Chris Brown Named Wolf Pack 2016-17 IOA/American Specialty AHL Man of the Year

By Bob Crawford

Chris Brown (9) has been named the Wolf Pack's 2017 IOA/Specialty AHL
Man of the Year. The 6-2 right wing from Flower Mound, Tex., is now
eligible for the Yanick Dupre Memorial Award.

HARTFORD—The Hartford Wolf Pack announced on Thursday that Chris Brown has been named the team’s IOA/American Specialty AHL Man of the Year award winner for his outstanding contributions to the Hartford community during the 2016-17 season.

A fifth-year pro, Brown has participated in more than his share of Wolf Pack community outreach activities. For instance, he has been a leader in the Wolf Pack's "Read to the Rink" reading program, and has captained several visits to the local children's hospital, bringing a friendly and outgoing demeanor to every event he attends, and helping to motivate his teammates to give further of themselves as well.

Brown is now one of 30 finalists for the AHL’s 2016-17 Yanick Dupre Memorial Award, honoring the overall IOA/American Specialty AHL Man of the Year. The league award is named after the former Hershey Bears forward and AHL All-Star who died in 1997 following a 16-month battle with leukemia. The winner of the Yanick Dupre Memorial Award will be announced by the American Hockey League at a later date.

ROSTER MOVES

This week, the Wolf Pack announced the following roster changes:

• Forward Vinni Lettieri, goaltender Chris Nell and defenseman Vince Pedrie have signed Amateur Tryout (ATO) agreements with the Wolf Pack.
• Goaltender Brandon Halverson has been reassigned by the parent New York Rangers to the Wolf Pack from its ECHL affiliate, the Greenville Swamp Rabbits.
• Forward Adam Chapie and goaltender Mackenzie Skapski have been reassigned by the Rangers from the Wolf Pack to Greenville.
• Defenseman Garrett Noonan has been returned by the Wolf Pack to Greenville.
• Lettieri, 22, a 5-11, 195-pound native of Excelsior, Minn., just completed a four-year career at the University of Minnesota (Big Ten). In 38 games this season with the Gophers, Lettieri tallied 19 goals and 18 assists for 37 points, and had 36 penalty minutes, in 38 games. Those numbers were good for second on the team in goals and third in points. Lettieri, whose grandfather is former long-time Minnesota North Stars [layer, coach and general manager Lou Nanne, skated in 149 career contests with the Gophers, totaling 37 goals and 46 assists for 83 points, along with 76 PIM. He agreed to terms on a free-agent contract with the Rangers on Monday.
•  Nell comes to the Wolf Pack from Bowling Green State University (WCHA), where he played three seasons. In 34 appearances this season, the 22-year-old Green Bay, Wis., native was 17-14-2, with a 2.15 goals-against average, a 91.6 save percentage and four shutouts, which tied his own school record in that category. The 6-1, 190-lb. netminder also established career Bowling Green records in shutouts, goals-against average and save percentage, going 41-29-10, with a 2.07 GAA, a 92.2 save percentage and 11 shutouts in 84 career Falcon appearances. Nell agreed to terms on a free-agent contract with the Rangers on Thursday. 
• Pedrie, 6-0 and 195 pounds, has played the last two seasons at Penn State University. The 23-year-old from Rochester, Minn., was a first-team Big Ten All-Star selection in 2016-17, and helped lead the Nittany Lions to a Big Ten championship with eight goals and 22 assists for 30 points, along with 24 penalty minutes. His 30 points were the most ever in a single season by a Penn State defenseman, and Pedrie led team blueliners in points, goals and assists. He also tied for the team lead in plus/minus, with a +27, and finished fourth overall on the team in assists. In 71 career games in a Nittany Lion uniform, Pedrie amassed 16 goals and 36 assists for 52 points, plus 56 PIM. He agreed to terms on a free-agent contract with the Rangers on Tuesday. 
• Halverson, a first-year pro and second-round draft pick of the Rangers, the Wolf Pack’s parent club, in 2014 (No. 59 overall). He has appeared in 24 games with the ’Pack this season, and has compiled a 9-14-0 slate, with a 3.40 GAA and an 88.6 save percentage. In nine games with the Swamp Rabbits, Halverson is 4-5-0, with a 3.43 GAA, an 89.7 save percentage, and one shut-out. 
• Skapski is 2-8-0 in 13 Wolf Pack outings this season, with a GAA of 4.73 and an 85.6% save percentage. In 30 ECHL games with Greenville, the third-year pro out of the Western Hockey League is 17-10-0, with a 3.31 GAA, a 90.3 save percentage and one shutout. 
• Chapie, a rookie out of UMass-Lowell, has registered four assists and six penalty minutes in 24 games with the Wolf Pack in 2016-17. In addition, Chapie has three goals and six assists for nine points, along with 14 PIM, in 19 games with the Swamp Rabbits. 
• Noonan posted three assists and 24 penalty minutes in 26 games with the Wolf Pack after being called up from Greenville New Year’s Eve. The fourth-year pro from BU logged 19 games with the Swamp Rabbits, with eight assists and 18 PIM.

