November 4, 2009

BRIDGEPORT, CT – Defenseman Joey Mormina had a goal and two assists as the Adirondack Phantoms came from behind to beat the Bridgeport Sound Tigers 4-2 Wednesday morning at the Arena at Harbor Yard.

Packed full of screaming school kids, the atmosphere helped raise the high intensity of play in the first period. The announced crowd of 8,035 was stunned into silence late in the period when Jon Matsumoto shot home a rebound from Joonas Lehtivuori at 17:15 for a power play goal; it was Matsumoto’s third goal in his last two games.

Late in the second period Bridgeport struck back via a penalty shot. Greg Mauldin was taken down on a breakaway and on the ensuing attempt he lifted a backhand shot over the blocker of Adirondack goaltender Johan Backlund to tie the game at 15:11.

It was Mauldin again in the third period that broke free to give Bridgeport the lead. He zipped down the left wing, skated around a Phantoms defenseman and wristed his shot into the top right corner of the net for a 2-1 Sound Tigers lead at 9:30. However, their lead would last a mere ten seconds. Adirondack responded off the next face off when Patrick Maroon’s slap shot from the left wing kicked off Bridgeport goalie Nathan Lawson and Stefan Legein collected the rebound and jammed it home to tie the game at 2-2; Maroon and Joey Mormina assisted on the goal. The Phantoms power play broke the tie at 15:08 when Mormina’s shot from the point hit off Lawson and Andreas Nodl scooped up the loose puck for a 3-2 lead; it was Nodl’s third goal of the season. Coming into the game Mormina did not have a point in nine games played, but he finished off the game with a wrist shot from the blue line that beat Lawson into the top right corner over the glove at 18:41. The goal, assisted by Matsumoto and Maroon, was Mormina’s first of the year and his third point of the game, effectively ending Bridgeport’s chances of a comeback.

Johan Backlund recorded his fifth win of the season, his third straight victory, as he stopped 29-of-31 shots to help Adirondack improve to 6-4-1-0 on the season. Nathan Lawson took the loss in goal for Bridgeport, making 22 saves on 26 shots as the Sound Tigers fell to 7-7-0-0. Bridgeport out-shot the Phantoms 31-26 in the game and went 0-for-7 on the power play; Adirondack was 3-for-9 with the man-advantage.

Next up for the Phantoms is a Saturday, November 7th trip to the Times Union Center for Round 3 of their Time Warner Cable Cup series with the Albany River Rats; a 7:00 pm face off. Adirondack’s next home game is on Friday, November 13th against the Binghamton Senators at 7:30 pm at the Civic Center.

The Time Warner Cable Cup Four-Pack is now on sale at the Phantoms office, starting as low as $56. 2009-10 Phantoms full and partial season ticket packages are still available for the 2009-10 season presented by Bud Light. For more information please contact the Adirondack Phantoms at (518) 480-3355 or online at www.phantomshockey.com.

FINAL BOX SCORE

Adirondack Phantoms 4 At Bridgeport Sound Tigers 2 - Status: Final
Nov 4, 2009 - Arena at Harbor Yard

Adirondack 1 0 3 - 4
Bridgeport 0 1 1 - 2

1st Period-1, Adirondack, Matsumoto 5 (Lehtivuori), 17:15 (pp). Penalties-Wotton Bri (roughing), 2:47; Clackson Adk (fighting), 5:41; Gillies Bri (fighting), 5:41; Klotz Adk (roughing, roughing), 6:13; Haley Bri (charging), 6:13; Mormina Adk (tripping), 10:30; Legein Adk (goaltender interference), 11:32; Haley Bri (slashing), 16:14; Smith Bri (double minor - high-sticking), 18:05.

2nd Period-2, Bridgeport, Mauldin 5 15:11 (ps). Penalties-Mormina Adk (interference), 1:23; Legein Adk (tripping), 4:23; Mauldin Bri (boarding), 12:51; Moore Bri (hooking), 12:51; Lehtivuori Adk (interference), 15:45.

3rd Period-3, Bridgeport, Mauldin 6 (Joensuu), 9:30. 4, Adirondack, Legein 4 (Maroon, Mormina), 9:40. 5, Adirondack, Nodl 3 (Mormina, Ross), 15:08 (pp). 6, Adirondack, Mormina 1 (Matsumoto, Maroon), 18:41 (pp). Penalties-Mormina Adk (unsportsmanlike conduct), 9:40; Haley Bri (boarding), 12:51; MacDonald Bri (kneeing), 15:00; Joensuu Bri (roughing), 18:02.

Shots on Goal-Adirondack 7-8-11-26. Bridgeport 8-10-13-31.
Power Play Opportunities-Adirondack 3 of 9; Bridgeport 0 of 7.
Goalies-Adirondack, Backlund 5-2-0 (31 shots-29 saves). Bridgeport, Lawson 3-3-0 (26 shots-22 saves).

A-8,035

Referees-David Banfield (44).

Linesmen-Luke Galvin (2), David Spannaus (8).