Bears Open Five-Game Homestand
February 21, 2023 - 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 return home this weekend for the first two matches of a five-game homestand at GIANT Center. The Bears host the Lehigh Valley Phantoms on Saturday, before welcoming the Belleville Senators to town on Sunday afternoon.
TEAM INFO:
Record: 31-12-5-2
Standings Position: 2nd in Atlantic
TEAM LEADERS:
Goals: Ethen Frank (23)
Assists: Mike Sgarbossa (28)
Points: Mike Sgarbossa (45)
Power-Play Goals: Ethen Frank (8)
Shorthanded Goals: Beck Malenstyn, Henrik Rybinski, Riley Sutter (1)
Plus/Minus: Gabriel Carlsson (20)
Wins: Zach Fucale (15)
GAA: Hunter Shepard (2.13)
SV%: Hunter Shepard (.918)
Only includes qualified players on active roster
RECENT RESULTS:
Wednesday, Feb. 15: Hershey 2 at Wilkes-Barre/Scranton 3 (OT)
Drake Caggiula scored at 6:43 of the first period before Mason Morelli answered with an unassisted goal at 18:21. The Penguins took a 2-1 lead at 5:24 of the third when Filip Hallander redirected a pass through the legs of Hunter Shepard. Bobby Nardella tied the score with Shepard pulled for an extra skater at 18:31 to tie the game. Valtteri Puustinen slipped the puck past Shepard at 1:31 of extra time to win the game for the hosts.
Saturday, Feb. 18: Hershey 6 at Charlotte 3
Ethen Frank put Hershey up 1-0 with the man advantage at 14:11 with a one-timer from the left circle. Charlotte then scored at 13:15 of the second period when Logan Hutsko blasted a shot from the slot. Mike Vecchione restored the lead with a power-play goal on a deflection at 15:58. Henrik Borgstrom made it 3-1 at 2:20 of the third as he dug out a rebound and stashed it past Alex Lyon. Riley Nash answered for the Checkers at 3:38 to trim Hershey's lead. Mike Sgarbossa rifled a shot past Lyon at 17:16, but Lucas Carlsson scored with Lyon pulled for an extra skater to bring Charlotte back to within a goal. The Bears then got empty-net scores from Vecchione and Connor McMichael to seal the game.
Sunday, Feb. 19: Hershey 2 at Charlotte 3 (SO)
Frank gave the Bears a 1-0 lead at 1:15 of the opening frame with a breakaway goal on Mack Guzda. Zac Dalpe tied the game at 5:56. The Bears then made it 2-1 at 5:58 of the second period when Shane Gersich deflected Vincent Iorio's point shot for a power-play goal. Henry Bowlby tied the game late in the third at 17:12 to force overtime. No team scored in sudden-death, sending the game to the shootout. Connor McMichael scored in the top of the first round, but Riley Nash equalized and Dalpe scored in the second round, forcing Ethen Frank to score. The forward was denied by Guzda to give the Checkers the win.
LOCAL PRACTICE SCHEDULE FOR WEEK OF FEB. 20:
Monday, Feb. 20
Day off
Tuesday, Feb. 21
10:30 a.m. practice at GIANT Center
Wednesday, Feb. 22
No public practice - team event
Thursday, Feb. 23
Day off
Friday, Feb. 24
10:30 a.m. practice at GIANT Center
All practices are open to the public. Practice dates and times are subject to change.
UPCOMING GAME SCHEDULE:
- Saturday, Feb. 25 vs. Lehigh Valley Phantoms, 7 p.m. - CLICK HERE TO PURCHASE TICKETS
- Faulker Dodge Ram Bucket Hat Night - The first 5,000 fans in attendance will receive a Bears bucket hat, courtesy of Faulkner Dodge Ram
- Sunday, Feb. 26 vs. Belleville Senators, 3 p.m. - CLICK HERE TO PURCHASE TICKETS
- Hersheypark Pass Night - All fans in attendance will receive a 2023 Hersheypark ticket, valid for one-day admission through June 30, 2023.
Video Coverage: AHLTV; Radio Coverage: Bears Radio Network
TEAM NEWS AND NOTES:
PICKING UP POINTS:
The Bears enter the week with points in four straight games (2-0-1-1), and just one point back of the Providence Bruins for first place in the Atlantic Division, and four points back of the Toronto Marlies for the top spot in the Eastern Conference. This week offers the opportunity to remain within striking distance of both clubs, which Hershey will coincidentally face next weekend to complete the upcoming five-game homestand. The Chocolate and White boast the Eastern Conference's best home record with a 17-6-2-1 record for 37 points and a .712 points percentage.
A HAUNTING IN HERSHEY:
Saturday's upcoming game against the Lehigh Valley Phantoms marks the first of Hershey's remaining 10 home games at GIANT Center this season. The Bears will face their I-78 rivals in three of their final 10 matches at home, against a Phantoms squad that Hershey has largely enjoyed success this season with a 7-2-0-0 record. However, the Bears have also dropped their last two meetings against Lehigh Valley, including most recently a 5-1 defeat at home on Feb. 4.
FIRST ON THE BOARD:
With a pair of first goals against Charlotte over the weekend, Ethen Frank has once again vaulted into a tie for the league lead for first goals with six. The rookie forward is tied with Iowa's Nick Swaney and Springfield's Martin Frk for the most first goals. Fellow Bears rookie Hendrix Lapierre is tied for fourth in the league with five first goals. Hershey is tied for the league lead with 33 first goals, and has gone 23-5-3-2 when doing so. The Bears are also 23-7-4-2 when scoring a goal in the first period this season.
STAT UPDATE:
The American Hockey League retroactively awarded an assist to Beck Malenstyn on Bobby Nardella's goal at Wilkes-Barre/Scranton last Wednesday, giving Malenstyn his first helper of the season. It was Malenstyn's first AHL assist since April 5, 2022 at Bridgeport. The Bears are 4-0-1-0 this season when Malenstyn records a point.
BEARS TO GET FIRST LOOK AT NEW BELLEVILLE BENCH BOSS:
Sunday's game against Belleville will feature the second bench boss the Senators have used this season. Less than two weeks after Hershey picked up a 4-2 win at Belleville on Jan. 21, the Ottawa Senators relieved Troy Mann of his head coaching duties of their AHL affiliate following a 5-3 win over Rochester on Feb. 2 and installed David Bell as interim head coach. Since then, the Baby Sens have gone 3-2-1-0. Belleville will come into town to play the Bears on Sunday after visiting Bridgeport on Thursday and Wilkes-Barre/Scranton on Saturday.
PROTAS BACK IN CHOCOLATETOWN:
Earlier today, the Washington Capitals announced the loan of Aliaksei Protas to Hershey. The Belarusian was previously recalled on Feb. 10 and appeared in his 200th professional game on Feb. 12, a 4-1 loss for the Capitals. During his latest recall, Protas also became a father for the first time, as he and his wife Tanya welcomed the birth of a baby girl. So far this season, Protas has appeared in eight games for the Bears, tallying five points (3g, 2a). Hershey is 4-3-1-0 with the 6'6", 225-pound forward in the lineup.
BEARS BITES:
Forward Mason Morelli needs six more points for 100 in his professional career...Defender Aaron Ness is three points away from 200 in his pro career...Forward Mike Sgarbossa is four points away from 400 in his pro career...Defender Logan Day has six assists in his last six games; Hershey is 16-4-2-1 with the fifth-year pro in the lineup...Hunter Shepard is 10-1-2 when allowing two or fewer goals, while Zach Fucale is 11-2-0.
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