Sun Announce Theme Nights

UNCASVILLE— The Connecticut Sun have announced their theme nights for the 2019 season. After opening the season at home on May 25 against the Washington Mystics (7:30 p.m.tip), the Sun will celebrate inspiring women throughout the local community on June 16 with the Burn It Down game against the Seattle Storm at 3:30 p.m

The game, which will air nationally on ABC, will honor those burning down the stereotypes of yesterday, including female elected officials from all aspects of Connecticut government. Those elected officials will be highlighted throughout the game, which will also feature all-female entertainment throughout the game from the national anthem to the halftime show and more.

July 6 will be a celebration of first responders and military personnel on Hometown Heroes Day when the Sun take on the Minnesota Lynx at 2 p.m. on ESPN2. One week later the team will celebrate the LGBTQ+ community on Pride Night against the Phoenix Mercury at 8 p.m. on July 12. The fun and inclusion doesn’t stop when the game ends, as the team will host a post-game pride panel featuring entertainment stars, local celebrities and players sharing their stories.

In August, the Sun will honor both survivors and those who lost their battle with breast cancer during Rock the Pink weekend. The team will wear specialty uniforms and raise awareness for breast health awareness for both games that weekend, on Aug, 16 at 7:30 p.m. against the Storm and on Aug. 18 vs, the Dallas Wings at 3 p.m.

On Aug. 23 as the Sun take on the Las Vegas Aces at 7:30 p.m. That evening, the franchise will honor Lindsay Whalen, who started her WNBA career with the Sun. Former players and other special guests will take part in this special evening as her number is raised to the rafters in Mohegan Sun Arena.

The Sun will close out the regular season at home on Sept. 6 by celebrating the best fans in the WNBA on Fan Appreciation Night when they host the Chicago Sky at 7:30 p.m. Visit ConnecticutSun.com or call 1-877-SUN-TIXX for more information or to purchase tickets

—Staff Reports

#ctsun #wnba

Bears Stop Sound Tigers, Take 2-1 Series Lead

Hershey left wing Liam O'Brien (20) shows off his athleticism with some
nifty work in the air. O'Brien scored his eighth playoff goal in the Bears'
2-1 victory over the Sound Tigers. Hershey leads the best-of-five game
series two games to one.

HERSHEY, PA—Josh Ho-Sang scored his first career playoff goal on a first-period breakaway

Tuesday night, but that was all the offense the Sound Tigers could muster as the Hershey Bears came away with a 2-1 victory before 7,152 fans at Giant Center in Game 3 of the American Hockey League Atlantic Division semifinals.

Bridgeport netminder Christopher Gibson (1-1) kept the Sound Tigers close, turning aside 32 of the 34 shots taken at him, including 17 stops in the opening frame. Hershey goalie Ilya Samsonov (1-1) had an even better night, however, stopping 26 of the 27 shots he faced. Liam O’Brien and Ryan Sproul had the goals for Hershey.

The Bears scored first for the third time in as many games, courtesy of O’Brien’s eighth career playoff goal. Samsonov made a save in his own crease and propelled the puck to O’Brien, who raced through center and converted a give-and-go with Riley Barber over Bridgeport’s blue line. Barber received a pass and returned it to O’Brien on the left wing, where he carved in and beat Gibson with a backhand shot at 11:22 of the first period.

Nearly six minutes later, Ho-Sang used his speed to tie the game at 1-1, darting straight at Samsonov after gathering a loose puck. Oliver Wahlstrom chipped a lead pass out of his own end and Ho-Sang sped onto the sliding puck, before banking a forehand shot off of Samsonov’s blocker at 17:38.

Bridgeport out-shot Hershey 13-8 in the second frame, but neither team lit the lamp in Tuesday’s nail biter. The Sound Tigers also outshot the Bears 10-8 in the third, but Sproul scored the eventual game-winner at the 2:50 mark when he directed home a long shot from the blue line that Gibson never saw. Garrett Pilon guided a pass to the point where Sproul ripped the opportunity inside the right post from distance to make it 2-1.

Bridgeport Right Wing Oliver Wahlstrom tries to slide one under Hershey
goalie Ilya Samsonov to no avail.

