Sound Tigers Lose 3-2 To Hartford
October 23, 2004 - American Hockey League (AHL)
Bridgeport Islanders News Release
BRIDGEPORT, CT â The American Hockey League's Bridgeport Sound Tigers, top affiliate of the National Hockey League's New York Islanders, lost 3-2 at home to the Hartford Wolf Pack Saturday in the first game of the Geico Connecticut Cup. Former Sound Tigers Jeff Hamilton, two points, and Stephen Valiquette, 26 saves, led the way as Hartford snapped Bridgeport's three-game, season-opening, home-ice win streak.
The Wolf Pack opened the scoring with a power-play goal by Jozef Balej, his first marker of the season, off assists from Maxim Kondratiev and Hamilton with 4:52 left in the first period. They doubled their lead to 2-0 on Chad Wiseman's second goal of the season, and in as many games, off assists from Dominic Moore and Balej 5:27 into the middle frame.
The Sound Tigers used the same formula, scoring first on the advantage then at even strength, to tie the game before the end of the second period. Justin Papineau put them on the scoreboard with his team-leading third goal of the year off assists from Rob Collins and Keith Aldridge at the 8:01 mark, and Matt Koalska notched the first goal of his professional career with 3:29 left in the frame off assists from Cole Jarrett and Justin Mapletoft. The helper was Mapletoft's team-leading fifth.
Sound Tigers Goaltender Wade Dubielewicz, who joined Hamilton at last year's AHL All-Star Classic and on the League's postseason All-Star Team, lost his stick while making a save early in the third period, which allowed Hamilton to corral a loose puck behind the net for a wraparound goal at the 1:35 mark off assists from Alexandre Giroux and Layne Ulmer.
The Sound Tigers pulled Dubielewicz, who made 25 saves in the game, in favor of an extra attacker with 1:23 left to play but had to put him back in when Hartford forced a neutral-zone face-off. They lifted him again inside the final half-minute of play and had a six-on-four skating advantage when Balej took a penalty with 18.7 seconds left to play but could not score.
Hamilton was the first star of the game, Balej the second, and Koalska the third. The Sound Tigers were 1 for 6 on the power play while the Wolf Pack were 1 for 4. The shots on goal were tied at 28.
The Sound Tigers will finish a stretch of five home games in a six-contest span when they host the Binghamton Senators tomorrow at 4:05 p.m. They will then head out of town for five straight road games. All games will be broadcast live on 600 WICC-AM and at www.soundtigers.com.
Information regarding Sound Tigers ticket packages and sponsorship opportunities 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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