Philadelphia, PA – The offensive struggles for the Sound Tigers continued today as the Philadelphia Phantoms used David Laliberte’s third period goal to beat the Sound Tigers 2-1. Jamie Fraser scored his fourth goal of the season for the Sound Tigers while Nathan Lawson made 27 saves in a losing effort. Scott Munroe held his team in the game long enough for Laliberte’s tally in the third, stopping 35 shots to earn the win. The Sound Tigers drop to 28-17-3-2 and remain with 61 points in the East Division but drop back into fourth place in the division after the Binghamton Senators defeated the Springfield Falcons today to pass over the Sound Tigers into third.
Neither team was able to snap the game’s 0-0 tie in the first period. Lawson, back in net for the Sound Tigers after having the night off yesterday in Norfolk, had 10 saves in the opening period.
Early in the second period, Philadelphia had an offensive zone face-off and Jonathan Matsumoto won the draw over to his winger, Patrick Maroon. Facing pressure from an oncoming defenseman, Maroon dished the puck back to Syvret, stationed at the middle point. Syvret waited for a screen and snapped a shot through Lawson for his seventh goal of the season to give the Phantoms the 1-0 lead. As the period continued, the Sound Tigers slowly began to take the momentum back in their favor. With about three minutes to play in the frame, Pascal Morency gave his bench a boost when he challenged a much bigger Sean Curry, who has about seven inches and 30 pounds on the Sound Tigers’ right-winger. Morency landed a quick blow to Curry’s face and eventually knocked the Phantom defenseman to the ice. The Sound Tigers would take the lift from Morency and tie the score three minutes later. Ben Walter sent a pass from the left corner back to Dustin Kohn at the point. Kohn spun and fed a pass to Fraser as he was skating towards his defense partner. Fraser took his time, creeping in from the point, and ripped a shot from the high slot over Munroe’s glove for his fourth goal of the season, tying the score at 1-1.
Laliberte would score the game-winner 16:38 into the third period. Nate Guenin blasted a slap-shot from the right point that went wide but the puck caromed off the end wall and back out in front to Laliberte at the far post snapping his 14th goal of the season past Lawson. Matsumoto picked up his second assist on the game-winning goal to give Philadelphia the 2-1 win.
Lawson suffered the loss, his seventh of the season while making 27 saves on 29 shots. His counter-part, Munroe stopped 35 of the 36 shots he faced to earn the win. The Sound Tigers were 0-for-2 on the power-play and 1-for-1 on the penalty-kill.
After a long travel weekend, the Sound Tigers will return home tonight and prepare for their contest Wednesday night against the San Antonio Rampage. Face-off is scheduled for 7 p.m. For more information or details on how you can receive a discounted price on group tickets, contact the Sound Tigers’ front office at (203) 334-GOAL or e-mail [email protected].