AHL Bridgeport Islanders

Weekend Rallies Fall Short In Providence & Hershey

January 19, 2004 - American Hockey League (AHL)
Bridgeport Islanders News Release


The Sound Tigers lost 3-2 in overtime on the road to the Providence Bruins Friday and 4-2 on the road to the Hershey Bears Saturday but still finished last week in first place in the East Division and overall standings with a .683 winning percentage, 56 points and a 24-9-5-3 record, including 11-4-2-1 at home and 13-5-3-2 on the road.

FRI JAN 16th at PRO, 3-2 OTL: ANDRE SAVAGE gave Providence a 2-0 lead with a pair of second-period goals, but the Sound Tigers tied the game with a pair of third-period goals in a 2:37 span. EVAN CHEVERIE cut the lead to 2-1, and DEREK BEKAR, who was reassigned to Bridgeport by the Islanders earlier in the day, tied the game. ERIC MANLOW assisted on both Sound Tiger goals for his second two-helper game in a row. However, the Bruins won the game on a goal by IVAN HUML 2:34 into the overtime. The Sound Tigers were 0 for 2 on the power play while the P-Bruins were 1 for 3 and had a 27-22 shots on goal advantage. This was the Sound Tigers' last visit to Providence this regular season.

SAT JAN 17th at HER, 4-2 L: For the second time in as many nights, the Sound Tigers fell behind 2-0 by the mid-point of the second period but tied the game at 2-2 mid-way through the third frame. ALAN LETANG; on a minor, second-period power play; and DEREK BEKAR; on a major, third-period power play; scored, but Hershey's SHANE WILLIS notched a shorthanded marker on the back end of the same advantage as Bekar's equalizer then added an empty net goal. The Sound Tigers were 2 for 8 on the power play while the Bears were 1 for 3 and had a 32-26 shots on goal advantage. This was the Sound Tigers last visit Chocolatetown this regular season.

SOUND TIGERS PLAYER OF THE WEEK – LW DEREK BEKAR After learning of his pending return to the Sound Tigers following the Islanders' tie in Ottawa Thursday, Bekar flew back to New York, drove to Bridgeport that night and joined the Sound Tigers for Friday's morning skate. He then scored a goal in each game during the weekend road trip. With All-Star JEFF HAMILTON out of the lineup with an eye injury, Bekar finished last week leading the team in goals with 16. He also has four assists, 20 points and 30 penalty minutes in 37 AHL games with the Sound Tigers, as well as two penalty minutes in four NHL games with the Islanders this season.

THIS WEEK – Sound Tigers To Play Two Opponents in Three Arenas The Sound Tigers will play the last of six straight road games when they visit the Albany River Rats Thursday and the Philadelphia Phantoms Friday. Thursday's game will be played at the Continental Airlines Arena in the New Jersey Meadowlands; which is the home of Albany's NHL affiliate, the New Jersey Devils. The Sound Tigers will also host the River Rats Saturday.

THU JAN 22nd vs. ALB at NJ, 7 p.m.: This will be the second of eight meetings of the teams, the second of four on the road for the Sound Tigers, this regular season. The Sound Tigers are 12-3-3 all-time, 0-0-1 this season, versus Albany who begins this week in seventh place in the East Division with 32 points and a record of 11-18-5-5, including 6-10-3-1 at home and 5-8-2-4 on the road. The River Rats are off until Thursday. RW ALEKSANDER SUGLOBOV will represent Albany at the AHL All-Star Classic next month in Grand Rapids. Suglobov will skate for the PlanetUSA team, which will be coached by Sound Tigers Head Coach GREG CRONIN and Assistant Coach DAVE BASEGGIO.

FRI JAN 23rd at PHI, 7:05 p.m.: This will be the sixth of eight meetings of the teams, the third of four in Philadelphia, this regular season. The Sound Tigers are 7-5-1 all-time, including 3-1-1 this season, versus the Phantoms who begin this week tied with Hershey for second place in the East Division with 53 points, three behind the Sound Tigers, and a 24-14-4-1 record, including 12-8-2-1 at home. Philadelphia is off until Friday. RW KIRBY LAW and D DENNIS SEIDENBERG will represent the Phantoms at the AHL All-Star Classic. Law will play for the Canadian Team while Seidenberg has been named to the starting lineup for the PlanetUSA squad.

