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 Bridgeport Islanders

Sound Tigers Rally Past Hershey 4-3 In SO

January 6, 2006 - American Hockey League (AHL)
Bridgeport Islanders News Release


BRIDGEPORT, CT - The American Hockey League's Bridgeport Sound Tigers, top affiliate of the National Hockey League's New York Islanders, rallied for a 4-3 shootout victory at home over the Hershey Bears Friday. Sean Bergenheim scored with one second remaining to send the game into overtime and eventually the shootout where the Sound Tigers prevailed.

The victory extended the Sound Tigers' unbeaten-in-regulation streak to seven games at 6-0-0-1 and their winning streak to five games in a row.

After signing a professional tryout contract with the Sound Tigers earlier in the day, goaltender Cody Rudkowsky was peppered early by Hershey who jumped out to a 9-1 shots on goal advantage. At the 10:00 mark, a seeing-eye shot by Jonas Johansson from the right circle hit the back of Rudkowsky's pad and rolled over the goal line for a 1-0 lead. The goal was Johansson's third goal of the season with Dave Steckel and Owen Fussey collecting the assists.

The Sound Tigers answered when their leading goal scorer Bruno Gervais evened things at 1-1. Just after a power play expired, Gervais pinched in from the point and got a pass from Robert Nilsson at the right circle and fired it through the legs of Hershey goalie Frederic Cassivi at 17:08. The goal was Gervais' 13th on the season putting him on a two-game goal streak. Jeremy Colliton also picked up an assist on the play.

The second period was full of end-to-end action with Rudkowsky keeping the Bears from taking the lead. 5:51 into the frame, Rudkowsky made a sliding pad save on Tomas Fleischmann. The Sound Tigers' best chance of the period came on a two-on-one break with Rob Collins and Sean Bergenheim. Collins saucered a pass to Bergenheim, but Cassivi poke-checked the puck away before he could slip the puck into the net.

In the third, the Sound Tigers took their first lead 12:16 in on a slap shot goal by Travis Brigley, his seventh of the season. Gervais fed a pass over to Brigley at the top of the left circle where he took a look on net and buried his shot over the glove of Cassivi. Masi Marjamaki also assisted on the play, which made the score 2-1.

Hershey did not go quietly, as Joey Tenute scored two goals just 2:05 apart, his 12th at 16:43 and 13th at 18:48, both of which were assisted on by Johansson and Fleischmann.

Steckel took a hooking penalty inside the final minute to give the Sound Tigers a late advantage. The Sound Tigers also called timeout and pulled Rudkowsky in favor of an extra attacker.

With time ticking down, Nilsson took a Colliton pass from behind the net, moved out to the right circle and sent the puck on goal hoping for a tip, and Bergenheim was there to jam it past Cassivi sending the 4,247 fans at Bridgeport's Arena at Harbor Yard into a frenzy and the game into overtime. The goal was Bergenheim's 11th and came with just one second left to play.

"Robert threw it in and hit Jeremy's stick, and I hit it as hard as I could," Bergenheim said. "When I saw it go in, it was a great feeling. We're on a great roll right now."

Each team managed just one shot on goal in overtime, with a breakaway by Wyatt Smith of the Sound Tigers serving as the best scoring chance.

In the shootout, Rudkowsky and Cassivi both stopped the first two shooters they faced. Rudkowsky then denied Johansson with a glove save in the first half of the third round. Nilsson broke the scoreless tie in the bottom of the third, and when Rudkowsky made his fourth save in the shootout on Hershey's leading scorer, Eric Fehr, Colliton sealed the victory with a shot he ripped over the glove of Cassivi giving the Sound Tigers the win.

Tenute was the first star of the game, Bergenheim the second and Rudkowsky the third. Hershey was 1 for 9 on the power play and had a 38-29 shots goal advantage. The Sound Tigers were 1 for 8 on the power play.

In addition to Rudkowsky, the Sound Tigers signed goaltender Gregg Naumenko to a PTO Friday. The Sound Tigers signed the two netminders to fill in for Wade Dubielewicz and Fredric Cloutier who dressed for the Islanders' road loss 4-1 to the Carolina Hurricanes Friday. Dubielewicz was recalled by the Islanders this past Monday while Cloutier was released from his AHL contract with the Sound Tigers and signed with the big club Thursday.

The Sound Tigers will continue a five-game homestand versus the Hershey Bears this Friday at 7:35 p.m., the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins this Sunday at 1:05 p.m. and the Hartford Wolf Pack next Wednesday, January 11th at 7:35 p.m.

All Sound Tigers games are web-cast live at www.soundtigers.com. Fans can also watch all games live on the B2 Networks. Information about Sound Tigers ticket packages and promotions is available by calling 203-334-GOAL or emailing info@soundtigers.com.


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