TONIGHT’S ACTION

The Wolf Pack will be wrapping up a four-game home-stand at the XL Center tonight (Fri., Mar. 31) when they host the Hershey Bears. First puck drops at 7:15 p.m., and Friday’s promotion, as is the rule, includes $1 hot dogs and $2 beers through the start of the second period, presented by iHeartRadio. Tickets for all remaining Wolf Pack home games are on sale now at the XL Center box office, on-line at www.hartfordwolfpack.com and by phone at (877) 522-8499. To speak with a Wolf Pack representative about group sales, or any of the Wolf Pack’s ticketing options, please call (855) 762-6451, or click HERE for more information.

Bluefish Announce 20th Anniversary Legends Game

By Bob Phillips
                                                                                                                                                                               

BRIDGEPORT – In one of the many special events scheduled throughout the year to commemorate the team’s 20thh season in the Atlantic League, the Bridgeport Bluefish will be reviving a seven-inning exhibition contest between teams consisting of former major league stars and former Bluefish legends. The game, aptly named the “20th Anniversary Legends Game,” will be played at The Ballpark at Harbor Yard on Sat., Aug. 5.

The Bluefish team will consist of an array of notable ’Fish alumni, including Luis Lopez (2008-14), Willie Upshaw (manager, 1998-2000 and 2010-14), Mike Guilfoyle (1998-2003), Adam Greenberg (2008-11 and 2013), Mike Porzio (2005-08 and 2010), and Mike Moras (2011-12), among others. Upshaw, who managed the Bluefish to their only Atlantic League Championship in 1999, also had a notable major league career as a first baseman and DH with the Toronto Blue Jays and Cleveland Indians, as well as the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks of the Japanese Pacific League, and first base coach for the San Francisco Giants. Little known fact: While with the Giants, Upshaw, coaching first, was the first person to shake Barry Bonds as he circled the bases after breaking Hank Aaron’s all-time home run record in

Greenberg, meanwhile, has long been known as the answer to a Trivia Pursuit question: Who is the only major leaguer to have never recorded an at-bat. As a member of the Chicago Cubs in 2005, Greenburg was hit in the head on the first big league pitch he ever saw from Miami Marlins left-hander Valerio De Los Santos, and was removed from the game. It was the shortest cup of coffee in major league history until the Marlins offered him another one-game shot against the Mets (and R.A. Dickey) in 2012. (Editor’s Note: As a member of the Bluefish in 2011, Greenberg, a Guilford, Conn. Native, singled against—you guessed it!—De Los Santos, who was pitching for the Long Island Ducks at the time.)

The MLB team will consist of several former major league stars with local ties, including Orlando “El Duque” Hernandez (Yankees, 1998-2002 and 2004; Mets, 2006-07), Dwight “Doc” Gooden (Mets, 1984-94; Yankees 1996-97 and 2000), Bill “Spaceman” Lee (Red Sox, 1969-78), Keith Foulke (Red Sox, 2004-06), Jeff Nelson (Yankees, 1996-2000 and 2003), and Carlos Baerga (Mets, 1996-98 and Red Sox 2002). For more information on all of the Bluefish and MLB legends scheduled to participate, CLICK HERE.

“This event will be a very special for the Bluefish as well as the city of Bridgeport as we celebrate our 20th anniversary at The Ballpark at Harbor Yard,” said Bluefish general manager Paul Herrmann. “We hosted a similar event in 2015 as a part of our All-Star celebration, and it was hugely successful. We expect to once again draw baseball fans from all over the region to our city for this one-of-a-kind exhibition game.”

There will be a special pregame “meet & greet” with all of game’s contestants at 5:30 p.m. Tickets for the meet & greet include a premium seat for the game, and can be purchased for $98 at the Bluefish ticket office during regular hours, by calling 203-210-BLUE, or by CLICKING HERE,

First pitch on Sat., Aug. 5, will be 7 p.m. General admission tickets will be available starting on Mon., Apr. 3, for $15. For the procrastinators among ye, tickets will cost $20 on the day of the game. Tickets can be purchased at www.bridgeportbluefish.com or by calling at 203-210-BLUE. In addition, sponsorship packages offering the chance to play on one of the Legends teams are available. For more information on becoming a sponsor, contact Bluefish GM Paul Herrmann at pherrmann@bridgeportbluefish.com or by calling 203-345-4800.
                                                                                                                                               —With Staff Reports

Huskies Trounce Oregon—Next Stop, Dallas!