SAT JAN 24th vs. ALB, 7:05 p.m.: This will be the third of eight meetings of the teams, the first of four at Bridgeport's Arena at Harbor Yard, this regular season. It will also be the second of three meetings of the teams in less than a week. The Sound Tigers will also host the River Rats next Wednesday, January the 24th. Following Thursday's game in New Jersey, Albany will host the Binghamton Senators Friday.

SOUND TIGERS TEAM LEADERS (League leaders in Italics)
Goals – JEFF HAMILTON, 25
Penalty Minutes – GRAHAM BELAK, 100
Assists – ERIC MANLOW, 24
Wins – WADE DUBIELEWICZ & DIETER KOCHAN, 12
Points – JEFF HAMILTON, 42
Goals Against Average – WADE DUBIELEWICZ, 1.29
Plus / Minus – JEFF HAMILTON, +14
Save Percentage – WADE DUBIELEWICZ, .948

SOUND TIGERS SPECIAL TEAMS; AHL RANK (League leaders in Italics)
Power Play – 31 for 198, 15.7%; 10th
Shorthanded Goals Against – 5
Penalty Kill – 144 for 159, 90.6%; 1st
Shorthanded Goal For – 3

SOUND TIGERS STREAKS

The Sound Tigers are winless in their last three games, 0-2-0-1, all of which have been played on the road. • They have won three straight games versus Philadelphia, including two on the road, this season. They have also won three road games in a row versus the Phantoms dating back to last year. • The Sound Tigers are unbeaten in three straight games, 2-0-1, versus Albany, including two home wins at the end of last season and a road tie this season.

SOUND TIGERS TRANSACTIONS

F CHRIS LYNCH was signed to a professional tryout contract by the Sound Tigers Friday. Lynch was released yesterday. • LW DEREK BEKAR was reassigned to Bridgeport by the Islanders Friday. • RW JOE DUSBABEK was released from a PTO last Monday. • LW/C EVAN CHEVERIE was signed to a PTO Saturday, January 3rd. • C JUSTIN MAPLETOFT, D SVEN BUTENSCHON, G RICK DiPIETRO and RW MATTIAS WEINHANDL remain on recall to the Islanders.

COMMUNITY CALENDAR & PROMOTIONAL NEWS

The Team Mascot STORM will visit Middlebrook Elementary School in Trumbull tomorrow at 2 p.m. • GRAHAM BELAK will be at Housatonic Community College's spring semester class registration tomorrow at 3 p.m. • This Saturday will be "Shelton Family Night". Town of Shelton residents and Greater Valley Chamber of Commerce members can purchase specially-priced tickets by calling 203-334-GOAL. • All fans can receive a special on food and drinks this Saturday when they show their ticket from that night's game at Danny O's on River Road in Shelton. • NAPA Auto Parts of 3380 Fairfield Avenue in Bridgeport and 1860 Stratford Avenue in Stratford will also present the third of five Sound Tigers card set giveaways this Saturday. The third set will feature DEREK BEKAR, JODY ROBINSON, BRANDON SMITH and BLAINE DOWN. • The next "Family Four Pack Night" will be Friday, February 6th when the Sound Tigers host the Lowell Lock Monsters at 7:35 p.m. "Family Four Packs" include four tickets, four hot dogs and four sodas and cost $55 and can be purchased by calling 203-334-GOAL. • It will be "Bridgeport Family Fun Night", with specially-priced tickets for city residents and employees, when the Sound Tigers host Albany on Saturday, February 7th. • BJ's Wholesale Club members can purchase specially-priced tickets for the February 7th game. BJ's will also be giving away ten free memberships and holding enter-to-win contests on February 7th.

SOUND TIGERS ON THE AIR

All three of this week's games will be broadcast live on 600 WICC-AM and at www.soundtigers.com. • Head Coach GREG CRONIN is interviewed on WICC every Friday at 9:30 a.m.

THIS WEEK'S SCHEDULE

The Sound Tigers will practice at the Rinks at Shelton Monday through Wednesday at 10 a.m. They will spend Wednesday night in New York City and bus to New Jersey Thursday afternoon for that night's game versus Albany. The Sound Tigers will bus to Philadelphia following Thursday's game, play there Friday and return to Bridgeport that night. Please call 203-334-GOAL to confirm practice times and locations.

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American Hockey League Stories from January 19, 2004


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