The Sound Tigers finished the game 0-for-3 on the power play and 4-for-4 on the penalty kill, while Hershey outshot Bridgeport 34-27.  

The Sound Tigers now must try to stave off elimination when they face the Bears on Thursday for Game 4 of the Atlantic Division Semifinals. First puck drops at 7 p.m. at Giant Center, and fans can follow all of the live action via the Sound Tigers Radio Network and AHLTV, beginning with the pregame show at 6:45 p.m.

Should Bridgeport prevail on Thursday, the series will return to Bridgeport on Saturday for Game 5. Face-off at the Webster Bank Arena will be at 7 p.m. For ticket information, visit the Webster Bank Arena box office, call 203-345-2300, or click HERE.

THE SKINNY

—Staff Reports

#soundtigers #hersheybears #ahl #caldercup

Northeast Football Showcase Scheduled

CHESHIRE—The Connecticut Sports Management Group, Inc. is proud to announce the 10th Annual Northeast Football Showcase Presented by the CT Army National Guard, which will be held Saturday, April 27 at Cheshire High School. The Northeast Football Showcase provides high school, prep school, and junior college football players with the opportunity to showcase their athletic abilities to Division II, Division III, and NAIA college coaches throughout the Northeast. For the 8th consecutive year, Mike Ciotti will be the Showcase Director. Coach Ciotti , who played at Yale, brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to this event.

Players from all across the Northeast will attend the Football Showcase to demonstrate their skills to college coaches while being professionally filmed. This is a top-level opportunity for players to advance their athletic and academic careers. The showcase will begin at 2 p.m. and end at 7 p.m. The showcase will consist of individual skills, including the 40-yard dash, bench press, vertical jump, standing jump and pro-agility shuttle. Participants will then take part in offensive and defensive drills by position, followed by 1-on-1 drills, along with 7 vs. 7 and 4 vs. 5 drills. This event will include both parents and student athletes gaining insight about their prospective future through a lecture on NCAA eligibility and the recruiting process.

 

The position coaches attending the 2019 Northeast Football Showcase are as follows:

• Don Drust Jr., head coach, Cheshire High School
• John Ferrazzi, head coach, Sheehan High School
• Patrick Miller, assistant coach, Sheehan High School
• Bernie Armstrong, head coach, Southwest Grizzlies
• Duane Maranda, head coach, Westerly High School
• David Jurewicz, head coach, Crosby High School 
• Mike Drury, head coach, Southington High School 
• Dave Masters, head coach, Simsbury High School
• Jay Pace, head coach, Newington High School
• Tanner Kern, assistant coach, Xavier High School

For more information and to register online, please visit www.nutmegstategames.org Registration deadline is this Friday, April 19, and space is limited to the first 175 student-athletes.

About Nutmeg State Games.

The Nutmeg State Games is a not-for-profit organization governed by the National Congress of State Games and recognized by the U.S. Olympic Committee as the Official State Games of Connecticut. The Nutmeg State Games, through the venue of competitive sports, seeks to contribute positively to the physical, mental and emotional growth of athletes. We believe that participation in athletics provides opportunities to develop the qualities of leadership, hard work, self-confidence and mental and physical toughness. Competitive athletics lay the foundation for positive life-long habits that contribute to a healthy life style and teaches team work, sportsmanship, and respect for others.
#NutmegStateGames

—Staff Reports

Sound Tigers Win One, Drop One

Kieffer Bellows netted two goals including the game-winner in the second
OT to lead the Sound Tigers to a 3-2 victory in Game 1.

BRIDGEPORT—When the 4,381 fans in attendance, most of them Sound Tigers supporters, passed through the Webster Bank Arena turnstiles on Friday night for Game 1 of the 2019 Atlantic Division semifinal series, a good game could be expected. Evenly matched? Indeed, the Sound Tigers, with the No. 5 point total in the AHL, finished just one point ahead of the Bears, 95-94.

By the end of the weekend, that fact was eminently apparent.

