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<p>For the first time in his career, Zach Aston-Reese finished with a hat trick for the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins.</p><p>It turned out that Bridgeport was even hotter.</p><p>Aston-Reese delivered two power play goals and a shorthanded score for Scranton/Wilkes-Barre&#8217;s first hat trick of the season and the first four-point game of his career, but the Penguins dropped an 8-5 decision to Bridgeport at Webster Bank Arena.</p><p>Bridgeport rushed out of the gate by scoring twice in the first 3:46 of the game and then increased its lead to 3-0 on a goal by Michael Dal Colle midway through the opening frame.</p><p>Aston-Reese got the Penguins on the board with his first power play goal at 14:41, taking a pretty passing play set up by Ethan Prow and Sam Lafferty and then beat goalie Chris Gibson to the short-side.</p><p>Otto Koivula&#8217;s first AHL goal re-established a three-goal edge for the Sound Tigers before the first intermission. Bridgeport proceeded to score twice in the second period and extend its lead to 6-1 with tucks courtesy of Dal Colle and Chris Bourque.</p><p>Early in the third period, Parker Wotherspoon put the home team ahead, 7-1, but that&#8217;s when Aston-Reese and Penguins captain Garrett Wilson went on a tear.</p><p>Aston-Reese netted his second man advantage marker on the day at 8:13 of the third period, once again with assists coming from Prow and Lafferty. Bridgeport scored once more, making it 8-2, before Wilson popped in back-to-back goals. The first came when Wilson battled his way from below the goal line to the front of the net and slid it underneath Gibson midway through the final frame of regulation. The captain scored again, this time collecting a rebound on the power play, at 17:05 of the third.</p><p>With Wilkes-Barre/Scranton stuck on the penalty kill for the remainder of the game, Aston-Reese completed the hat trick by scoring shorthanded with 35 seconds left in regulation, bringing the game to its final score of 8-5.</p><p>Aston-Reese finished the game with an assist to go with his three goals, while Wilson (two goals and an assist) and Prow (three assists) followed with three-point performances.</p><p>Anthony Peters started the game for Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, but was replaced by Tristan Jarry after making six saves in the first period. Jarry stopped 16 shots in relief, while also becoming the goaltender of record and absorbing the loss. Gibson finished the contest having recorded 21 saves.</p><style>
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<div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/web1_Aston-Reese-Zach.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Aston-Reese </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo0>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/web1_Aston-Reese-Zach.jpg</photo0><caption0>Aston-Reese </caption0><photoCredit0></photoCredit0></div></div>
<div class="metaInfo"><bylineMeta><p>Times Leader</p></bylineMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><shirttailMeta><p>Reach Times Leader sports at 570-829-7143 or on Twitter @TLSports</p></shirttailMeta></div>

Aston-Reese gets hot for Penguins, but Bridgeport catches fire