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AHL Hershey Bears

Bears Make North Division Trek to Cleveland

March 19, 2024 - American Hockey League (AHL)
Hershey Bears News Release


(Hershey, PA) - The Hershey Bears (44-11-0-5) get set to head to Ohio this weekend for a pair of road games against the Cleveland Monsters that will both air on Antenna TV. The first-place Bears, already assured a berth in the 2024 Calder Cup Playoffs, have a Magic Number of 11 points needed to clinch the Atlantic Division title, and only need three points to guarantee a first-round bye.

TEAM LEADERS:

Goals: Pierrick Dubé (25)

Assists: Joe Snively (34)

Points: Joe Snively (44)

Power-Play Goals: Ethen Frank (11)

Shorthanded Goals: Bogdan Trineyev (2)

Plus/Minus: Vincent Iorio (+23)

Wins: Hunter Shepard (22)

GAA: Clay Stevenson (1.87)

SV%: Clay Stevenson (.930)

Only includes qualified players on active roster

RECENT RESULTS:

- Friday, March 15 - Hershey 3 at Utica 4 (SO)

- Saturday, March 16 - Hershey 4 vs. Syracuse 1

- Sunday, March 17 - Hershey 4 vs. Hartford 0

LOCAL PRACTICE SCHEDULE FOR WEEK OF MARCH 18:

Monday, March 18

Day off

Tuesday, March 19

Practice, 10:30 a.m. at GIANT Center

Wednesday, March 20

Practice, 10:30 a.m. at Hersheypark Arena

Thursday, March 21

Travel to Cleveland

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

UPCOMING GAME SCHEDULE:

Friday, March 22 - Hershey at Cleveland Monsters, 7 p.m.

Saturday, March 23 - Hershey at Cleveland Monsters, 7 p.m.

Television Coverage: Antenna TV; Video Coverage: AHLTV; Radio Coverage: Bears Radio Network

All times Eastern

TEAM NEWS AND NOTES:

WORK TO BE DONE:

With 12 games remaining in the 2023-24 regular season, the Bears are still in position to challenge a handful of notable franchise and league records. Hershey needs to earn six points out of their remaining six road games to ensure they surpass the franchise mark for best road points percentage (.675, 2006-07), 18 points out of their remaining 12 games to best the franchise mark for overall points percentage (.769, 2009-10), and 19 points out of their remaining 12 games to best the 1992-93 Binghamton Rangers' league record for points percentage (.775).

SUTTER SURPRISE:

Forward Riley Sutter enjoyed an outstanding weekend for the Bears, producing his first career three-game goal-scoring streak (4g) and chipping in an assist in Sunday's win. Saturday's victory over Syracuse gave Sutter his first professional two-goal game. Despite missing six games this season due to injury, the fifth-year pro is enjoying the finest offensive season of his career, with 20 points (9g, 11a) in 54 games. The Bears are 12-1-0-1 this season when Sutter records at least a point.

VINNY CHASE:

After beginning his sophomore season with 11 points (4g, 7a) in his first 31 games, defenseman Vincent Iorio's assist on Dec. 30 at Lehigh Valley would be his last point over the next 24 games. Iorio finally broke the drought with an assist in back-to-back games on Saturday and Sunday. Iorio is tied with Joe Snively for second on the team in games played at 57, and his plus/minus of +23 leads the club and ranks sixth among AHL defensemen. Hershey has posted a 12-0-0-0 record this season when Iorio records at least a point.

HUNT FOR HOLMES:

Goaltenders Clay Stevenson (1.87) and Hunter Shepard (1.96) sit first and second respectively in the AHL in goals-against average, and Hershey's league-best goals-against per game of 2.10 has the duo in contention for the Harry "Hap" Holmes Memorial Award, last won by a pair of Hershey netminders when Pheonix Copley and Zach Fucale managed the feat in 2020-21 with a team goals-against per game of 2.33. Shepard's 26-save shutout against Hartford on Sunday gave him his third shutout of the season; combined with Stevenson's league-leading seven clean sheets, Hershey's goaltenders have matched the franchise record of 10 shutouts in a season, first set in 2014-15 (Philipp Grubauer, 6; Copley, 3; Justin Peters, 1).

POWER PLAY PRESSES ON:

Despite the call-up of Mike Sgarbossa (who is tied for the league lead with 19 power-play assists) since Feb. 5 and his absence as part of Hershey's power play unit, the Bears have continued to roll along with the man advantage. Hershey's power play has gone 3-for-14 (21.43%) over its last four games, and Ethen Frank's increased his team-leading power-play goals count to 11 in Sunday's win over Hartford, and now ranks fourth in the AHL. Assisting on Frank's power-play marker, was Matthew Phillips, making his Bears home debut, who tied for fourth among AHL forwards last season with 21 power-play assists, should also be a benefit to Hershey down the stretch. Hershey has posted a record of 27-4-0-2 this season when scoring a power-play goal.

MONSTERS, INC.:

The Bears will look to continue their winning ways against the Cleveland Monsters this weekend after taking the first two games of the regular-season series on home ice. Hershey has an overall 11-game point streak (9-0-0-2) against Cleveland dating back to Jan. 11, 2020 and has won its last four visits to Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse. Ethen Frank leads Hershey in scoring against the Monsters this season with seven points (2g, 5a) through two games, and Clay Stevenson has earned both victories, surrendering just two goals and making 40 saves.

BEARS BITES:

Matt Strome has a three-game assist streak (4a)...Bears head coach Todd Nelson has already matched his win output from his first regular season at the helm of the Bears, and is three wins away from earning his 400th victory as an AHL head coach. Nelson is also seven games away from his 700th game as an AHL head coach...After missing 15 games with an injury, defenseman Lucas Johansen has three assists in his last four games since returning to the lineup...Hershey is 9-3-0-2 against North Division clubs this season...Matthew Phillips played in his 300th professional game on Saturday against Syracuse...Aaron Ness' next point will move him past Mike Gaul (168) for sole possession of seventh in franchise scoring among defensemen. Ness is the franchise's leader in scoring among all American-born defensemen...Hershey is a combined 14-5-0-2 in road Friday and Saturday games...The Bears are 7-1-0-0 this season in games against the same opponent on back-to-back nights in the same venue.

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