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AHL Hershey Bears

Bears Weekly #11: Hershey Wraps up Successful 2021, Looks Ahead to 2022

December 28, 2021 - American Hockey League (AHL)
Hershey Bears News Release


(Hershey, PA) - The Hershey Bears continue the 2021-22 season, presented by Penn State Health, this week with a pair of games. The club closes out 2021 by hosting rival Wilkes-Barre/Scranton on Wednesday before opening 2022 with a home game versus Bridgeport on Sunday.

TEAM INFO:

Record: 13-9-2-1

Standings Position: 4th in Atlantic

TEAM LEADERS:

Goals: Garrett Pilon, Joe Snively (8)

Assists: Joe Snively (15)

Points: Joe Snively (23)

Power Play Goals: Cody Franson, Garrett Pilon, Joe Snively (3)

Shorthanded Goals: Shane Gersich, Kody Clark, Joe Snively (1)

Plus/Minus: Joe Snively (+13)

Wins: Zach Fucale (4)

GAA: Zach Fucale (2.80)

SV%: Zach Fucale (.889)

RECENT RESULTS:

Tuesday, December 21: Lehigh Valley 2, Hershey 1

The Hershey Bears squared off against the Lehigh Valley Phantoms on Dec. 21 at the PPL Center with the Phantoms earning a 2-1 win. Charlie Gerard scored for the Phantoms in the opening frame, and Connor Bunnaman added a goal in the second period to put Lehigh Valley ahead 2-0. In the third period, Ryan Dmowski scored at 16:53 to cut the Lehigh Valley lead to 2-1. The Bears pulled netminder Pheonix Copley in the closing minute and earned a power play to hold a 6-on-4 advantage. Hershey's Garrett Pilon scored as the horn sounded, but the puck did not enter the net until after the clock hit zero.

Monday, December 27: Hershey 4, Wilkes-Barre/Scranton 1

The Chocolate and White won again at Wilkes-Barre/Scranton on Monday, scoring a 4-1 victory. The teams traded power play goals with Sam Poulin scoring for Wilkes-Barre/Scranton in the first period, and Ryan Dmowski tallying for Hershey in the second period to pull into a 1-1 tie. In the final frame, Matt Moulson scored the eventual game-winner at 2:05 on the power play to make it 2-1 Hershey. Dmowski scored again at 11:48, and less than a minute later Beck Malenstyn added an insurance marker at 12:27 to make it 4-1 Hershey. Hershey outshot the Baby Pens 15-3 in the third period. Hunter Shepard earned his first win for the Bears this season, stopping 24 shots.

UPCOMING SCHEDULE:

-Wednesday, Dec. 29 vs Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, 7 p.m.

-Sunday, Jan. 2 vs. Bridgeport, 3 p.m.

Tickets available at HersheyBears.com via Ticketmaster

Video Coverage: AHLTV, Radio Coverage: Bears Radio Network

TEAM NEWS AND NOTES:

2021 RECAP:

The Bears close 2021 this week with the team's final game of the year occuring on Wednesday versus Wilkes-Barre/Scranton. While the Calder Cup was not awarded during the calendar year due to the COVID-19 pandemic, 2021 was a highly successful year for the Chocolate and White. Entering this week, Hershey's record in 2021 over the two seasons is 37-16-4-1. The club won the Macgregor Kilpatrick Trophy as the AHL's regular season champions in the 2020-21 campaign. The club named Scott Allen the 27th head coach in franchise history during the summer and have seen numerous players promoted to the NHL this season. Players who are leading Hershey in scoring during the calendar year 2021 are Joe Snively with 43 points (15g, 28a) and Matt Moulson with 42 points (15g, 28a).

RYAN'S ROLLING:

Forward Ryan Dmowski enjoyed the best game of his AHL career on Monday, posting three points (2g, 1a) in Hershey's win. The first-year Bear has goals in four straight games, tallying five goals and two assists in the stretch. He is tied with Grand Rapids Turner Elson for the longest active goal streak in the AHL. Dmowski has an AHL career-best eight points (6g, 2a) in just 15 games this season. The East Lyme, Conn. native was signed to a professional tryout by Hershey on Nov. 6.

REINFORCEMENTS FROM THE COAST:

With the return of the NHL's Taxi Squad, plus COVID-19 protocol issues with Washington, Hershey has added many players from the ECHL to make up for those called up to the big club. The Bears added familiar faces in forward Will Graber and defenseman Macoy Erkamps this week. Both players played for Hershey during the 2020-21 campaign, and Graber was leading the Fort Wayne Komets in scoring with 23 points (9g, 14a) at the time of his recall. Goaltender Ryan Bednard also returned from ECHL South Carolina, and the club signed forwards Marcus Vela of the Toledo Walleye and Christopher Brown of the Jacksonville IceMen to professional tryouts. Additionally, Jordan Subban, recently recalled from South Carolina, made his Hershey debut on Monday at Wilkes-Barre/Scranton.

BRIDGEPORT RETURNS:

The Bears open 2022 hosting Bridgeport on Jan. 2. It's the first time Bridgeport has visited GIANT Center since Dec. 14, 2019. It's also Hershey's first meeting with the Bridgeport Islanders after the club changed its name from the Sound Tigers this past summer. The Islanders are coached by former Bears captain Brent Thompson, and the club's roster features former Hershey defender Paul LaDue, who played for the Chocolate and White last season. LaDue had eight points (3g, 5a) in 18 games with the Bears during the 2020-21 campaign.

BEARS BITES:

Hershey has started the season 4-0-0-0 versus rival Wilkes-Barre/Scranton for just the second time in team history. The only previous occasion was 2002-03...The Bears scored three power play goals on Monday for the first time this season...The Bears have allowed three power plays or less in three straight games for the first time this season...Jordan Subban enters this week with 299 professional games to his credit...Dmowski's four-game goal scoring streak is a team-best this season. He is 11 games away from tying Alex Giroux's Hershey and American Hockey League record of a goal in 15 straight games, set in 2008-09....Head Equipment Manager Josh Carter is two games from 500 in his professional career, all spent with the Hershey Bears.

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