AHL Bridgeport Islanders

Sound Tigers win third in a row

December 6, 2013 - American Hockey League (AHL)
Bridgeport Islanders News Release


UTICA, NY - The Bridgeport Sound Tigers won their third straight game Friday night, with a 5-3 victory over the Utica Comets at the Utica Memorial Auditorium. Ryan Strome had three points (one goal, two assists) and was joined in the goal column by Alan Quine, Jon Sim, Mike Halmo and Matt Donovan. Parker Milner was solid in net and made 28 saves for his first career AHL win.

Quine's goal was his second of the season and came at 12:48 of the first period. After a dominating shift in which the Sound Tigers cycled down low and kept the Comets defensemen on the ice, Quine found a loose puck in the slot after a failed Utica clearing attempt. All alone out in front, he ripped it past Comets goaltender Joacim Eriksson and gave the Sound Tigers a 1-0 lead.

In the final minutes of the first, it was Sim's turn to light the lamp. After taking a feed from Riley Wetmore, Sim raced into the zone and sent a wrist shot on goal from the top of the circle. Sim's shot beat Eriksson and the Sound Tigers took a 2-0 lead into the first intermission.

The Comets picked up their first goal early in the second on a two-on-one as former Sound Tiger Brandon DeFazio came into the zone on the right wing before a pass across the slot to defenseman Patrick Mullen, who had jumped into the rush. Mullen's shot beat Milner to cut the Sound Tigers lead in half, but the Sound Tigers responded later in the period.

At the 7:12 mark, Strome fed a pass across to Anders Lee, who blasted a one-timer from the right circle. Eriksson made the initial stop, put the puck slipped through just enough to allow Halmo, who crashed the net hard, to poke it over the goal line for a 3-1 Sound Tigers lead.

Benn Ferriero, who factored on all three Comets goals (one goal, two assists) picked up his ninth of the season with Utica on the power play. Cal O'Reilly gave Ferriero a pass and the former Worcester Shark fired it past Milner to make it 3-2 Comets, but that was as close as Utica would get.

With less than a minute to play in the second, Donovan found a loose puck near the crease after Eriksson stopped another shot from Lee. The goal was Donovan's second with the Sound Tigers this season. With two points tonight, Donovan as six points (two goals, four assists) in five games since being returned to the team.

Strome's eighth goal of the season came in the third period, when he took a seam pass from Halmo and raced into the zone up the middle. He blistered a wrist shot past Erikkson and gave the Sound Tigers a 5-2 lead. Yannick Weber's slap shot from center point cut the Sound Tigers lead to two, but it wasn't enough for Utica.

The Sound Tigers have now won four of their last five games. They will look for another at 7 p.m. Saturday night at Webster Bank Arena when they take on the Hershey Bears. It will be Military Appreciation Night and the annual Teddy Bear Toss at that game. The first 2,000 fans at Saturday's game will receive a CT Fallen Heroes wristband, courtesy of Aquarion Water Company. Additionally, the Sound Tigers will also be hosting the Future Service Leaders of America Tournament both before and after the game. Fans are also encouraged to bring teddy bears to Saturday's game in order to participate in the annual Teddy Bear Toss. Following the Sound Tigers first goal, fans may throw their teddy bears onto the ice in celebration. The teddy bears will be collected and donated to local Bridgeport-area hospitals.

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