Sound Tigers roar to a 2-1 win over the Pirates

Brian Day scored his second career American Hockey League goal in four games, both against Portland, and Mikko Koskinen made 33 saves to lead the Bridgeport Sound Tigers to a 2-1 victory over the Portland Pirates in an American Hockey League game played tonight in front of 2,572 at the Cumberland County Civic Center.
          
David Ullstrom tallied the other Bridgeport goal as the Sound Tigers won their second straight against Portland and their record improved to 26-37-4-7 overall.
          
Byron netted the lone Portland goal as the Pirates will have to wait another game to attempt to clinch home-ice advantage for the first round of the playoffs. Portland’s record dropped to 44-21-6-2 on the season and they remain three points ahead of the second-place Manchester Monarchs in the Atlantic Division.
          
Byron got the hosts out on top early with a breakaway goal only 3:32 into the first period, and they would keep the lead into the third period. Bridgeport tied the game on a goal by Day at the 9:14 mark, and Ullstrom would give the Sound Tigers the lead only 1:23 later to give Koskinen all he would need to preserve the victory. Day’s goal ended Portland goaltender David Leggio’s shutout streak at 122:45 over a span of three games.
          
The Pirates outshot the Sound Tigers 34-21. Koskinen earned the victory for Bridgeport, raising his record to 9-20-1, and Leggio received the loss in net for Portland as his overall record dropped to 22-8-0.
          
The Allied Home Mortgage Three Stars of the game were: 1. Koskinen, 2. Byron and 3. Ullstrom.

          
Portland will hit the road for three games beginning on Saturday, April 2nd at 7 p.m. when they take on the Manchester Monarchs. The next night (Sunday, April 3), Portland will be in Hartford, CT playing the Connecticut Whale in a 3 p.m. faceoff. Portland’s three-game road trip will conclude in Worcester on Tuesday (April 5) for a 7 p.m. game. All Pirates road games can be heard live on News Talk 95.5 WLOB and on-line at portlandpirates.com beginning with the pre-game show at 6:45 p.m. in Manchester and Worcester, and 2:45 p.m. in Hartford.    
          
The Pirates will be back in action at the Civic Center on Wednesday, April 6 when the archrival Manchester Monarchs come to town. The first ever Autism Awareness Night presented by the Portland Press Herald will be hosted, and the Pirates will be wearing commemorative jerseys accented with bright puzzle pieces, the international symbol of autism. Funds will be raised for the Autism Society of Maine through advance ticket sales and corporate sponsorships. For tickets or sponsorship opportunities, contact Ben Nickerson at 207-828-4665 x 317 or bnickerson@portlandpirates.com.  
            
Tickets for the game, as well as each of the remaining Pirates home games, are on sale now by calling 207-775-3458, visiting the Cumberland County Civic Center Box Office or on-line at ticketmaster.com.