Bears Head to Providence for Pair with Bruins
Published on March 7, 2023 under American Hockey League (AHL)
Hershey Bears News Release
(Hershey, PA) - The Hershey Bears continue the 2022-23 season, presented by Penn State Health, as they head out on the road for their first visit of the season to Rhode Island, where they will face the Providence Bruins in a pair of games on Saturday and Sunday.
TEAM INFO:
Record: 34-14-5-2
Standings Position: 1st in Atlantic
Magic Number: 18 points
TEAM LEADERS:
Goals: Ethen Frank (24)
Assists: Mike Sgarbossa (32)
Points: Mike Sgarbossa (51)
Power-Play Goals: Ethen Frank (9)
Shorthanded Goals: Beck Malenstyn, Henrik Rybinski, Riley Sutter (1)
Plus/Minus: Mike Vecchione (20)
Wins: Zach Fucale (18)
GAA: Hunter Shepard (2.12)
SV%: Hunter Shepard (.916)
Only includes qualified players on active roster
RECENT RESULTS:
Wednesday, March 1: Hershey 5 vs. Wilkes-Barre/Scranton 3
Hershey took the 12th and final meeting of the 2022-23 I-81 series, thanks to three-point evenings from Joe Snively and Mike Sgarbossa. Henrik Borgstrom kick-started the scoring with his eighth of the season at 9:49 of the first period, but Justin Addamo tied the game for the Penguins at 17:32 with a power-play goal. Ethen Frank netted his team-leading 24th goal of the season at 6:02 of the second period to put the Bears ahead 2-1. Snively then scored at 19:02 to pick up his sixth of the season. Addamo scored another power-play tally at 3:38 of the third, and Wilkes-Barre/Scranton got a tying goal from Alex Nylander at 5:11. With just over four minutes left to play, Snively collected his second of the night at 15:55. Mike Vecchione added an empty-net goal, as Zach Fucale made 25 saves to pick up his 17th win of the season.
Friday, March 3: Hershey 4 vs. Toronto 3
The Bears hosted Toronto in their lone visit of the regular season to Hershey on Friday, and after a scoreless first period in which Zach Fucale stopped Kyle Clifford on a penalty shot, Mason Morelli put away his 10th of the season at 2:20 of the second period. Mike Sgarbossa snapped his 19th of the season past Keith Petruzzelli at 2:51 to make it 2-0, and Mike Vecchione scored his 19th at 12:32 to extend the lead to three goals. In the third, the Marlies got on the board when Marc Johnstone netted an unassisted goal at 4:28. Morelli scored his second of the night at 12:34 with Hershey on the power play. Pontus Holmberg and Johsntone scored again, but the Bears managed to hold off the Toronto rally.
Saturday, March 4: Hershey 0 vs. Providence 1
Hershey outshot the Bruins 22-11 as the Bears set a new franchise record for fewest shots against, but Marc McLaughlin netted the lone goal of the contest for Providence at 13:37 of the third period on a redirected shot from Chris Wagner to give the Bruins the eventual victory.
LOCAL PRACTICE SCHEDULE FOR WEEK OF MARCH 6:
Monday, March 6
Practice, 10:30 a.m. at Hersheypark Arena
Tuesday, March 7
Day off
Wednesday, March 8
Practice, 10:30 a.m. at Hersheypark Arena
Thursday, March 9
Practice, 10:30 a.m. at Hersheypark Arena
Friday, March 10
Travel to Providence
All practices are open to the public. Practice dates and times are subject to change.
UPCOMING GAME SCHEDULE:
- Saturday, March 11 at Providence Bruins, 7:05 p.m.
- Sunday, March 12 at Providence Bruins, 3:05 p.m.
- Wednesday, March 15 at Lehigh Valley Phantoms, 7:05 p.m.
- Friday, March 17 at Lehigh Valley Phantoms, 7:05 p.m.
- Saturday, March 18 vs. Rochester Americans, 7 p.m. - CLICK HERE TO PURCHASE TICKETS
- Hall of Fame Night - The Hershey Bears will induct their 2021 and 2022 Hall of Fame Classes during a pre-game ceremony.
- Print Works On Demand Poster Night - The first 4,000 fans in attendance will receive a Hershey Bears Hall of Fame poster, courtesy of Print Works On Demand.
Video Coverage: AHLTV; Radio Coverage: Bears Radio Network
TEAM NEWS AND NOTES:
FINAL QUARTER:
The Bears entered the final quarter of the 2022-23 campaign last Saturday as they played their 55th game of a 72-game schedule. Last season, under a 76-game campaign, the Bears went 5-11-2-1 (.342) over their final 19 contests. Among players who have played this season and in 2021-22, Aliaksei Protas led the way for Hershey in last season's final quarter with 13 points (4g, 9a) in 19 games, followed by defender Bobby Nardella and forward Garrett Pilon, who each posted 10 points (2g, 8a).