Friday night was Kieffer Bellows’ time to shine. Indeed, the 20-year-old son of former NHL star Brian Bellows—the No. 2 overall pick by the Minnesota North Stars in the 1982 Draft—netted his second goal of the contest nearly 14 minutes into the second overtime of his professional playoff debut to give Bridgeport a 3-2 win in Game 1. The game, destined to be a classic in Sound Tigers’ history, took exactly four hours to play.
The 20-year-old rookie’s multi-goal performance came in his professional playoff debut and guided Bridgeport to its first win in a postseason contest since 2010. Steve Bernier also beat Hershey’s Ilya Samsonov with the game-tying goal in the final three minutes of regulation in front of 4,381 electric fans.

Chris McCarthy and Jayson Megna each scored for the Bears, while Christopher Gibson made 29 saves on 31 shots. All three Sound Tigers’ goals came on the power play.

Bridgeport controlled the majority of the opening period and outshot the Bears 15-5, but both goaltenders were strong in the first 20 minutes. McCarthy broke the scoreless deadlock with the first tally of the series at 8:16 of the second. At even strength, Steve Whitney found McCarthy in the left circle and the latter ripped a shot past Gibson’s glove to make it 1-0. The tally was initially waved off and the officials huddled, and debated, if goalie interference was a factor, but the marker ultimately stood.

Less than five minutes later, Megna doubled Hershey’s lead with a shorthanded goal at 13:02. With Mike Sgarbossa in the box on a high-sticking double minor, Oliver Wahlstrom failed to hold the puck in the offensive zone when it jumped his blade and slid through center. Megna turned on the jets and beat Sebastian Aho in a race to the puck before depositing a forehand shot past Gibson’s glove to make it 2-0.

The Sound Tigers got one back at the 14:21 mark when Bellows potted his first goal of the night from the doorstep. On that same Sgarbossa penalty, Koivula settled Matt Lorito’s pass and muscled his way near the right post where he backhanded a centering feed to the crease. Bellows moved in and scored his first playoff goal to make it 2-1.

The contest remained in Hershey’s favor until the final three minutes of regulation, despite several golden chances for the Sound Tigers. In addition, the Bears had a handful of opportunities, including a 2-on-1 rush midway through the third that turned into a frightening situation. Former Sound Tigers captain Aaron Ness darted to the crease at full speed and was bumped from behind, which sent him crashing head-first into the end wall. He was removed from the ice with a stretcher and taken to an area hospital for further evaluation.

Bernier evened the score with a clutch, 5-on-3 power-play goal at the 17:52 mark when he jammed home a rebound in the crease following Sebastian Aho’s shot. Lorito also earned an assist, his second helper of the night.

The Sound Tigers outshot Hershey 11-5 in the first overtime and 6-3 in the second extra frame, until Bellows played hero with the thrilling winner. Sgarbossa was accessed a tripping penalty at 13:00 of the second overtime and on the ensuing advantage, Wahlstrom slipped a pass to Bellows above the left hash marks, where he turned and wristed home the deciding goal through Bernier’s screen. It was assisted by Wahlstrom and Chris Bourque at 13:36.

Bridgeport finished the game 3-for-8 on the power play and 3-for-3 on the penalty kill. The Sound Tigers outshot Hershey 52-31, while Samsonov made 49 saves in the Bears’ crease.

THE SKINNY: GAME 1

Bears Rebound
Saturday night was a completely different story. While the Sound Tigers were able to manage 39 shots on goal, none were able to elude Hershey goaltender Vitek Vanecek was lights out en route to his first career shutout in the Calder Cup Playoffs. Bridgeport netminder Jeremy Smith also was also solid between the pipes—just not as solid as Vanecek. Smith turned aside 32 of the 33 shots taken at him by the Bears. The end result was a 2-0 Hershey victory before 5,022 fans at the Webster Bank Arena.

The Bears gained control of the contest when Mike Sgarbossa redirected home his first goal of the postseason at 11:15 of the opening frame. Lucas Johansen snapped a wrister on net, and Sgarbossa got a piece of it, deflecting the puck in stake the Bears to a 1-0 advantage.

