Sound Tigers Report: Week 11

BRIDGEPORT—The Bridgeport Sound Tigers, American Hockey League affiliate of the New York Islanders, defeated both of their Atlantic Division rivals this past week, scoring four goals in each victory and earning back-to-back wins for the first time this season.

The Sound Tigers (5-13-1-0) outscored the Hartford Wolf Pack (10-7-1-0) and Providence Bruins (14-5-1-0) by a combined 8-1 margin in their last two games, which began with a road contest at the XL Center on Saturday.

Ken Appleby (2-2-0) stopped all 22 shots he faced in a 4-0 win that afternoon, posting his 13th professional shutout and the first clean sheet for a Bridgeport netminder in 2020-21. Arnaud Durandeau (one goal, one assist) and Otto Koivula (two assists) each had a multi-point effort, while Dmytro Timashov, Robert Carpenter and Cole Bardreau also found the back of the net in the Sound Tigers’ biggest victory of the season. It ended Hartford’s seven-game winning streak.

Durandeau, Timashov and rookie defenseman Samuel Bolduc played a key role in another win on Tuesday, each recording a multi-point performance in a 4-1 victory against the Bruins at Webster Bank Arena. Bolduc scored twice including the game-winning goal at 3:49 of the first period, while Timashov (one goal, one assist) and Durandeau (two assists) stayed hot and Jakub Skarek (2-8-0) made 23 saves. Jeff Kubiak kicked off the scoring just 78 seconds into the contest with his first goal of the season in his 200th professional game.

The Sound Tigers remain third in the Atlantic Division, 10 points behind the second-place Wolf Pack, with five games remaining in the abbreviated season. Bridgeport fell to Hartford at home last Thursday, 4-2, despite Blade Jenkins’ first professional goal on a rebound from the right circle. Bardreau also scored and Appleby made 21 saves.

The Sound Tigers return to the road this Saturday for a 1 p.m. rematch against the Wolf Pack at the XL Center. Fans can follow all of the live action via AHLTV or the Sound Tigers Radio Network, beginning with the pregame show at 12:45 p.m.

The Week Ahead

Saturday, Apr. 24 at Hartford Wolf Pack (1 p.m.): The Sound Tigers make their fifth of six trips to the XL Center this season, where they are 1-3-0-0 so far. Bridgeport is 3-6-0-0 against Hartford overall and is led offensively by Samuel Bolduc’s eight points (four goals, four assists) in nine meetings. .

Tiger Bites

Milestone Men: Jeff Kubiak and Seth Helgeson each celebrated a professional milestone on Tuesday. Helgeson, the Sound Tigers’ captain, played his 500th pro game and his 450th in the AHL, split between Bridgeport and the Albany Devils. The 30-year-old defenseman has also played 50 NHL games with the New Jersey Devils (2014-17). Helgeson has three points (one goal, two assists) and a team-leading 34 penalty minutes in 19 games with Bridgeport this season. In addition, Kubiak scored a goal in his 200th pro game on Tuesday. He has played 138 AHL games with the Sound Tigers and 62 ECHL contests with the team's ECHL affiliate, the Worcester Railers. Kubiak has one goal and six assists in 18 games this year.

Bolduc Bolsters Bridgeport: Samuel Bolduc continues to turn heads in his first professional season. The 20-year-old rookie recorded his first career multi-goal game on Tuesday with a pair of tallies against Providence, including his first game-winner in the opening four minutes of the contest. In addition, Bolduc’s career-best plus-3 rating on Tuesday was the best rating for any Sound Tigers’ player this season (fellow defenseman Grant Hutton also had a plus-3 rating on Tuesday). Bolduc leads the Sound Tigers in points (12) and shots (43) and is tied for the team lead in assists (six) and games played (19). He is one of six players to appear in every game for Bridgeport this season.

Picking Up the Pace: Arnaud Durandeau had just one assist in his first six games of the season, but the 22-year-old winger posted his second straight two-point effort on Tuesday and now has multiple points in three of his last four outings. Durandeau leads the Sound Tigers in points-per-game (0.70) and has six points (two goals, four assists) in his last four. He’s tied for fifth on the team in scoring (seven points in 10 games) and has 15 points (eight goals, seven assists) in 31 AHL contests with Bridgeport over the last two seasons.

