Bears Host Monarchs Saturday For Game One
May 18, 2007 - American Hockey League (AHL)
Hershey Bears News Release
The BEARS resume 2007 Calder Cup Playoff action Saturday night as the Manchester Monarchs come to town for Game 1 of the 2007 Eastern Conference Finals. While HERSHEY returns to the Conference Finals for the second consecutive season, Manchester makes its first-ever Eastern Conference Final appearance in team history. HERSHEY advanced to the AHL's Final Four by dispatching the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins four games to one in the 2007 East Division Finals, while the Monarchs made the third round by defeating the Providence Bruins in the Atlantic Division Final four games to two.
The series pits two of the American Hockey League's best goaltenders against one another as Frederic Cassivi and Jason Labarbara square off. Cassivi brings a 24-7 playoff record over the last two playoff years into the series, while Labarbera won an AHL best 39 games during the regular season. Forwards Patrick O'Sullivan and Marty Murray lead Manchester in scoring this playoff year, with both players recording 13 points. Former Monarchs forward Scott Barney leads the BEARS in scoring with 12 points, including six goals and a playoff hat trick in Game 5 of the East Division Finals against Wilkes-Barre/Scranton.
HERSHEY won the season series between the two clubs two games to none. The BEARS claimed a 5-4 victory on November 26 at GIANT Center, and also won in Manchester 5-3 on March 9. Goaltender Maxime Daigneault won both games this season against the Monarchs, while Jason Labarbara suffered both defeats for the Monarchs in net. Labarbera suffered his shortest outing of his pro career in the November 26th game, allowing three goals on seven shots in just 8:22 of the first period before being pulled. Goaltender Frederic Cassivi, who has played every playoff minute for HERSHEY in 2007, did not play against Manchester this season.
The other half of the remaining teams in the Calder Cup field get started Friday night, with the Hamilton Bulldogs and the Chicago Wolves squaring off in the Western Conference Finals. Game 1 of the series is Friday night at Allstate Arena in Rosemont, Illinois. The Bulldogs advanced out of the North Division after defeating the Rochester Americans and Manitoba Moose. Chicago cleared two West Division hurdles in the Milwaukee Admirals and the Iowa Stars. The winner of the Chicago/Hamilton series will face the winner of the Manchester/HERSHEY series in the 2007 Calder Cup Finals.
Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals is Saturday night at GIANT Center at 7:30 p.m. (note the later Saturday start time) with Game 2 set for Sunday evening at 6:00 p.m. The series will then shift to the Granite State, where Manchester will host Games 3, 4 and 5 of the series. Game 3 will be Wednesday night at 7:05 at Verizon Wireless Arena in New Hampshire, with Game 4 next Saturday night at 7:35 p.m. Game 5 will be Sunday, May 27 in Manchester if necessary at 6:05 p.m. Should a Game 6 or 7 be needed in the series, they will be played back in HERSHEY on May 30 and May 31
Tickets for the first two games of the series are available through the GIANT Center box office, or by calling (717) 534-3911. Good seats are still available for Games 1 and 2 this weekend. BEARS fans can ride the day away at HERSHEYPARK before enjoying the games this weekend. HERSHEYPARK is offering a special discounted admission price of just $27.95 to hockey fans who purchase and use a Park ticket on the day of the game. Game tickets need to be shown either Saturday or Sunday at the HERSHEYPARK front gate to receive the discount. The games can also be heard via the BEARS Radio Network on the team's flagship radio station, 100.1 FM WQIC and WHYL-AM 960. John Walton has the call of all of the playoff action along HERSHEYPARK Drive this weekend.
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