Bears Shut Down Norfolk 3-1 Sunday
Published on December 26, 2010 under American Hockey League (AHL)
Hershey Bears News Release
HERSHEY showed little rust in returning from holiday break Sunday, defeating the Norfolk Admirals 3-1 at Giant Center.
The BEARS took 12 of the first 14 shots in the game Sunday, and took a 1-0 lead at the 8:13 mark of the first when Zach Miskovic scored his third of the season. Miskovic placed a tip of a Patrick McNeill shot over the shoulder of Norfolk goaltender Dustin Tokarski to give the Chocolate and White the early lead. Keith Aucoin also registered an assist on the lamp-lighter, and HERSHEY took a 1-0 lead to first intermission.
Norfolk countered with a Chris Durno even-strength goal at 7:19 of the second to tie the game. Durno took a pass from rookie forward Johan Harju and put the puck past Braden Holtby, evening the contest. It would prove to be the only goal allowed by Holtby all night. The game remained tied into the third period, when Aucoin picked up his eighth goal of the season. Positioned along the back dasher board, the reigning AHL Most Valuable Player banked a puck off Tokarski and in at 5:20 of the third to give the BEARS a 2-1 lead. Steve Pinizzotto added an empty-net tally at 18:57 to put the game on ice. Holtby nearly became the first BEARS goaltender to score a goal into an empty net in the closing seconds. With Tokarski again pulled for an extra attacker, Holtby lined up a shot from the side of his net that rang off the right post as time wound down. The win for HERSHEY pulled the club within five points of the second place Admirals in the East Division race.
BEARS Radio Network Three Stars of the game:
1. Keith Aucoin (Third period game-winner)
2. Braden Holtby (Allowed just one goal to earn his eighth win)
3. Zach Miskovic (First period goal on power play)
Notes: The BEARS return to action Tuesday at home against Binghamton at 7:00 p.m., the finale of a four-game homestand. Andrew Gordon, Mathieu Perreault and Jay Beagle all remain on recall to Washington with the NHL Winter Classic looming on Saturday. Norfolk entered the game tops in the AHL in goals scored with 121. HERSHEY travels to Pittsburgh Thursday to face the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins at the new Consol Energy Center at 7:30 p.m.
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