High Five: Kyle MacLean is on a career-best five-game point streak (one goal, four assists), which is the longest for any Bridgeport player this season. He also has one assist in each of his last four games, the longest assist streak for the team this year. MacLean is tied for fifth on the club in points (seven) and tied for sixth in assists (five) through 17 appearances. Both of his two professional goals have come against Providence.

Quick Hits: Jakub Skarek didn’t allow a goal until 17:11 of the second period on Tuesday, ending Bridgeport’s shutout streak at 97:42, dating back to the third period on Apr. 15th… It’s the longest shutout streak for the Sound Tigers this season… Dmytro Timashov has scored in back-to-back games and has four points (two goals, two assists) in his last four outings… Timashov, Arnaud Durandeau, Cole Bardreau and Otto Koivula are tied for the team lead with three multi-point performances… All five of the Sound Tigers’ wins this season have come when they don’t allow a power-play goal.

Team Leaders

Goals: Cole Bardreau (8)

Assists: Five Tied (6)

Points: Samuel Bolduc (12)

Plus/Minus: Tom Kuhnhackl (+4)

Penalty Minutes: Seth Helgeson (34)

Shots: Samuel Bolduc (43)

Games Played: Six Tied (19)

—Staff reports

Sea Unicorns Join Futures League

NORWICH—The Norwich Sea Unicorns announced that the team will be joining the Futures Collegiate Baseball League for the 2021 season. The Sea Unicorns will open their 2021 season on May 26 on the road when they travel to New Britain, Connecticut, to take on the New Britain Bees. Opening Night at Dodd Stadium will take place Monday, May 31 as the Sea Unicorns take on the Brockton Rox at 7 p.m. The full 2021 schedule will be available on goseaunicorns.com Wednesday.

“We are very pleased to be able to keep baseball here in Norwich and the Futures League is a great home for Sea Unicorns baseball,” said Sea Unicorns Owner and Managing Partner Miles Prentice. “We understand what this team and this facility means to the people of Norwich and surrounding communities. We look forward to providing the same level of affordable, family fun and excitement that fans have come to expect from a night out at Dodd Stadium for years to come.”

Founded in 2011, the Futures League is a wood-bat league featuring top collegiate baseball players from New England and throughout the country. More than two million fans have attended FCBL games since the league was established. On the field, over 200 FCBL alumni have been drafted by or signed with Major League Baseball organizations, including pitcher Tyler Bashlor (South Georgia College/Pittsburgh Pirates), outfielder Chris Shaw (Boston College/Baltimore Orioles) pitcher Aaron Civale (Northeastern University/Cleveland Indians), infielder Zack Short (Sacred Heart University/Detroit Tigers) and Jason Vosler (Northeastern University/San Francisco Giants) who have already debuted in Major League Baseball. The eight team league also includes the New Britain Bees (New Britain, CT), former New York-Penn League rival Vermont Lake Monsters (Burlington, VT), Brockton Rox (Brockton, MA), Nashua Silver Knights (Nashua, NH), Pittsfield Suns (Pittsfield, MA), Westfield Starfires (Westfield, MA) and Worcester Bravehearts (Worcester, MA).

“We are thrilled to welcome the Norwich Sea Unicorns to the Futures League as our eighth team and look forward to showcasing our fun, exciting brand of baseball in a new area in southeast Connecticut,” FCBL Commissioner Joe Paolucci said. “Bringing in another former Minor League organization and facility is outstanding for our league. We can’t wait to continue providing high-quality baseball to a great New England community for years to come.”

Details regarding 2021 ticket options will be released in the coming days. The Sea Unicorns will be working with the state of Connecticut and local health officials to ensure proper protocols are in place for a safe fan experience this summer.

The Norwich Sea Unicorns are located at Dodd Stadium in Norwich. The front office and box office are open daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday and can be accessed in person or by calling 860-887-7962.

—Staff Reports

Sound Tigers Stop Wolf Pack and P-Bruins

BRIDGEPORT—The Bridgeport Sound Tigers, American Hockey League affiliate of the New York Islanders, defeated both of their Atlantic Division rivals this past week, scoring four goals in each victory and earning back-to-back wins for the first time this season.

