AHL Hershey Bears

Bears Gear up for Another Three-In-Three, Hockey Fights Cancer Night

Published on November 15, 2022 under American Hockey League (AHL)
Hershey Bears News Release


(Hershey, PA) - The Hershey Bears continue the 2022-23 season, presented by Penn State Health, with a weekend three-in-three that begins at Wilkes-Barre/Scranton on Friday before Hershey returns home to GIANT Center to host the Hartford Wolf Pack in a pair of games, highlighted by Sara Lee & Canteen Vending Turkey Shoot Night on Saturday, and Hockey Fights Cancer Night and Penn State Health Rally Towel Night on Sunday.

TEAM INFO:

Record: 8-2-2-0

Standings Position: 2nd in Atlantic

TEAM LEADERS:

Goals: Ethen Frank (5)

Assists: Mason Morelli (8)

Points: Hendrix Lapierre, Mike Vecchione (10)

Power-Play Goals: Ethen Frank, Mike Vecchione (2)

Shorthanded Goals: Riley Sutter (1)

Plus/Minus: Vincent Iorio (+7)

Wins: Zach Fucale (6)

GAA: Zach Fucale (2.01)

SV%: Hunter Shepard (.927)

Only includes players on active roster

RECENT RESULTS:

Friday, Nov. 11: Hershey 4 vs. Bridgeport 3 (OT)

After Bridgeport's Hudson Fasching scored 1:45 into the contest, Ethen Frank scored for Hershey at 8:02 to tie the score at 1-1, and give the rookie forward his fifth consecutive game with a goal. Fasching scored another early goal in the second period to give the visitors a 2-1 lead at 2:12, before Kale Kessy netted his first of the season at 15:04 to even the score at 2-2. In the third, the Bears grabbed their first lead of the night when Shane Gersich beat Jakub Skarek at 5:54 to put Hershey ahead 3-2, but the Islanders' Kyle McLean equalized at 9:44. In sudden-death, Vincent Iorio netted his first career goal at 2:01 of the extra period to lift Hershey to the win. Zach Fucale finished with 29 saves in the victory for Hershey.

Saturday, Nov. 12: Hershey 2 vs. Bridgeport 1 (OT)

Hunter Shepard and Cory Schneider traded saves for much of the first two periods of regulation, before Bridgeport's Vincent Sevigny found the net for the Islanders at 3:34. Hendrix Lapierre provided the tying goal for Hershey at 8:06, eventually sending both clubs to overtime for the second consecutive night. In overtime, a slashing penalty to Bridgeport's Otto Koivula at 1:58 put the Bears on a 4-on-3 power play, and Sam Anas converted with the man advantage at 2:46 to win it for Hershey with his second goal of the season and his first on home ice. Hunter Shepard went 27-for-28 for his second win of the season.

Sunday, Nov. 13: Hershey 4 vs. Laval 1

Hendrix Lapierre scored for the second straight game at 6:48 of the first period, and later assisted on Bobby Nardella's power-play goal at 14:30. After Sam Anas scored at 18:01 of the second period to extend Hershey's lead to 3-0, the Rocket got on the board early in the third period with a goal from Anthony Richard at 4:36. The Bears added an empty-net goal from Henrik Rybinski at 17:24 to restore the three-goal edge and hang on for the win as Zach Fucale made 25 saves to get the win.

PRACTICE SCHEDULE FOR WEEK OF OCT. 31:

Monday, Nov. 14

Day off

Tuesday, Nov. 15

Day off

Wednesday, Nov. 16

10:30 a.m. at GIANT Center

Thursday, Nov. 17

10:30 a.m. at GIANT Center

Friday, Nov. 18

10 a.m. morning skate at GIANT Center

All practices are open to the public. Practice dates and times are subject to change.

UPCOMING GAME SCHEDULE:

- Friday, Nov. 18 at Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins, 7:05 p.m.

