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AHL Hershey Bears

Bears Take on Penguins in Weekend Home-And-Home Set

November 1, 2022 - American Hockey League (AHL)
Hershey Bears News Release


(Hershey, PA) - The Hershey Bears continue the 2022-23 season, presented by Penn State Health, with a home-and-home set against the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins this weekend. The Bears visit the Baby Pens for the first time this season on Saturday, before returning home to GIANT Center to continue the latest installment of the I-81 rivalry on Sunday.

TEAM INFO:

Record: 3-2-2-0

Standings Position: 6th in Atlantic

TEAM LEADERS:

Goals: Mike Vecchione (3)

Assists: Mason Morelli, Mike Vecchione (5)

Points: Mike Vecchione (8)

Power-Play Goals: Mike Vecchione (2)

Shorthanded Goals: Riley Sutter (1)

Plus/Minus: Four Players (+2)

Wins: Zach Fucale (3)

GAA: Zach Fucale (2.23)

SV%: Hunter Shepard (.921)

Only includes players on active roster

RECENT RESULTS:

Friday, Oct. 28: Hershey 2 at Hartford 4

The Bears surrendered the first goal of the game for the first time this season, as Gustav Rydahl scored for Hartford just over three and a half minutes into the match. The Wolf Pack built a 3-0 lead by the time Ethen Frank scored a power-play goal for the Bears at 14:05 of the second period, but Hartford tacked on another goal less than five minutes into the third period. Lucas Johansen pulled Hershey back to within a pair of goals with his first of the season at 14:05, but the Bears were unable to close the gap. Zach Fucale finished the night with 23 saves for Hershey.

Saturday, Oct. 29: Hershey 1 vs. Wilkes-Barre/Scranton 2 (OT)

Sonny Milano scored his first goal on GIANT Center ice at 6:48 of the first period, but the Penguins equalized late in the frame on a goal from Corey Andonovski. The evening was a classic goaltending duel between Hunter Shepard and Filip Lindberg, with both goaltenders trading highlight-reel saves throughout the remainder of regulation and even into sudden-death overtime. Filip Hallander eventually scored at 3:32 of the extra session to win it for the Penguins. Shepard finished the night with 27 saves.

Sunday, Oct. 30: Hershey 4 vs. Lehigh Valley 1

The Bears broke their winless skid thanks to a breakout game from Mike Sgarbossa, who tallied his first two goals in the first period thanks to assists on both tallies from Mike Vecchione and Sam Anas. Vecchione went on to add a power-play goal of his own at 7:34 in the third period. Bobby Nardella also added a goal and an assist, and Zach Fucale made 22 saves as Hershey improved to 3-0-1-0 at home to start the season.

UPCOMING GAME SCHEDULE:

- Saturday, Nov. 5 at Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, 6:05 p.m.

- Sunday, Nov. 6 vs. Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, 4:30 p.m.

TV Coverage (Sunday only): FOX43; Video Coverage: AHLTV; Radio Coverage: Bears Radio Network

TEAM NEWS AND NOTES:

GAAARRETT...:

Forward Garrett Pilon led the Bears last week with three assists, dishing out a helper in each of Hershey's three games, and enters this week riding a three-game assist streak, matching his previous career-high. The fifth-year pro put up three assists in an identical three-in-three stretch last season from Dec. 17-19.

AN UNSTOPPABLE FORCE MEETS AN UNMOVABLE WALL:

This weekend's pair of games will feature an intriguing statistical matchup, as the Bears have excelled at suppressing opposing shots to the net, leading the AHL with a league-low 24.57 shots against per game. At the other end of the spectrum, the Penguins lead the Eastern Conference and rank second overall in generating shots on goal, averaging 34 shots per game.

HOME COOKING:

The Bears lead the league with a 3-0-0-0 record at home this season when leading after the first period. Hershey is also one of three clubs with a 3-0-0-0 record at home when out-shooting their opponent, along with the Calgary Wranglers and Rochester Americans.

DYNAMIC DUO:

Zach Fucale and Hunter Shepard each saw time in net last week for Hershey, with Fucale posting a 1-1-0 record with a 2.56 goals-against average and a 0.900 save percentage over two appearances, while Shepard went 0-0-1 along with a 1.90 GAA with a 0.931 save percentage. The goaltending tandem is one of five that ranks in the AHL's top 20 in GAA for the season, with Fucale (2.23) ranked 15th and Shepard (2.42) at 20th.

BEARS BITES:

The Bears enter the week with a 0-0-1-0 record against Wilkes-Barre/Scranton...Three of Hershey's next six games will be against their I-81 rivals...Wilkes-Barre/Scranton enters the week riding a league-leading six-game winning streak dating back to Oct. 21...Saturday's overtime loss at home to the Penguins was the first time since Dec. 30, 2017 (coincidentally, also a 2-1 overtime loss) that Hershey had fallen at home in overtime to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton in the regular season...Sonny Milano needs one point for 200 in his pro career...Sam Anas needs three goals for his 100th professional goal...Mike Vecchione needs three assists for his 100th professional assist.

Check out the Hershey Bears Statistics



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