AHL Bridgeport Islanders

Sound Tigers Top Phantoms, 4-1

Published on February 27, 2009 under American Hockey League (AHL)
Bridgeport Islanders News Release


Philadelphia, PA - The Sound Tigers' third line combination of Micheal Haley, Tyler Haskins and Sean Bentivoglio totaled four points in the team's 4-1 win over the Philadelphia Phantoms. Jesse Joensuu opened the scoring in the opening period and Bentivoglio and Haley tallied their goals in the second period for the Sound Tigers. Ben Walter would score his 15th tally of the season for the Sound Tigers in the third period. David Laliberte had the lone goal for the Phantoms in the contest. The Sound Tigers started Peter Mannino in goal for the first time since January 18 and he made 15 saves to earn his 10th win of the season. The Sound Tigers improve to 34-17-3-5 and gain two points in the victory, giving them a total of 76 this season, one behind the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins for second place in the East Division after the Penguins beat the Albany River Rats tonight.

Eight minutes into the first period, Joensuu would open the scoring and give the Sound Tigers the 1-0 lead. Jeremy Colliton chipped the puck down the left wing boards to Mike Iggulden in the corner. Iggulden collected the puck, then took two strides out from the far wall and feathered a pass through a Phantom defenseman onto Joensuu's stick. The big Finnish winger caught the puck on his backhand and slid the puck around Phantoms' starting goalie, Scott Munroe's left pad for his 16th goal of the season.

Bentivoglio doubled the Sound Tigers lead, 5:22 into the second period on his seventh tally of the season. Mark Wotton slapped a long breakout pass from his own zone that hit Bentivoglio in stride at the far blue-line. Bentivoglio came in alone of Munroe and backhanded a shot through the Phantom goaltender's legs for the 2-0 lead. Philadelphia went on the power-play two minutes later and Laliberte would get the Phantoms on the board, wristing his 17th goal of the season past Mannino. Jonathan Matsumoto and Sean Curry had the assists on the play. Ben Walter's line controlled the play on the ensuing center-ice face-off and outworked Philadelphia in their own zone creating several chances. One by one, as each member of Walter's line changed, their replacement off the bench continued the pressure in the Phantoms' zone. Tyler Haskins was first on the ice after Walter changed and sent a pass to Bentivoglio, who was positioned off the left post. Bentivoglio quickly fed a pass to Haley, who streaked in from the bench and one-timed a shot past Munroe's glove for his second marker of the season to give the Sound Tigers the 3-1 lead.

In the third, Walter would tack on his 15th goal of the season with just under five minutes remaining in regulation time. Joensuu caused a turnover behind the Phantoms' goal-line and centered a pass to Walter in front. Walter made a quick head-fake and backhanded a shot past Munroe to close out the game's scoring at 4-1 in favor of the Sound Tigers.

Mannino earned the victory, stopping 15 of the 16 shots he faced while Munroe made 24 saves. The Sound Tigers were 0-for-1 on the power-play and 1-for-2 on the penalty-kill.

The Sound Tigers are back home tomorrow night at 7 p.m. when they take on the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins in the first half of a home-and-home series. During both the first and second intermissions, youth hockey players from around the state will compete in the All Awards Youth Hockey Shootout, for the title of Youth Hockey Champion. The winners will have their names etched on the All Awards Youth Hockey Shootout Cup. On Sunday both team will travel to Pennsylvania and play the second game of the home-and-home series at Wachovia Arena at Casey Place at 5:05 p.m. For tickets or information on how you can receive group discounted tickets for any upcoming Sound Tiger home games, contact the team's front office at (203) 334-GOAL or e-mail info@soundtigers.com.

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American Hockey League Stories from February 27, 2009


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