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AHL Hershey Bears

Bears finish 2004-05 season this weekend

April 11, 2005 - American Hockey League (AHL)
Hershey Bears News Release


Last Week: The BEARS began the week just three points out of a playoff spot Friday night in Wilkes-Barre, but fell to the Penguins at Wachovia Arena 3-2. Mathieu Darche scored both HERSHEY goals to give the BEARS a 2-1 lead heading into the third period, but Tomas Surovy and Kris Beech would rally the Penguins with third period tallies to earn the win. Saturday, the BEARS hosted the Philadelphia Phantoms at GIANT Center and dropped a narrow 2-1 decision. Jamie Rivers scored for HERSHEY just 18 seconds into the game to account for the team's offense. Mark Murphy and Patrick Sharp scored goals for Philly to earn the win. With their individual and collective backs to the wall Sunday facing mathematical elimination from the 2005 Calder Cup playoff picture, the BEARS broke out to a 1-0 lead just 15 seconds into the game when Eric Perrin scored his 24th goal of the season. Mathieu Darche added his 29th goal of the season to give the BEARS a 2-1 lead in the second period, but the Penguins would rally in the third. Kris Beech scored to tie the game at the 5:11 mark of period number three and Erik Christensen scored the game-winner for Wilkes-Barre/Scranton at the 14:25 mark of the third. With the loss, the BEARS were eliminated from contention for an East Division playoff spot with three games remaining in the regular season. HERSHEY stands seven points out of fourth place with just three games to play.

Notables: Lori Werner from Lebanon was HERSHEY'S 300,000th fan through the gates at GIANT Center this season when she attended Sunday's home finale against Wilkes-Barre/Scranton. The BEARS reached 300,000 fans for the second time in club history, finishing the year with 303,797 fans passing through the turnstiles. The team held its annual awards night on the ice prior to Sunday's game with the Penguins. Peter Budaj won the Kenny Smith Memorial Award for receiving the most player of the game nominations after each radio broadcast this season. Defenseman Dean Arsene was named the team's Unsung Hero for 2004-05 in addition to being named the team's best defenseman. Johnny Boychuk was named HERSHEY'S rookie of the year, while Eric Perrin was named the club's Most Valuable Player. The BEARS will finish the season on the road for the first time since the 1996-97 season when the team finished the regular campaign in Lexington against the Kentucky Throughblades. It's also only the fourth time since the 1978-79 season that the BEARS have finished the regular season away from home. Mathieu Darche stands one goal away from becoming HERSHEY'S first 30-goal scorer since Christian Matte and Serge Aubin during the 1999-2000 season. Matte and Aubin finished 1999-2000 with 43 and 42 goals, respectively.

The week ahead:

Friday, April 15: BEARS at Philadelphia Phantoms 7:05 PM Game #78, Road Game #38 Radio: 1460 AM/1390 AM PRE-GAME: 6:45 PM

Saturday, April 16: BEARS at Binghamton Senators 7:00 PM Game #79, Road Game #39 Radio: 1460 AM/1390 AM PRE-GAME: 6:55 PM

Sunday, April 17: BEARS at Bridgeport Sound Tigers 4:05 PM Game #80, Road Game #40 Radio: 1460 AM/1390 AM PRE-GAME: 3:45 PM

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