The Sound Tigers (5-13-1-0) outscored the Hartford Wolf Pack (10-7-1-0) and Providence Bruins (14-5-1-0) by a combined 8-1 margin in their last two games, which began with a road contest at the XL Center on Saturday.

Ken Appleby (2-2-0) stopped all 22 shots he faced in a 4-0 win that afternoon, posting his 13th professional shutout and the first clean sheet for a Bridgeport netminder in 2020-21. Arnaud Durandeau (one goal, one assist) and Otto Koivula (two assists) each had a multi-point effort, while Dmytro Timashov, Robert Carpenter and Cole Bardreau also found the back of the net in the Sound Tigers’ biggest victory of the season. It ended Hartford’s seven-game winning streak.

Durandeau, Timashov and rookie defenseman Samuel Bolduc played a key role in another win on Tuesday, each recording a multi-point performance in a 4-1 victory against the Bruins at Webster Bank Arena. Bolduc scored twice including the game-winning goal at 3:49 of the first period, while Timashov (one goal, one assist) and Durandeau (two assists) stayed hot and Jakub Skarek (2-8-0) made 23 saves. Jeff Kubiak kicked off the scoring just 78 seconds into the contest with his first goal of the season in his 200th professional game.

The Sound Tigers remain third in the Atlantic Division, 10 points behind the second-place Wolf Pack, with five games remaining in the abbreviated season. Bridgeport fell to Hartford at home last Thursday, 4-2, despite Blade Jenkins’ first professional goal on a rebound from the right circle. Bardreau also scored and Appleby made 21 saves.

The Sound Tigers return to the road this Saturday for a 1 p.m. rematch against the Wolf Pack at the XL Center. Fans can follow all of the live action via AHLTV or the Sound Tigers Radio Network, beginning with the pregame show at 12:45 p.m.

The Week Ahead

Saturday, Apr. 24 at Hartford Wolf Pack (1 p.m.): The Sound Tigers make their fifth of six trips to the XL Center this season, where they are 1-3-0-0 so far. Bridgeport is 3-6-0-0 against Hartford overall and is led offensively by Samuel Bolduc’s eight points (four goals, four assists) in nine meetings. .

Tiger Bites

Milestone Men: Jeff Kubiak and Seth Helgeson each celebrated a professional milestone on Tuesday. Helgeson, the Sound Tigers’ captain, played his 500th pro game and his 450th in the AHL, split between Bridgeport and the Albany Devils. The 30-year-old defenseman has also played 50 NHL games with the New Jersey Devils (2014-17). Helgeson has three points (one goal, two assists) and a team-leading 34 penalty minutes in 19 games with Bridgeport this season. In addition, Kubiak scored a goal in his 200th pro game on Tuesday. He has played 138 AHL games with the Sound Tigers and 62 ECHL contests with the team's ECHL affiliate, the Worcester Railers. Kubiak has one goal and six assists in 18 games this year.

Bolduc Bolsters Bridgeport: Samuel Bolduc continues to turn heads in his first professional season. The 20-year-old rookie recorded his first career multi-goal game on Tuesday with a pair of tallies against Providence, including his first game-winner in the opening four minutes of the contest. In addition, Bolduc’s career-best plus-3 rating on Tuesday was the best rating for any Sound Tigers’ player this season (fellow defenseman Grant Hutton also had a plus-3 rating on Tuesday). Bolduc leads the Sound Tigers in points (12) and shots (43) and is tied for the team lead in assists (six) and games played (19). He is one of six players to appear in every game for Bridgeport this season.

Picking Up the Pace: Arnaud Durandeau had just one assist in his first six games of the season, but the 22-year-old winger posted his second straight two-point effort on Tuesday and now has multiple points in three of his last four outings. Durandeau leads the Sound Tigers in points-per-game (0.70) and has six points (two goals, four assists) in his last four. He’s tied for fifth on the team in scoring (seven points in 10 games) and has 15 points (eight goals, seven assists) in 31 AHL contests with Bridgeport over the last two seasons.