By Bob Phillips


Napheesa Collier led the UConn offense with a monster 28-point, 12-rebound
game vs. Oregon. Gabby Williams added 25 points for the Huskies.

BRIDGEPORT—In the end, things played out the way they were expected to. Behind a 28-point, 12-rebound effort from super sophomore Napheesa Collier, the University of Connecticut Huskies blew away the Oregon Ducks, 90-52, before a sellout crowd of 8,898 at the Webster Bank Arena on Monday night. Gabby Williams added 25 points for the Huskies, who, incidentally, earned their 111th consecutive victory in the process.

The Huskies, who led from start to finish, put it away early. Leading 6-4, Connecticut went on a 17-point run fueled by two three-pointers from Saniya Chong, to take a 23-4 lead.

Can you say “Goodnight, Gracie”?

The Ducks, who made it to the Great Eight for the first time in program history by upsetting seventh-seeded Temple, No. 2 Duke and No. 3 Maryland, managed to close to within 13 midway through the second quarter. But the Huskies closed out the half on a 15-3 run to take a 25-point lead, 49-24, into the locker room at intermission.

And that, friends, was truly lights out for Oregon.

Kia Nurse scored 11 points and dished out a game-high seven assists for the Huskies, while Chong chipped in with 11 points. Katie Lou Samuelson had a relatively quiet evening (eight points, three boards, four assists), but her five steals were key. More on that later.

Freshmen Sabrina Ionescu (15 points) and Ruthy Hebard (12 points) led the Ducks.

The name of this game was defense—as they all tend to be in March. Toward that end, the Huskies forced 22 turnovers, and scored 32 points off Oregon miscues. Connecticut, meanwhile, turned the ball over just six times, resulting in 12 Oregon points. The Huskies were also dominant on the boards, out-rebounding Oregon 36-26, including 12 off the offensive glass that were parlayed into 21 points. The Ducks were able to manage just two second-chance points.

“There were a lot of question marks going into the season,’ said UConn head coach Geno Auriemma. “They seemed to answer every single one of those questions. They deserve to be in the Final Four. They earned it.”

Auriemma was referring to the loss of Breanna Stewart, Morgan Tuck and Moriah Jefferson from last year’s squad. It was time for new leadership this year, and that’s exactly what they got. Indeed, on Monday, Collier and fellow super-soph Katie Lou Samuelson were honored as AP All-Americans on Monday, with Williams, a junior, named to the second team.

“It means a whole lot, especially with this group because no one thought we'd be here and we worked so hard this year,” said Collier, who was named Most Outstanding Player of the Bridgeport Region.

The win vaulted Auriemma past Pat Summit, the late, great Tennessee coach, for most NCAA Tournament victories. This was Auriemma’s 113th.

"I want to congratulate coach Auriemma on a great game and a great season so far,” said Oregon head coach Kelly Graves after the game. “[This was the] first chance I've ever had to play UConn, and kind of see up close exactly what they're about, how they play. I'm not going to make many headlines with this, but they're really, really good.”

Graves said she had her team ready to play and confident going in, but, well, you know…

“I just don't think we were able to handle [things] early,” she continued. “I think just kind of the shock of how good they are got us on our heels quickly. I thought we kind of rebounded a little bit in the second quarter, and again, in the third quarter, [but] unfortunately, the turnovers doomed us right from the get-go. Their defensive pressure really set the tone.”

Dallas or Bust

So now it’s off to Dallas for Husky Nation, where Connecticut will take on Mississippi State on Friday night. In case you’ve forgotten, the Huskies crushed the Lady Bulldogs by 60 points in last year’s Regional semifinal—also played in Bridgeport. But, cautioned Auriemma, don’t expect things to go quite as easy this time around.

“That's not the same Mississippi State team we played last year here,” he said. “That's a whole different team. They have a lot of the same players, but that's a whole different team. They looked amazing last night.”

Mississippi State topped Baylor, 94-85, in the Oklahoma City Region Final, and carry a 33-4 record into the Final Four.

“I mean, going into the NCAA Tournament, I thought Baylor had the best chance of winning based on if you check all the boxes and say, 'Here's what you need to win: You need size, you need experience, you need athletic ability, you need good guard play, you have to have depth,'" continued Auriemma, who has been working non-stop for 24 months when you factor in the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio. “So when you check off all the boxes, you go, wow, they're the only team that has all that. And for Mississippi State to keep answering and keep answering and keep answering and keep answering the entire 40 minutes, that was an amazing performance.”

