web1_gar_nan4_faa.jpg

GAR routs Nanticoke to take over first place

King’s College men’s basketball team surges to victory over Manhattanville

<p>WILKES-BARRE TWP. &#8212; The Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins had a strong second period and an even better third during Saturday&#8217;s game against the Bridgeport Sound Tigers.</p><p>Unfortunately, two good periods weren&#8217;t enough to compensate for a poor opening frame.</p><p>The Penguins gave up three first-period goals to the Sound Tigers and were never able to climb out of the hole, falling 3-2. The Penguins have now lost four out of their last six games and hold a slim lead over the Hershey Bears for first place in the Atlantic Division.</p><p>Saturday&#8217;s lineup featured six players who have played less than 10 games for the Penguins this season, including four who were recently recalled from Wheeling. Trying to create chemistry among all the new faces was one thing, but trying to do it during a first period in which the Penguins spent extensive time on the penalty kill made the task more difficult.</p><p>&#8220;We had to kill a lot of penalties and couldn&#8217;t get into a rhythm,&#8221; head coach Clark Donatelli said. &#8220;Having to use the same players over and over, that was a tough first period.&#8221;</p><p>The Sound Tigers took advantage of the disarray, scoring once on the power play and twice at even strength. Bridgeport&#8217;s first goal - a wrist shot from Jared Gomes who was left wide open on the left side, was evident of a Penguins lineup struggling to come together.</p><p>The second period was a bit better as the Penguins managed a late goal - a Carter Rowney wrist shot from the slot, and headed to the locker room with a boost of confidence.</p><p>&#8220;As the game went on we started playing our system and getting to them,&#8221; Donatelli said. &#8220;We started to get some jam.&#8221;</p><p>Rowney kept the momentum going in the third period as the Penguins generated offensive pressure from the start. Just under seven minutes into the period, Rowney picked up a loose puck in the high slot, skated down to the side while drawing a pair of Bridgeport players in front of goaltender Christopher Gibson and snuck a shot into the net from the bad angle.</p><p>The goal cut Bridgeport&#8217;s lead to 3-2, and the Penguins received a golden opportunity to even things up when they went on the power play with 1:45 left, but they couldn&#8217;t capitalize.</p><p>Rowney said the downfall, however, was the first period.</p><p>&#8220;That&#8217;s not what this team is about. We can&#8217;t come out flat,&#8221; he said. &#8220;Going down three goals - that&#8217;s a big hill to climb.&#8221;</p><p>NOTES</p><p>- G Brian Foster, D Harrison Ruopp, D Clark Seymour, C Matia Marcantuoni (injury), F Tyler Biggs (injury), F Sahir Gill (injury), F Dominik Uher (injury), D Barry Goers (injury) and F Dominik Simon (injury) were scratched for the Penguins.</p><style>
.neFileBlock {
	margin-bottom: 20px;
}
.neFileBlock p {
	margin: 0px 0px 0px 0px;
}
.neFileBlock .neFile {
	border-bottom: 1px dotted #aaa;
	padding-bottom: 5px;
	padding-top: 10px;
}
.neFileBlock .neCaption {
	font-size: 85%;
}
</style>
<div class='neFileBlock'>
<div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/web1_TTL020716Penguins_1.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins left wing Anton Zlobin, center, shoots the puck against Bridgeport as teammate Carter Rowney, left, skates behind the net at Mohegan Sun Arena in Wilkes-Barre Township on Saturday night. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo0>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/web1_TTL020716Penguins_1.jpg</photo0><caption0>Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins left wing Anton Zlobin, center, shoots the puck against Bridgeport as teammate Carter Rowney, left, skates behind the net at Mohegan Sun Arena in Wilkes-Barre Township on Saturday night. </caption0><photoCredit0>Bill Tarutis | For Times Leader </photoCredit0></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/web1_TTL020716Penguins_2.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins right wing John McCarron, right, digs the puck from the dasher as teammate Jarrett Burton moves in against Bridgeport at Mohegan Sun Arena in Wilkes-Barre Township on Saturday night. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo1>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/web1_TTL020716Penguins_2.jpg</photo1><caption1>Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins right wing John McCarron, right, digs the puck from the dasher as teammate Jarrett Burton moves in against Bridgeport at Mohegan Sun Arena in Wilkes-Barre Township on Saturday night. </caption1><photoCredit1>Bill Tarutis | For Times Leader </photoCredit1></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/web1_TTL020716Penguins_3.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins right wing Tom Kostopoulos, left, shoots the puck on pink ice as Bridgeport&#8217;s Kevin Czuczman defends at Mohegan Sun Arena in Wilkes-Barre Township on Saturday night. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo2>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/web1_TTL020716Penguins_3.jpg</photo2><caption2>Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins right wing Tom Kostopoulos, left, shoots the puck on pink ice as Bridgeport&#8217;s Kevin Czuczman defends at Mohegan Sun Arena in Wilkes-Barre Township on Saturday night. </caption2><photoCredit2>Bill Tarutis | For Times Leader </photoCredit2></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/web1_TTL020716Penguins_4.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins right wing Carter Rowney, center, pushes the puck ahead of Bridgeport&#8217;s Bracken Kearns at Mohegan Sun Arena in Wilkes-Barre Township on Saturday night. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo3>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/web1_TTL020716Penguins_4.jpg</photo3><caption3>Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins right wing Carter Rowney, center, pushes the puck ahead of Bridgeport&#8217;s Bracken Kearns at Mohegan Sun Arena in Wilkes-Barre Township on Saturday night. </caption3><photoCredit3>Bill Tarutis | For Times Leader </photoCredit3></div></div>
<div class="metaInfo"><bylineMeta><p>By Tom Venesky</p><p>tvenesky@www.timesleader.com</p></bylineMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><factboxMeta><p><strong>Bridgeport 3, <strong>Penguins 2</strong></p><p><strong>Bridgeport`3`o`0`&#8212;`3</strong></p><p><strong>Penguins`0`1`1`&#8212;`2</strong></p><p><strong>First Period</strong></p><p><strong>Scoring</strong> &#8211; 1. BPT, Jared Gomes 7 (Florek, Holmstrom) 7:28. 2. BPT, Alan Quine 9 (Pulock, Kearns) power play 15:45. 3. BPT, Justin Vaive 10 (Holmstrom, Lafranchise) 17:45. Penalties - WBS, Mouillierat (hooking) 4:52; WBS, Burton (hooking) 11:24; WBS, Parent (hooking) 15:36.</p><p><strong>Second Period</strong></p><p><strong>Scoring</strong> &#8211; 4. WBS, Carter Rowney 9 (O&#8217;Neill, Oleksy) 18:45. Penalties - BPT, Vaive (holding) 6:10; BPT, Beck (roughing) 11:41; WBS, Oleksy (holding, roughing) 11:41; WBS, Mouillierat (goaltender interference) 15:02.</p><p><strong>Third Period</strong></p><p><strong>Scoring</strong> &#8211; 5. WBS, Carter Rowney 10 (Zlobin, O&#8217;Neill) 6:48. Penalties - BPT, Czuczman (tripping) 7:23; WBS, Oleksy (slashing) 14:08; BPT, Gomes (slashing) 18:15; BPT, Holmstrom (slashing, fighting) 18:31; WBS, Kostopoulos (slashing, fighting) 18:31.</p><p><strong>Shots on goal</strong></p><p>Bridgeport &#8211; 14-8-5-27</p><p>Penguins &#8211; 5-14-12-32</p><p><strong>Power-play Opportunities</strong></p><p>Bridgeport &#8211; 1 of 6</p><p>Penguins &#8211; 0 of 3</p><p>Goaltenders</p><p>Bridgeport &#8211; Christopher Gibson 13-8-3 (30 saves &#8211; 32 shots)</p><p>Penguins &#8211; Tristan Jarry 11-3-1 (24-27)</p><p><strong>Starters</strong></p><p>Bridgeport &#8211; G Christopher Gibson, D Ryan Poluck, D Patrick Cullity, LW Bracken Kearns, C Carter Verhaeghe, RW Taylor Beck</p><p>Penguins &#8211; G Tristan Jarry, D Reid McNeill, D Steve Oleksy, LW Anton Zlobin, C Carter Rowney, RW Tom Kostopoulos</p><p><strong>Three Stars</strong></p><p>1. WBS, Carter Rowney (two goals) 2. BPT, Justin Vaive (goal) 3. BPT, Ben Holmstrom (two assists)</p><p><strong>Referee</strong> &#8211; Jamie Koharski, Peter MacDougal. <strong>Linesmen</strong> &#8211; Jason Mandroc, Matt McNulty</p><p><strong>Attendance</strong> &#8211; 7,605</p></factboxMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><shirttailMeta><p>Reach Tom Venesky at 570-991-6395 or on Twitter @TLTomVenesky</p></shirttailMeta></div>

Poor start dooms Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins