgeport Islanders News Release


The Sound Tigers earned points in three of four games last week rebounding from a 4-0 loss in Norfolk to the Admirals Wednesday by beating them 7-3 Friday, taking a point in a 4-3 overtime road loss to the Hershey Bears Saturday and beating the Binghamton Senators 5-2 at home Sunday. The Sound Tigers finished last week in sixth place in the East Division with 73 points and a 34-34-4-1 record, including 25-10 at home and 9-24-4-1 on the road.

WED MAR 30th at NOR, 4-0: MATT ELLISON had two goals and an assist, SHAWN THORNTON and MARTY WILFORD scored once each and ADAM MUNRO made 29 saves for his fourth shutout of the season for Norfolk. WADE DUBIELEWICZ made 25 saves in a losing effort for the Sound Tigers. The shots on goal were tied 29-29. The Admirals were 1 for 6 on the power play and 8 for 8 on the penalty kill.

FRI APR 1st at NOR, 7-3 W: JUSTIN PAPINEAU had a hat trick, CHRIS CAMPOLI and NATHAN GILLIES had a goal and an assist each, JOHN MORLANG and MATT KOALSKA scored once each, BARRETT HEISTEN had two assists and DIETER KOCHAN made 30 saves for the Sound Tigers who were 1 for 8 on the power play and won despite being outshot 33-27. Norfolk was 1 for 6 on the advantage.

SAT APR 2nd at HER, 4-3 OTL: The lead changed hands three times with TIM SESTITO (in his professional debut), CHRIS CAMPOLI and VINCE MACRI scoring for the Sound Tigers, and JEFF FINGER, MARTIN HLINKA and JAMIE RIVERS scoring in regulation and BRETT CLARK notching the winner in overtime along with two assists for Hershey. DIETER KOCHAN made 31 saves for the Sound Tigers while PETER BUDAJ made 22 for the Bears. The Sound Tigers were 1 for 3 on the power play. Hershey was 2 for 6 on the advantage and outshot the Sound Tigers 35-25.

SUN APR 3rd vs. BIN, 5-2 W: JOE TALLARI notched the first goal of his professional career while on the power play, CHRIS CAMPOLI scored a four-on-four goal and the game-winner on the power play, STEVE REGIER tallied at even strength, BRUNO GERVAIS had a shorthanded goal and two assists, ROB COLLINS recorded two assists and DIETER KOCHAN made 40 saves. The Sound Tigers were 2 for 6 on the power play and 6 for 6 on the penalty kill against Binghamton's top-ranked power play. The Senators had a 42-20 shots on goal advantage.

SOUND TIGERS PLAYER OF THE WEEK – D CHRIS CAMPOLI

Campoli finished the week on a three-game goal and point streak with four goals, including power-play tallies in each contest, and one assist. The North York, Ontario native was also a +4 last week. Campoli finished the week leading all Sound Tigers defensemen and ranked second overall on the team with 32 assists and 45 points. He also ended last week with 13 goals and at a team-best +15 having played in a team-leading 72 games.

THIS WEEK – Another Four In Five Week

The Sound Tigers will play four games in five days again this week hosting the Albany River Rats Wednesday, visiting the Philadelphia Phantoms Friday and hosting the Lowell Lock Monsters Saturday and Binghamton Sunday.

WED APR 6th vs. ALB, 7:05: This will be the seventh of eight meetings of the teams this season, the fourth in final in Bridgeport. The Sound Tigers are 18-7-5 all-time versus Albany, including 4-2 with three home wins this season. The River Rats finished last week in seventh place in the East Division with 62 points and a 25-35-6-6 record, including 11-16-3-4 on the road but on a four-game win streak.

FRI APR 8th at PHI, 7:05 p.m.: This will be the eighth and final meeting of the teams this regular season. The Sound Tigers are 10-11-2 all-time versus Philadelphia, including 3-4 this season with three home wins and an overtime loss on the road. The Phantoms, who will visit Norfolk this Wednesday, finished last week in first place in the East Division with 95 points and a 44-22-3-4 record, including 24-8-2-2 at home, 8-1-1 in their last ten games and on a three-game win streak.

