
Bears Open Calder Cup Finals with 4-3 Loss to Firebirds
June 14, 2024 - American Hockey League (AHL)
Hershey Bears News Release
(Hershey, PA) - The Hershey Bears (10-5) took an early lead but the Coachella Valley Firebirds (11-2) scored twice in each of the first two periods to ultimately deal Hershey a 4-3 loss in Game 1 of the 2024 Calder Cup Finals in front of a crowd of 10,154 on Friday night at GIANT Center.
Joe Snively opened the scoring for Hershey just 1:15 into the opening frame when his centering feed on a rush with Ethen Frank and Hendrix Lapierre caromed off a Coachella Valley player's skate and past Chris Driedger for Snively's third of the playoffs.
Coachella Valley leveled the score with a shorthanded breakaway from John Hayden at 6:34.
The Firebirds took a 2-1 lead at 13:52 with a goal from Ryan Winterton.
In the second, Winterton struck again at 9:49 to put the visitors ahead 3-1.
Hardy Häman Aktell pulled Hershey back to within a goal at 12:51, with assists to Jimmy Huntington and Riley Sutter, but Coachella Valley quickly responded with a goal from Hayden at 15:11 when the Firebirds capitalized on a lengthy shift in the Hershey end to make it 4-2.
With the Bears on a power play and Hunter Shepard pulled for an extra attacker late in the third, Lapierre pulled Hershey back to within a goal when Snively found Lapierre at the right circle at 18:04 for his fifth of the playoffs; Pierrick Dubé earned a secondary assist.
Shots finished 23-19 in favor of the Firebirds. Shepard went 19-for-23 in the loss for Hershey; Driedger went 16-for-19 in the win for Coachella Valley. The Bears went 1-for-5 on the power play; the Firebirds went 0-for-4 with the man advantage.
The Bears continue the 2024 Calder Cup Playoffs when they host the Coachella Valley Firebirds in Game 2 of the Calder Cup Finals on Sunday, June 16, at 5 p.m. at GIANT Center.
• Discuss this story on the American Hockey League message board...
American Hockey League Stories from June 14, 2024
- Bears Open Calder Cup Finals with 4-3 Loss to Firebirds - Hershey Bears
- Senators Sign Forward Cole Reinhardt to One-Year, Two-Way Contract Extension - Belleville Senators
- Belleville Sens Contribute over $278,000 Through 2023-24 Community Programs - Belleville Senators
- Calder Cup Finals Game 1 Preview: Bears vs. Firebirds, 7 p.m. - Hershey Bears
- Wolf Pack Re-Sign Defenseman Blake Hillman to One-Year Contract - Hartford Wolf Pack
The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.
