By Al Cohen
Philadelphia Phantoms Correspondent

Mike Peluso scored four goals to lead the Philadelphia Phantoms to a 5-3 victory over the Albany River Rats this afternoon in a preseason game at Sovereign Bank Flyers Skate Zone. It was the first American Hockey League preseason game of the 2003-04 season.

Mike Richards and Boyd Kane each added three assists, while goaltender Chris Houle made 22 saves for the Phantoms, who were playing the first of four exhibition games over the next two weeks. Aleksander Suglobov finished with two goals and an assist for Albany.

Suglobov opened the scoring at 7:34 of the first period during a 5-on-3 Albany power play before Peluso responded with a power-play tally of his own. Richards and Cherry Hill, N.J. native James Laux received assists on the play with 3:04 left in the period.

Richards and Kane set up Peluso's second goal 2:35 into the second period, but Suglobov made it 2-2 just over two minutes later on an unassisted breakaway. Albany re-took the lead at 14:18 of the middle period when Joe Hulbig beat Houle during a scramble in front of the net. Suglobov and Victor Uchevatov assisted on the power-play marker.

But Peluso struck again to even the score at 3-3 with 4:04 to go in the second stanza, with assists again going to Kane and Richards. Peluso is a sixth-year pro who spent last season with the rival Norfolk Admirals, Richards was a first-round pick by the Philadelphia Flyers in the 2003 NHL Entry Draft, while Kane is also a sixth-year pro who was with the Springfield Falcons a year ago.

Rookie Nick Deschenes gave the Phantoms the lead for good at 10:54 of the third period. Fellow Yale University teammate Ben Stafford and fellow rookie Joey Hope received assists on the power-play goal. Peluso capped his four-goal game with 4:52 remaining, as Hope and Kane set up the power-play tally.

Philadelphia finished 3-for-6 with a man advantage and outshot Albany, 31-25. River Rats starting goaltender Scott Clemmensen stopped 12 shots before Matus Kostur came on midway through the second period and recorded 14 saves.

These two teams will meet again this Wednesday at 2:00 p.m. at the Continental Airlines Arena in East Rutherford, N.J. Philadelphia's next home preseason game is on Saturday, Sept. 27 at 4:00 p.m. vs. the Bridgeport Sound Tigers at the Polonia Bank Flyers Skate Zone in Northeast Philadelphia.

The Phantoms open the 2003-04 regular season on Friday, Oct. 10 at 7:05 p.m., when they host the Binghamton Senators at the Wachovia Spectrum. Tickets to all Phantoms home games are $19, $18 and $14 for adults, and $8 for all children 14 and under, and are available now at the Wachovia Center box office and all Ticketmaster locations throughout the Delaware Valley. Tickets can also be charged by phone by calling (215) 336-2000, (856) 338-9000 or (302) 984-2000 or online at www.ticketmaster.com. Contact the Phantoms office at 215-465-4522 or log on to www.phantomshockey.com for information on group discounts, birthday packages and the Family Four Pack.