A RARE THREE-IN-A-ROW:
This week's pair of games at Providence, combined with last Saturday's home game against the Bruins, represents the first time the Bears have played an opponent in three consecutive regular season games in 16 seasons. During the 2006-07 campaign, Hershey faced the Norfolk Admirals in three consecutive games on Dec. 6 (at Norfolk, 3-2 overtime win), Dec. 9 (vs. Norfolk, 3-2 overtime win), and Dec. 10 (vs. Norfolk, 4-1 win).
BRUIN AND BEAR IT:
The Bears are looking for their first win in Rhode Island since the 2019-20 campaign, when Hershey earned a 3-2 shootout victory at what was then known as the Dunkin' Donuts Center, as Bobby Nardella set up Philippe Maillet's game-tying goal with 21 seconds left in regulation and Maillett and Christian Djoos both scored in the shootout to lift the Bears to victory. Hershey is 1-2-0-0 against the Bruins this season. Mike Vecchione (1g, 2a) and Mike Sgarbossa (0g, 3a) lead the Bears in scoring against the Bruins, while Marc McLaughlin (2g, 0a), Luke Toporowski (1g, 1a), Chris Wagner (1g, 1a), and Gerogii Merkulov (0g, 2a) pace Providence against Hershey. Bears alternate captain Aaron Ness suited up for Providence during the 2021-22 campaign, while Bruins head coach Ryan Mougenel served as an assistant coach for Hershey under Mike Haviland during the 2013-14 season, and defender Connor Carrick was with Hershey for parts of three seasons from 2013-16.
BEARS BITES:
Forward Mike Sgarbossa is tied for 12th in league scoring with 51 points...Forward Connor McMichael is tied for second in the AHL with four shootout goals...Forward Ethen Frank is tied for second among rookies with nine power-play goals and ranks third with 149 shots on goal...Forward Mason Morelli needs four more points for 100 in his professional career...Defender Aaron Ness is two points away from 200 in his pro career... Zach Fucale's 18 wins are sixth in the league and second among all Eastern Conference netminders; Fucale is the only goaltender to have faced three penalty shots this season, stopping all three attempts.
American Hockey League Stories from March 7, 2023
- Canucks Open Six-Game Home Stand with 4-3 Loss to Manitoba Moose - Abbotsford Canucks
- Arvid Holm Ends With 20 Stops and Road Victory - Manitoba Moose
- Colorado Upended in Calgary, 5-2 - Colorado Eagles
- Wild Fend Off Admirals, Win Third Straight - Iowa Wild
- Admirals' Comeback Falls Short - Milwaukee Admirals
- Griffins Fall Short Despite Late Surge Sparked by Luff - Grand Rapids Griffins
- Monsters Come Together In 4-1 Win Over Griffins - Cleveland Monsters
- Series Preview: March 8 vs. Coachella Valley - Henderson Silver Knights
- $2 Beers Friday and Youth Jersey Giveaway Saturday - Bakersfield Condors
- Belleville Sens to Celebrate Legacy of the Belleville Bulls on "History of Hockey Night" - Belleville Senators
- San Diego Gulls to Host St. Patrick's Day Game on Saturday, March 11 - San Diego Gulls
- Columbus Blue Jackets Sign 2021 First-Round Pick Corson Ceulemans to Three-Year Entry Level Contract - Cleveland Monsters
- Hockey, Hops & Hope Returns March 14 - Grand Rapids Griffins
- By the Numbers: March 7 - Henderson Silver Knights
- Silver Knights' Morozov Suspended One Game - AHL
- Griffins Embark on Four-Game Week as Playoffs Near - Grand Rapids Griffins
- Syracuse Crunch Weekly - Vol. 29, No. 21 - Syracuse Crunch
- Belleville Sens Acquire Forward Graham McPhee from Bakersfield Condors - Belleville Senators
- Bears Head to Providence for Pair with Bruins - Hershey Bears
- Forward Boko Imama Recalled by Arizona Coyotes - Tucson Roadrunners
- Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Starts Four-Game Homestand on Wednesday - Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins
- Blue Jackets Reassign Defenseman Ole Julian Bjorgvik-Holm to Monsters - Cleveland Monsters
- Colorado Eagles Complete Multiple Transactions - Colorado Eagles
- Game Preview: Iowa Wild at Milwaukee Admirals - Iowa Wild
- Pink in the Rink Highlights 3-Game Week - Springfield Thunderbirds
- Syracuse Crunch Partner with Upstate Comprehensive Stroke Center to Hold Stroke Awareness Night March 11 - Syracuse Crunch
- Flyers Sign Will Zmolek - Lehigh Valley Phantoms
- Tucson Roadrunners Road Ahead: Meeting with Milwaukee - Tucson Roadrunners
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