LEWISTON – When push came to shove, the Portland Pirates answered the bell.

The Pirates scored four unanswered goals to defeat the Bridgeport Sound Tigers, 4-2, in a chippy contest in front of 3,737 at the Androscoggin Bank Colisee.

Six minutes and three seconds into the third period, Bridgeport’s Marc Cantin threw an elbow to the head of Pirates forward Brandon Shinnimin at the Pirates offensive blue line. The Pirates trailed 2-1 at the time.

Pirates defenseman Mathieu Brisebois quickly defended his teammate and fought Cantin.

Cantin was given a five-minute checking to the head major and a match penalty in addition to a five minute major for fighting. Brisebois also went to the box for fighting.

The silent Pirates power play —  0-for-6 to that point — took advantage.

Daine Todd found a streaking Jordan Szwarz down in the slot. Szwarz potted his fourth goal of the year to tie the contest at two.

Andy Miele also picked up an assist on the five-minute man advantage. The goal came 6:41 into the third period.

With 14 seconds left in that same power play, Lucas Lessio scored his eighth goal of the season to put Portland ahead to stay. Todd and Gormley had the helpers.

“Lucas’ goal, you don’t write that one up as a power play goal,” Pirates coach Ray Edwards said. “He went end-to-end. That’s what you don’t do. He’s a skilled player. The other (power play) goal was a pretty good breakout.”

Portland finished game 2-for-8 on the man advantage. Bridgeport was 1-for-7.

Brett Hextall picked up an empty-net goal with 29 seconds left to play.

The Sound Tigers scored first when Pierre-Marc Bouchard found the back of the net 12:16 into the first period. Former Maine Black Bear Joe Diamond and Alain Quine assisted on the goal.

“Even though we were down early, I liked our energy in the game,” Edwards said. “We found ourselves down by two, and the message was stick with it and things will happen.”

Bouchard, who was sent down by the New York Islanders on Dec. 10, tallied his third goal in seven games with Bridgeport. He has 110 goals and 246 assists in 593 career NHL games.

Portland had a prime opportunity to get on the board with 1:49 of 5-on-3 power play time with under three minutes left in the stanza, but the Pirates couldn’t convert on the opportunity.

Bridgeport stretched the lead on the man advantage 55 seconds into the second period when Anders Lee wrapped home the puck past Pirates goalkeeper Louis Domingue. 

Domingue couldn’t control the initial rebound, and Lee landed his 13th goal of the campaign. Dallas Jackson and Matt Donovan assisted.

Shortly thereafter, Pirates forward Keven Veilleux and Scooter Vaughn dropped the gloves at center ice to settle an old score.

Last season with the Wheeling Nailers of the ECHL, Veilleux was suspended 10 games for allegedly using a racial slur against Vaughn when Vaughn was a member of the South Carolina Stingrays. In this renewal of the rivalry, both players got in a couple of good shots and headed to the box for five minutes.

Portland cut into the lead when Brett Hextall was able to get his stick on the puck last in a scrum in front of Anders Nilsson’s net. Assists went to Mathieu Brisebois and Lessio.

“I thought (Hextall) was outstanding for us tonight,” Edwards said. “The guys gave him the hard hat at the end of the game. He was the real emotional leader for us tonight.”

Edwards added that the goal changed the momentum for them heading into the third period.

Domingue made 23 saves while Nilsson stopped 28 shots.

NOTES: Former Lewiston Maineiac Kirill Kabanov was in the line-up for the Bridgeport Sound Tigers. In addition to Diamond, fellow former Black Bear defenseman Mike Cornell also suited up for Bridgeport … Forward Gilbert Brule didn’t dress after being assigned to the team by the Phoenix Coyotes on Sunday. Phoenix suspended him yesterday after he failed to report to Portland … The Pirates head on a road trip to St. John’s, Newfoundland for three games against the Ice Caps on Jan. 4, Jan. 5, and Jan. 7. They return to the Colisee on Friday, Jan. 10 to face the Norfolk Admirals.

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