SAT APR 9th vs. LOW, 7:05 p.m.: This will be fourth and final meeting of the teams this regular season. The Sound Tigers are 7-5-1 all-time versus Lowell, including 1-2 this season winning the only game in Bridgeport. The Lock Monsters finished last week in third place in the Atlantic Division with 88 points and a 41-25-1-5 record, including 18-15-1-2 on the road. Lowell will host the Springfield Falcons this Wednesday and visit the Providence Bruins this Friday.

SUN APR 10th vs. BIN, 4:05 p.m.: This will be the eighth and final meeting of the teams this regular season. The Sound Tigers are 11-9-1 all-time versus Binghamton, including 5-2 this season winning all three games in Bridgeport and the last four overall. The Senators finished last week in second place in the East Division with 94 points and a 41-21-5-7 record, including 17-15-2-3 on the road and 6-1-0-3 in their last ten games. Binghamton, who had a ten-game unbeaten-in-regulation streak snapped at 7-0-0-3 by the Sound Tigers this past Sunday, will visit the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins this Wednesday and will host the Rochester Americans this Friday and Wilkes-Barre/Scranton this Saturday.

SOUND TIGERS TEAM LEADERS

Goals – ROB COLLINS, 21
Penalty Minutes – ERIC GODARD, 284
Assists – ROB COLLINS, 36
Wins – DIETER KOCHAN, 19
Points – ROB COLLINS, 57
Goals Against Average – DIETER KOCHAN, 2.57
Plus / Minus – CHRIS CAMPOLI, +15
Save Percentage – DIETER KOCHAN, .917

SOUND TIGERS SPECIAL TEAMS; AHL RANK

Power Play – 53 for 360, 14.7%; t-19th
Shorthanded Goals Against – 8; t-14th

Penalty Kill – 350 for 425, 82.4%; 21st
Shorthanded Goal For – 14; t-4th

SOUND TIGERS STREAKS The Sound Tigers have won two home games in a row and are unbeaten-in-regulation three straight games at 2-0-1. • The Sound Tigers have scored on the power play in three straight games going 4 for 17 (23.5%). • D CHRIS CAMPOLI is on a three-game goal and point streak (4g,1a) with a power-play goal in each of those contests. • G DIETER KOCHAN is unbeaten-in-regulation three straight games at 2-0-1. • RW ROB COLLINS is on a two-game assist streak (3a). • RW JOE TALLARI is on a two-game point streak (1g,1a).

MAPLETOFT SETS CAREER ASSIST RECORD

JUSTIN MAPLETOFT set a new, team, career assist record by notching his 77th helper as a Sound Tiger in last Friday's 7-3 win at Norfolk. Mapletoft added number 78 in Sunday's 5-2 home win over Binghamton.

SOUND TIGERS TRANSACTIONS

C/LW TIM SESTITO signed an amateur tryout contract Saturday. • RW JEFF SZWEZ was released from a professional tryout contract Saturday. • RW JOE TALLARI signed a PTO Wednesday. • C JASON GUERRIERO signed an ATO Wednesday. • RW NATHAN GILLIES signed a PTO while RW JASON SESSA was released from one Tuesday. • D ED CAMPBELL was named the fourth captain in team history 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 March 9th. • RW JOHN MORLANG was re-signed to a PTO on March 4th.

SOUND TIGERS COMMUNITY CALENDAR & PROMOTIONAL NEWS

The Sound Tigers are scheduled to make a celebrity reading appearance at Wilcoxin School in Stratford at 9 a.m. this Thursday. • LISA MARINO and LYNN McCORMICK are the winners of a trip to see the Sound Tigers play in Philadelphia this Friday courtesy of Amtrak. • The team mascot STORM is slated to visit Clintonville School in Northford at 6 p.m. this Friday. • The first 2,000 fans who enter this Saturday's home game versus Lowell 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 this Saturday and Sunday. The black jerseys will be auctioned off following Sunday's game to benefit "Swim Across the Sound". • Also following this Sunday's game versus Binghamton, 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". • Everyone who attends the Saturday, April 16th home game versus Manchester Monarchs can sign up for a chance to "shoot to win" a car courtesy of Stamford Volvo.

SOUND TIGERS ON THE AIR

All Sound Tigers games are web-cast live at www.soundtigers.com.

THIS WEEK'S SCHEDULE

The Sound Tigers will practice at Bridgeport's Arena at Harbor Yard this Tuesday through Thursday at 10 a.m. They will leave for Philadelphia Thursday afternoon and return home following Friday's game with the Phantoms.

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