- Saturday, Nov. 19 vs. Hartford Wolf Pack, 7 p.m.

Sara Lee & Canteen Vending Turkey Shoot Night

- Sunday, Nov. 13 vs. Hartford Wolf Pack, 4:30 p.m.

Hockey Fights Cancer Night - Featuring specialty jersey auction and Penn State Health Rally Towel

TV Coverage (Sunday only): FOX43; Video Coverage: AHLTV; Radio Coverage: Bears Radio Network

TEAM NEWS AND NOTES:

BEARS FUELED BY STRONG START:

With an overall record of 8-2-2-0 through the first dozen games of the season, the Bears are off to their best 12-game start since the 2006-07 campaign. That year, under Bruce Boudreau, the defending Calder Cup champions marched out to a 10-1-0-1 start en route to capturing the Macgregor Kilpatrick Trophy as regular season champions and securing a second consecutive Eastern Conference title in the Calder Cup Playoffs. This season's start has been aided by an exceptional record on GIANT Center ice, as the Bears have a 7-0-1-0 mark at home, its best home start since the 1985-86 season, when Hersheypark Arena played host to a Bears squad that went 12-0-1 on its ice before suffering its first regulation home loss, an 8-5 defeat to the Binghamton Whalers on Dec. 14.

NOVEMBER REIGN:

Bears forward Hendrix Lapierre leads the club in scoring for the month of November with six points (2g, 4a) through five games. The forward is producing at a comparable level to last season, when as a member of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League's Acadie-Bathurst Titan, he posted seven points (1g, 6a) in six games after being returned to the junior ranks by the Washington Capitals. Lapierre is also currently tied for second on the Bears in November with 11 shots on goal, and his plus-minus of +4 has him tied for second among Hershey's forwards.

'GERSCHY' COMES ALIVE:

After going without a point through his first eight games of the season, Shane Gersich has exploded over his last four contests with five points (2g, 3a). The fifth-year Bears forward is four points away from his 100th career pro point and five points away from hitting the century mark with Hershey.

BEARS VS. PENGUINS AT-A-GLANCE:

The Bears are already off to a 2-0-1-0 record against the Penguins this season. Friday's contest will see the Chocolate and White return to the site of their lone road victory of the season, a 2-1 triumph on Nov. 5. Both Hunter Shepard (1-0-1, 2.44 GAA, 0.919%) and Zach Fucale (1-0-0, 1.00 GAA, 0.968%) have found early success in net against Wilkes-Barre/Scranton this season. Ethen Frank (2g, 0a), Hendrix Lapierre (0g, 2a) and Mike Sgarbossa (1g, 1a) are each tied for the team lead in scoring against the Penguins.

IORIO PROGRESSING:

Since the calendar flipped to November, Bears defender Vincent Iorio has taken some impressive strides. The 2021 Washington Capitals second-round selection netted his first professional goal (an overtime-winner) along with an assist on Nov. 11 against Bridgeport for his first multi-point game, and is tied for second overall in the league (and first among rookie blueliners) for plus-minus in the month of November with a +7.

BEARS BITES:

Sam Anas needs one goal for his 100th career professional goal, after finding the back of the net on Saturday and Sunday...Mike Vecchione is one assist away from his 100th career professional assist after earning an assist on Anas' overtime-winning goal on Saturday against Bridgeport...Henrik Borgstrom is three points away from his 100th career professional point...Bears captain Dylan McIlrath previously played for the Hartford/Connecticut franchise between 2010-17...Hartford was the last Eastern Conference team without a win before picking up a 4-2 victory at the XL Center over Hershey on Oct. 28...The Wolf Pack represent four of the next six games for the Chocolate and White, with the Bears hosting Hartford twice this weekend before visiting Connecticut for a pair of games next Friday and Saturday following Thanksgiving...

Check out the Hershey Bears Statistics

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American Hockey League Stories from November 15, 2022


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