High Five: Kyle MacLean is on a career-best five-game point streak (one goal, four assists), which is the longest for any Bridgeport player this season. He also has one assist in each of his last four games, the longest assist streak for the team this year. MacLean is tied for fifth on the club in points (seven) and tied for sixth in assists (five) through 17 appearances. Both of his two professional goals have come against Providence.

Quick Hits: Jakub Skarek didn’t allow a goal until 17:11 of the second period on Tuesday, ending Bridgeport’s shutout streak at 97:42, dating back to the third period on Apr. 15th… It’s the longest shutout streak for the Sound Tigers this season… Dmytro Timashov has scored in back-to-back games and has four points (two goals, two assists) in his last four outings… Timashov, Arnaud Durandeau, Cole Bardreau and Otto Koivula are tied for the team lead with three multi-point performances… All five of the Sound Tigers’ wins this season have come when they don’t allow a power-play goal.

Team Leaders

Goals: Cole Bardreau (8)

Assists: Five Tied (6)

Points: Samuel Bolduc (12)

Plus/Minus: Tom Kuhnhackl (+4)

Penalty Minutes: Seth Helgeson (34)

Shots: Samuel Bolduc (43)

Games Played: Six Tied (19)

—Staff reports

Sun Tab Rizzotti as Prez

By Bob Phillips

UNCASVILLE—Jen Rizzotti is coming home. Not that she really ever left, but today the Mohegan Sun announced that the former UConn star has been named president of the WNBA’s Connecticut Sun.

A Connecticut native, Rizzotti starred at New Fairfield High before joining Geno Auriemma and the Huskies where she first burst onto the national scene. While playing with the Huskies from 1992-1996, she became an important member of the 1995 team that finished with a spotless 35-0 record and the first national championship in the history of the storied program that now has 11.

Rizzotti currently ranks No. 24 on the all-time UConn women’s basketball career scoring list with 1,540 points, and is the third-leading player in Husky history in career assists with 637 and steals with 349. As a senior, the 5-6 sparkplug earned several national accolades, including the Associated Press Women’s College Basketball Player of the Year Award, and the Frances Pomeroy Naismith Award, awarded annually to shorter-than-average players who have excelled on the court.

She went on to have a solid eight-year professional career that started with the New England Blizzard of the defunct ABL, and included two WNBA championships while playing for the Houston Comets (1999, 2000). After finishing her playing career, Rizzotti headed back home to Connecticut where she became head coach at the University of Hartford for 17 seasons. While with the Hawks, she was named the American East Coach of the Year three times (2006, 2007, 2010). Most recently, she served as head coach for George Washington University from 2016-17 through this past season. Rizzotti, who currently serves as an assistant coach for both the USA Women’s Olympic Team and the USA AmeriCup Team. In 2011, she was named USA Basketball Coach of the Year.

"I am so honored to rejoin the WNBA family in this leadership position with the Connecticut Sun," said Rizzotti. "This league employs the very best women’s basketball players in the world. But more importantly, the WNBA is an inclusive and diverse community of women that inspire, lead, and in their own words, 'provide a voice for the voiceless.' I am proud to have won two championships as a player in the WNBA and will work tirelessly to help bring a championship to the Sun franchise.

"I’d be remiss if I didn’t recognize the contributions that Amber Cox made to this franchise over the past five years," Rizzotti continued. "She and [head coach and general manager] Curt Miller, have made the Connecticut Sun one of the most successful teams in the WNBA. I look forward to using this foundation and the overall culture of the Mohegan Tribe and Mohegan Sun to attract players, fans, and sponsors to be a part of our bright future."

If she were to do so, it would be the first championship in the franchise’s 22-year history. (The franchise began as the Orlando Miracle before being acquired by the Mohegan Tribe and moving to Connecticut in 2003.)

The Connecticut Sun recently announced their schedule for the upcoming 2021 season, which starts on the road against the Atlanta Dream on Friday, May 14. Led by DeWanna Bonner, Jonquel Jones and Jasmine Thomas, the Sun will play their first home game of the season on Sunday, May 16, which will mark their first return to Mohegan Sun Arena since Game 4 of the WNBA finals on Octo. 8, 2019. The WNBA played the entire 2020 season in a bubble (nicknamed “the Wubble”) in Florida.

—Staff Reports