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Third Period Outburst Helps Bridgeport Islanders Top Hershey Bears

Third Period Outburst Helps Bridgeport Islanders Top Hershey Bears
Joey McAuliffe Bridgeport Islanders

The Bridgeport Islanders honored Chris Terry’s 1,000th professional game in style, delivering a dominant 6-1 victory over the Hershey Bears on Friday night. The win marked their third of the season and was much-needed after recent struggles.

The game began at a slow pace, with both teams spending the first 10 minutes finding their rhythm. However, the Islanders took control just past the seven-minute mark, thanks to an unlikely scoring trio. William Dufour’s aggressive forecheck forced a turnover, and Cam Thiesing quickly set up Tyce Thompson in front of the net. Thompson, the brother of NHL star Tage Thompson, buried the puck to give Bridgeport a 1-0 lead.

Hershey’s lack of discipline soon opened the door for Bridgeport to extend its lead. When Matt Strome received a boarding penalty for hitting Calle Odelius, the Islanders capitalized on their first power play. Wyatt Newpower unleashed a point shot that Fredrik Karlstrom expertly deflected past Bears goaltender Clay Stevenson, making it 2-0.

Building on their momentum, the Islanders continued to dominate the opening period. They fired a season-high 18 shots on goal, keeping Stevenson under constant pressure. Despite strong efforts from players like Terry, Thiesing, and Dufour, the score remained 2-0 heading into the first intermission.

Hershey responded with intensity in the second period, quickly closing the shot gap and challenging Islanders netminder Jakub Skarek. About midway through the frame, a costly turnover by Christian Krygier at the blue line sent Ethen Frank on a breakaway. Frank capitalized, firing a high shot that beat Skarek blocker-side and cut Bridgeport’s lead to 2-1.

Instead of crumbling under pressure, the Islanders held firm. Skarek made several key saves to maintain the lead, and the team showed resilience as they entered the third period still ahead 2-1.

Bridgeport came out strong in the final frame, killing off a penalty before quickly regaining momentum. Karlstrom struck again, ripping a high-glove shot off a faceoff to restore the two-goal lead with 18 minutes remaining. Less than a minute later, Marc Gatcomb extended the advantage to 4-1. Gatcomb capitalized on a breakaway created by Odelius and buried the puck under Stevenson’s pad. The goal marked Gatcomb’s fourth in four games and was notable for giving Odelius and Justin Gill their first AHL points.

The Islanders didn’t stop there. Sam Bolduc added another power-play goal with five minutes left, firing a point shot that found the back of the net. Shortly after, Matt Maggio capped the scoring with a slick finish off a Terry feed, securing the decisive 6-1 victory.

All three stars of the game went to Islanders. Karlstrom earned first-star honors for his two-goal performance, while Terry received the second star for his two assists in his milestone game. Thompson rounded out the trio with a goal and an assist.

This victory showcased a complete team effort. Every line contributed, special teams excelled and Skarek delivered a standout performance in the net. Despite ongoing concerns about discipline and allowing multiple shorthanded breakaways, the Islanders showed their potential in this game.

They will now aim for their first back-to-back wins of the season on Saturday, Nov. 16, when they face the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins on the road. The puck drops at 6:05 p.m., and fans can catch the action on FloHockey.tv.

Featured image courtesy of the Hershey Bears

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