Phantoms Tripped at Bridgeport

Isles Push Through 5-1

February 7, 2026

Bridgeport, CT – Liam Foudy (13th, 14th, 15th) capped Bridgeport’s evening with a hat trick as the Islanders avenged last week’s setback at PPL Center with a 5-1 victory in the Saturday rematch in Connecticut. Lane Pederson (15th) scored Lehigh Valley’s lone goal with a power-play mark in the first but the Orange and Black couldn’t break through past Hogberg anymore after that.

Lehigh Valley (21-20-4) had no difficulties generating a bevy of scoring chances 24 hours earlier against the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins. The next game was a different story as the Phantoms just couldn’t find enough successful sequences to generate nearly as many quality tries against the active defending sticks of the Islanders.

Bridgeport (20-20-4) raced out to a 3-0 lead in the first period beginning with Adam Beckman (18th) burying it into an empty-net at 6:09 into the game after Hunter Drew rocked one off the post on the rush. Beckman’s sixth of the year against Lehigh Valley gave the B-Isles the initial lead.

The next two goals came as the result of hard forecheck pressure. Liam Foudy rifled one over the right shoulder of Kolosov when the puck bounced out to him from the endboards making it 2-0 at 12:50. And a diving poke by Drew to dislodge the puck from a Phantoms defender eventually led to Matt Maggio scoring between the circles at 17:11 to make it 3-0.

Anthony Richard found Pederson at the left dot who scored a power-play goal for a second consecutive evening. Phil Tomasino also assisted on the goal with 56 seconds remaining in the first period making it 3-1. Richard’s helper extended his point streak to seven games.

The game tightened up a bit in a scoreless second period.

Bridgeport made it 4-1 at 10:45 of the third period on another blast by Foudy as he neatly dragged it around a defender and into the slot for a drive past Kolosov.

The Phantoms were one or even two men up for most of the final four minutes of the game. A 6-on-4 power play with a pulled goalie wasn’t enough to dent the 4-1 deficit. Eventually, Foudy found the empty net from the opposite blue line with just 4.6 seconds left to finish the night and complete his hat trick.

The league is on hiatus for the AHL All-Star Break while Christian Kyrou will represent the Phantoms this Tuesday and Wednesday in Rockford, Ill. at the big event.
Next week, the Phantoms have a pair of exciting home games during our Winter Games Celebration Weekend beginning Saturday, February 14 against the Cleveland Monsters on Phantoms Knit Cap Night presented by Gatorade. Sunday, February 15 at 3:05 p.m. against the Syracuse Crunch including a Postgame Photograph session with the players on the ice presented by NJM Insurance.

Final AWAY