Bridgeport, CT-  The Springfield Thunderbirds (29-30-9-2) begin their final road trip of the season on Tuesday morning as they visit the Bridgeport Sound Tigers (42-24-3-1) for an 11:00 a.m. ET puck drop at Webster Bank Arena.

The Thunderbirds are coming off of an impressive back-to-back set of wins on home ice against the playoff-bound Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins and the Providence Bruins at the MassMutual Center. 

Goaltending was a strength of the Thunderbirds in the 3-1 and 3-2 victories, as Sam Brittain made a combined 59 saves on 62 shots over the two games. The win over Providence on Saturday snapped the team’s six-game losing streak to Providence.

The Thunderbirds raced out to a 3-0 first intermission lead on Saturday thanks to three points fromMacKenzie Weegar and an additional two goals from Tony Turgeon, the first two goals of the rugged winger’s AHL career.

The Sound Tigers have played some of their most inspired hockey of the year of late, creeping back into a playoff spot in the tightly contested Atlantic Division. Bridgeport has earned points in four straight games and holds a one-point cushion on the Hershey Bears for fourth place in the Atlantic. The Sound Tigers also hold a game-in-hand on the Bears. 

Springfield and Bridgeport have gotten familiar with one another this season, having already met 10 times. The Sound Tigers narrowly escaped Springfield on March 29 with a 3-2 victory thanks to two rapid goals midway through the second period from Josh Winquist and Kellen Jones.

Dryden Hunt and Matt Buckles both tallied for the Thunderbirds, with Buckles scoring his first pro goal in his first professional game. Since joining Springfield from Cornell University, Buckles has points in each of his first three AHL contests, potting that goal and adding two assists.

After the school day game in Bridgeport, the Thunderbirds hit the road for one final weekend, playing down the road in Hartford on Friday night at 7:15 p.m. ET before making one final trek to the PPL Center in Allentown to face the Lehigh Valley Phantoms on Saturday at 7:05 p.m. ET. 

Interested in being part of the next era of AHL hockey in Springfield? Earn your wings with Springfield Thunderbirds 2017-18 Ticket Memberships, which start as low as $12 per game and feature the most exclusive benefits, including a commemorative jersey and brand new Collectors Mug. For more information, fans may call the Thunderbirds ticket office at (413) 739-GOAL (4625) or visit www.SpringfieldThunderbirds.com.