This will be the Huskies’ 10th straight appearance in the Final Four. Impressive, you say?

“It’s hard to put it into any kind of context, you know?” asked Auriemma, rhetorically. “I don't know what the previous record was. So I don't have anything to compare it to.”

For the record, this appearance will tie the record held by the dynasty UCLA men’s teams. The Huskies already held the women’s mark.

“It's such a hard feat to accomplish in so many ways, he continued “It only takes one loss. You're now playing best out of five or best out of seven. So in all those 10 years, all it took was one loss at the wrong time during March and you're out. So for us to have gone 10 months of March in a row and not having lost a game through a whole different cast of characters, over all that time, that's pretty darned good.”

Tip-off on Friday is slated for 10 p.m., and the game will be televised nationally on The Deuce—ESPN2, and broadcast regionally on the UConn Radio Network.

Atlantic League Pitcher of the Year Returns to Bluefish

The Bluefish announced the signing of 2016 Atlantic League Pitcher of the
Year Jonathan Albaladejo for the upcoming season. Albaladejo won 15
games for Bridgeport last season.

By Bob Phillips

Yesterday was a busy day for the Bridgeport Bluefish, who announced two major signings. Jonathan Albaladejo,

the reigning Atlantic League Pitcher of the Year, will return to Bridgeport for the team’s 20th anniversary season. In addition, Ozney Guillen will also be coming to the Park City, the team announced on Tuesday.
 
This will be the 17th season in professional baseball for the veteran Albaladejo, and his second go-round in the Atlantic League. Last season, the 6-5, 270-lb. San Juan, P.R., native made 28 starts for the Bluefish, earning 15 victories (a single-season franchise record) with 164 strikeouts (the all-time Atlantic League record) and a 4.07 ERA in 172.2 innings. For his outstanding performance, the 34-year-old right-hander was named to the Atlantic League All-Star team. 

After making his professional debut in 2001 with the Bradenton (Fla.) Pirates of the Class A Gulf Coast (Rookie) League, Albaladejo spent six seasons in the Pirates organization, making the switch from starter to reliever in 2005. In 2007, he signed with the Washington Nationals as a free agent, where he made his major-league debut. The following season he was traded to the New York Yankees for Tyler Clippard, and spent parts of the next three seasons in The Bronx. He also pitched for the Arizona Diamondbacks in 2012. In his 66-game major league career, Albaladejo earned a 6-3 record with a 4.34 ERA and 56 strikeouts in 76.2 innings. His minor league numbers are 67-42 with a 3.42 ERA and 851 strikeouts in 949.1 innings. In addition, Albaladejo has also pitched in Mexico and Japan.

“Jonathan was outstanding on the mound for us last season, so we’re thrilled to have him back,” said Bluefish general manager Paul Herrmann.

Ozney Guillen (left) poses with dad, Ozzie, the former White
Sox skipper who was a one-game guest manager for the
Bluefish last season.

This will be the first season in the Atlantic League for Guillen, son of former Chicago White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen—who was a one-game guest manager for the ’Fish last season. A 25-year old outfielder, Ozney Guillen has also played first base and second base in his four-year pro career. Last season, he was a member of Sioux Falls of the independent American Association, where he hit .241, scored 25 runs, drove in 21, and stole six bases in 67 games. He has also played with La Guaira of the Venezuelan Winter League.

Drafted out of high school by the White Sox in the 22nd round of the 2010 draft, the Boca Raton, Fla., native made his pro debut in 2014 with Normal (Okla.) of the independent Frontier League, where he played for two seasons. In his 233-game minor league career, Guillen has a .237 batting average with 14 home runs and 98 RBIs. He has also scored 102 runs and swiped 27 bases.

“It will be great to have a young player like Ozney join us this season,” said Herrmann. “He’s incredibly passionate about the game, and has a strong desire to succeed.

“Jonathan’s dominance and Ozney’s versatility will be dynamic to our club this season in our quest for an Atlantic League championship,” added Herrmann.

The Bluefish, charter members of the Atlantic League, widely regarded as the top independent circuit in the country, are one of two Connecticut-based teams in the circuit, along with the New Britain Bees. The Bluefish will start the season on a seven-game road trip to Sugar Land, Tex., where they will take on the Sugar Land Skeeters, before opening the home portion of the 2017 campaign on Fri., Apr. 28 vs. the Southern Maryland Blue Crabs. First pitch is at 4:05 p.m.

The Bees open the season at home on Fri., Apr. 21, vs. the York Revolution. First pitch is at 6:35 p.m., and tickets are available at the Bees box office at New Britain Stadium or by clicking HERE.

—With Staff Reports