BRIDGEPORT, CT – Defenseman Mattias Timander collected the game-winner with 4:49 remaining in the third period as the Bridgeport Sound Tigers extended their unbeaten streak to 19 games with a 2-1 victory over the Manchester Monarchs before a crowd of 3,898 at the Arena at Harbor Yard on Saturday night.

Timander, trailing the play as former Monarchs left wing Derek Bekar charged into the offensive zone, cleaned up a rebound after goaltender Adam Hauser stopped right wing Jeff Hamilton’s bid from the slot. Hamilton and Bekar each earned their second points of the game with assists on Timander’s goal, his second of the season.

With the win, the Sound Tigers improved to 16-0-3-0 in their last 19 games. The Sound Tigers, who lead the Eastern Conference with 17 wins and 40 points, have not lost in regulation since falling to the Hershey Bears 3-1 on October 18. They are 17-0-3-1 in their last 21 games since opening the season with a 0-3-2-0 record.

The Monarchs, winless in their last three games, dropped to 13-11-2-2 on the season.

Bekar and Monarchs center Steve Kelly had the other two goals in the game. Bekar finished a rough and tumble shift with his 11th goal as the Sound Tigers grabbed the early 1-0 lead 8:29 into the opening period. Bekar, who lost his helmet thanks to Kelly’s elbow in the face-off circle of the Bridgeport zone, took center Eric Manlow’s corner feed and drilled it by the glove of Hauser later in the shift. Hamilton also assisted on Bekar’s fourth goal this week.

The Monarchs tied the game with a power play goal against the best penalty-killing unit in the AHL midway through the second period. Kelly snapped his shot from the right circle and whistled the puck by the blocker pad of goaltender Dieter Kochan 8:11 into the period. Defenseman Bryan Muir and right wing Pavel Rosa assisted on Kelly’s seventh of the season. The power play goal was the first in four games for the Monarchs. The power play goal was also just the 10th allowed by the Sound Tigers this season.

Kochan improved to 9-2-4 on the season with 23 saves. Kochan also extended his personal unbeaten streak to 13 games (9-0-3-1). Hauser, whose record dropped to 6-4-2, had 24 saves. The Monarchs were 1-for-8 on the power play. The Sound Tigers were 0-for-6.

The Monarchs return to action when they travel to Salt Lake City, Utah, to meet the Utah Grizzlies on Friday, December 19 and Saturday, December 20 at 9:05 p.m. ET. The Monarchs next home game at the Verizon Wireless Arena is set for Saturday, December 27 at 7:35 p.m. against the Worcester IceCats. Thanks to Executive Health & Fitness, the first 5,000 fans attending Saturday’s game will receive a free Monarchs hat.