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AHL Hershey Bears

Bears Weekly #21: Madness of March Arrives

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


(Hershey, PA) - The Hershey Bears continue the 2021-22 season, presented by Penn State Health, with three Atlantic Division games this week. The Bears host Charlotte on Wednesday, before visiting Springfield on Friday and traveling to Hartford on Saturday.

TEAM INFO:

Record: 26-19-3-3

Standings Position: 4th in Atlantic

TEAM LEADERS:

Goals: Axel Jonsson-Fjallby (16)

Assists: Mike Vecchione (22)

Points: Axel Jonsson-Fjallby (34)

Power Play Goals: Garrett Pilon, Mike Vecchione (5)

Shorthanded Goals: Shane Gersich, Brian Pinho (2)

Plus/Minus: Lucas Johansen (+21)

Wins: Pheonix Copley (13)

GAA: Hunter Shepard (1.93)

SV%: Hunter Shepard (.926)

Only includes players on the active roster

RECENT RESULTS:

Friday, February 25: Hershey 4 at Utica 0

The Bears earned a 4-0 victory over Utica at the Adirondack Bank Center last Friday. Hershey's Zach Fucale recorded a 34-save shutout as Hershey blanked the Eastern Conference's top team on the road. Aliaksei Protas opened the scoring for Hershey on the power play at 5:25, striking from the right circle for his third goal of the season. Mike Vecchione, celebrating his 29th birthday, scored on a breakaway at 2:53 of the middle frame, and Brian Pinho added two goals, including an empty net marker in the third period to give Hershey the win. Lucas Johansen and Mason Morelli each had a pair of assists for Hershey.

Sunday, February 27: Utica 3 at Hershey 1

The Bears dropped the rematch to Utica on Sunday, losing 3-1 at GIANT Center. Vitek Vanecek made 21 saves in a conditioning start for Hershey, and both goaltenders were strong in Sunday's contest, with Vanecek and Utica goaltender Akira Schmid trading saves in the first 40 minutes. The game remained scoreless after two periods. In the third period, Utica's Joe Gambardella broke the scoreless draw just 16 seconds into the frame, and Utica captain Ryan Schmelzer made it 2-0 at 8:53, scoring after his deflection hit Hershey's Dylan McIlrath in the foot and bounced into the net. Hershey would finally solve Schmid at 11:28 on the power play as Jake Massie scored his first goal as a Bear, but Schmelzer sealed the win with an empty net goal at 19:07 to give the Comets the victory.

UPCOMING SCHEDULE:

- Wednesday, Mar. 2 vs Charlotte, 7 p.m.

Hersheypark Pass Night (All Fans)

- Friday, Mar. 4 at Springfield, 7:05 p.m.

- Saturday, Mar. 5 at Hartford, 7:30 p.m.

Video Coverage: AHLTV, Radio Coverage: Bears Radio Network

TEAM NEWS AND NOTES:

THE ROAD AHEAD:

With March officially here, the Hershey Bears are bracing for the push towards the 2022 Calder Cup Playoffs. The Bears have 25 games remaining on their schedule this season, and all three games this week are Atlantic Division battles. In fact, Hershey's next six games are divisional contests, and 21 of the final 25 games will be played versus divisional rivals. Hershey still has seven contests left this season versus Keystone State opponent Lehigh Valley, including three of the club's four home games this month. Of the 25 games left, only nine contests are on home ice.

FANTASTIC FUCALE:

Hershey goaltender Zach Fucale is coming off his best game of the season, stopping a season-high 34 shots in a 4-0 whitewash of the Utica Comets last Friday. The shutout came in his 100th career AHL appearance, and it was Fucale's first AHL clean sheet of the year. He also had a shutout in his NHL debut earlier this year, blanking the Detroit Red Wings 2-0 on Nov. 11. For Fucale, Friday's win was his second shutout as a Bear, and his first since Feb. 27, 2021 versus Binghamton.

JAKE JOINS IN:

Defenseman Jake Massie scored his first goal as a member of the Bears last Sunday versus Utica. Massie's tally came in his 28th game with the club, and it was his first AHL goal since Jan. 25, 2020. That day, he had a goal and an assist as a member of the Springfield Thunderbirds in a home game versus Bridgeport. Massie has two points (1g, 1a) with the Bears this season, and in his AHL career, he's struck for seven points (4g, 3a).

SPECIAL TEAMS SUCCESS:

Hershey enters this week ranking top-10 in the AHL on both the power play and the penalty kill. On the man-advantage, Hershey is 37-for-175, good for a 21.1% conversion rate, ranking 8th in the league. On the penalty kill, the Chocolate and White sit at 82.3%, good for 8th in the AHL as well. Hershey has scored the third most shorthanded goals in the league with nine, including a league-best seven shorthanded markers on home ice.

STRONG IN THE SECOND:

The Bears best period of play this season continues to be the middle stanza. Hershey has outscored opponents 53-38, good for a +15 goal differential. The 38 goals allowed in the second period is the second lowest total in the league, only trailing Abbotsford (33). The Bears are also outshooting opponents 545-448 in the middle frame.

BEARS BITES:

Hershey is 3-2-0-0 versus Charlotte this season, with Garrett Pilon tallying seven points (4g, 3a) in four games versus the Checkers this season...

Hershey is 2-0-1-0 versus Springfield, and Friday's game at the MassMutual Center in the Bears' final visit this season... Hershey's Jake Massie, Eddie Wittchow, and Mike Sgarbossa are all former Thunderbirds...The Bears are 1-2-0-1 versus Hartford this season, and Saturday's visit to the XL Center will be the club's first since Nov. 20...Hershey's Axel Jonsson-Fjallby has scored the first goal of the game five times this season, a mark tied for second in the AHL and just one off the league lead.

Check out the Hershey Bears Statistics



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