By Brian Ring
Bridgeport, CT, November 25, 2011 – The Connecticut Whale fell to the Bridgeport Sound Tigers Friday night, 6-2, at the Webster Bank Arena at Harbor Yard. The loss snapped the Whale’s three game winning streak.
Tim Wallace scored twice and Jeremy Colliton scored and added two assists for Bridgeport, while Jonathan Audy-Marchessault scored and added an assist for Connecticut.
The Sound Tigers got their first goal shorthanded, as Wallace netted his seventh of the season off of a two-on-one rush with Colliton. Colliton waited for Whale goaltender Cam Talbot (19 saves) to commit before dishing a pass to Wallace at 14:06 of the first period.
Calvin de Haan extended the Bridgeport lead to 2-0 at 6:19 of the second period, tallying his second of the year off of a feed from Tomas Marcinko. Marcinko won a faceoff cleanly to de Haan in the faceoff circle to Talbot’s right, with de Haan snapping it past the Whale netminder’s stick side.
The Sound Tigers went up by three goals on Colliton’s fourth of the season at 17:42 of the second period. Colliton stole the puck deep in the Whale zone before snapping the puck past Talbot. Matt Donovan received the only assist on the play.
Casey Cizikas would make it four unanswered tallies for the Sound Tigers at 2:12 on a power-play.
The Whale would finally break through on Audy-Marchessault’s seventh goal of the season, on a play that had to be reviewed. The puck had appeared to cross the line, but it was initially ruled that Sound Tigers goaltender Kevin Poulin (20 saves) had covered the puck. Audy-Marchessault had indeed banged it across the line, however, with Tommy Grant and Chris McKelvie each getting an assist.
Wallace would answer back by adding his second of the night just under two minutes later for the Sound Tigers.
Bridgeport would record their sixth and last goal of the game off of a steal, as Scott Howes broke in on Talbot off a turnover and put a backhander in for his second of the season and a 6-2 lead.
Kelsey Tessier would score for the Whale with 6:23 remaining, on the power-play, to tally his first goal of the season. Audy-Marchessault got his second point of the night with an assist on the goal.
The Whale will be right back at it Saturday night, when they head to Springfield to take on the Falcons at MassMutual Center (7:00). Connecticut returns home on Tuesday night, when the Whale hosts the Hershey Bears at XL Center (7:00).
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Connecticut Whale 2 at Bridgeport Sound Tigers 6
Friday, November 25, 2011 – Webster Bank Arena
Connecticut 0 0 2 – 2
Bridgeport 1 2 3 – 6
1st Period-1, Bridgeport, Wallace 7 (Colliton), 14:06 (SH). Penalties-Cizikas Bri (interference), 1:19; Erixon Ct (tripping), 5:18; de Haan Bri (hooking), 12:29; Audy-Marchessault Ct (cross-checking), 19:16.
2nd Period-2, Bridgeport, de Haan 2 (Marcinko), 6:19. 3, Bridgeport, Colliton 4 (Donovan), 17:42. Penalties-Voros Ct (slashing), 3:11; Cizikas Bri (slashing), 11:08; Voros Ct (goaltender interference), 13:10; served by Romano Bri (bench minor – too many men), 19:17.
3rd Period-4, Bridgeport, Cizikas 4 (Colliton, Wishart), 2:12 (PP). 5, Connecticut, Audy-Marchessault 7 (Grant, McKelvie), 4:10. 6, Bridgeport, Wallace 8 (Howes), 9:26. 7, Bridgeport, Howes 2 11:39. 8, Connecticut, Tessier 1 (Audy-Marchessault), 13:37 (PP). Penalties-Voros Ct (holding), 1:21; Owens Ct (interference), 1:48; Tanski Ct (fighting), 6:14; Romano Bri (fighting), 6:14; Grant Ct (charging, fighting), 6:59; Gallant Bri (fighting, misconduct – continuing altercation), 6:59; Cizikas Bri (slashing), 12:17; Riley Bri (interference), 17:42.
Shots on Goal-Connecticut 8-6-8-22. Bridgeport 6-12-10-28.
Power Play Opportunities-Connecticut 1 / 6; Bridgeport 1 / 7.
Goalies-Connecticut, Talbot 6-3-0 (25 shots-19 saves); Johnson 4-3-2 (3 shots-3 saves). Bridgeport, Poulin 5-5-0 (22 shots-20 saves).
A-5,864
Referees-Jean Hebert (43).
Linesmen-Luke Galvin (2), Derek Wahl (46)
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