Riley Barber put Hershey up 2-0 3:53 into the second stanza. Sgarbossa and Barber entered the zone on an odd-man rush, with Barber finishing with a slick forehand-to-backhand move. It was the first goal of the playoffs for Barber, who found the back of the net a career-high 31 times for the Bears during the regular season.

While the Sound Tigers made a serious third-period charge, throwing 18 shots on net, Vanecek proved to be up to the task.

The Sound Tigers finished the night 0-for-5 on the power play, and outshot the Bears 39-34. Bridgeport was also 3-for-3 on the penalty kill, and is a perfect 8-for-8 on the PK after the first two games of the series.

THE SKINNY: GAME 2

While the 1-1 split in the series thus far gives the Bears the home-ice advantage for the remaining five games of the seven-game series (if necessary), home ice hasn’t exactly been all that thus far in the playoffs when you consider that both Atlantic Division series, both Pacific Division series and one Central Division series are split 1-1 after two games. The only division in which home ice has held is the North Division. It does, however, mean that the Sound Tigers must steal one game in Hershey or face a quick exit from the postseason.

The Sound Tigers now head to Pennsylvania where they will challenge the Bears on Tuesday night in Game 3 of the Atlantic Division Semifinals at Giant Center. First puck drops at 7 p.m. and fans can follow all of the live action via the Sound Tigers Radio Network and AHLTV beginning with the pregame show at 6:45 p.m. Game 4 will also be in Hershey on Thursday at 7 p.m. before the two teams return to Bridgeport on Saturday for Game 5. Face-off will be at 7 p.m. For tickets, visit the Webster Bank Arena box office, call 203-345-2300, or click HERE.

—Staff Reports

Stewie Undergoes Knife

UConn legend and WNBA superstar Breanna Stewart
of the Seattle Storm has undergone surgery to repar
a ruptured Achilles tendon suffered while playing
oversees and will miss the entire 2019 WNBA season.
(photo by Bill Harper)

By Bob Phillips

SEATTLE—UConn legend and reigning WNBA MVP Breanna Stewart has undergone surgery to repair her ruptured right Achilles tendon. The Seattle Storm reported Stewart had surgery Thursday morning (April 18) in Los Angeles. While Stewie will miss the entire 2019 WNBA season, she is expected to be fully recovered for the start of the 2020 campaign.

Stewart suffered the injury while playing for her EuroLeague club, Dynamo Kursk of Russia, on Sunday in the EuroLeague Women’s Championship Game in Hungary. She appeared to land awkwardly on the foot of fellow WNBA star Brittney Griner after attempting a jumper late in the first half against UMMC Ekaterinburg. The 24-year-old superstar from Syracuse, NY, immediately grabbed her lower right leg in obvious pain. She was attended to by trainers on the court before being helped to the locker room.

Stewart won four national titles at UConn and was the No. 1 overall pick in the 2016 WNBA draft by the Storm where she joined another UConn legend, Sue Bird. Last season Stewie was named MVP for both the regular season and the playoffs while leading the Storm to the franchise's third WNBA.

As do most WNBA players, Stewart has played overseas in the offseason since joining the league. 

Stewie expects to be fully recovered by the 2020 season.

Indeed, it has been suggested that the year-round nature of women’s professional basketball—the vast majority of WNBA players also play overseas because the compensation of WNBA players is so meager by comparison to what they receive from playing aborad—will be a factor in the upcoming Collective Bargaining Agreement negotiations. A new agreement must be intact by the start of the 2020 season. And when you consider that another former UConn superstar and WNBA MVP, Maya Moore of the Minnesota Lynx, is taking a one-year sabbatical in 2019 to focus on her family and “some ministry dreams,” well, there’s a whole lot for the Players’ Association and the WNBA to talk about.

Meanwhile the Storm, whose roster still sports Bird, will visit Nutmeg State twice this season. The first time Seattle plays the Connecticut Sun at the Mohegan Sun Arena will be Sunday, June 16. Tip-off is at 3:30 p.m. (ET). Seattle will make a second visit to Connecticut on Friday, Aug. 16, with a 7:30 (ET) tip-off. The Sun will ten travel to Seattle to face the Storm on Wed., Aug. 21, at 10 p.m. (ET).

—Colleen White contributed to this report