AHL Hershey Bears

Bears Weekly #23: Hershey Looks for Win #3000 North of Border

Published on March 15, 2022 under American Hockey League (AHL)
Hershey Bears News Release


(Hershey, PA) - The Hershey Bears continue the 2021-22 season, presented by Penn State Health, with a three-game trip to Canada this week. Hershey, who has won three straight games, plays in Toronto on Thursday afternoon, visits Belleville Friday evening, before finishing with a mid-day contest at Laval on Saturday. Hershey enters this week with 2,998 wins in franchise history, and the Bears will look to become the first AHL team to hit 3,000 wins with a pair of victories in Canada.

TEAM INFO:

Record: 29-21-4-3

Standings Position: 5th in Atlantic

TEAM LEADERS:

Goals: Garrett Pilon (15)

Assists: Cody Franson (20)

Points: Garrett Pilon (32)

Power Play Goals: Garrett Pilon (5)

Shorthanded Goals: Shane Gersich, Brian Pinho (2)

Plus/Minus: Lucas Johansen (+24)

Wins: Pheonix Copley (14)

GAA: Pheonix Copley (2.39)

SV%: Pheonix Copley (.912)

Only includes players on the active roster

RECENT RESULTS:

Friday, Mar. 11: Hershey 2 at Bridgeport 1

The Hershey Bears scored a 2-1 win at Bridgeport last Friday. Lucas Johansen opened the scoring for Hershey, striking only 5:04 into the game to give the Bears a 1-0 lead. It was the first time Hershey has scored in the game's first period in five games. Jeff Kubiak tied the game for Bridgeport at 12:29 of the period, but only nine seconds later, Beck Malenstyn responded to give Hershey a 2-1 lead. That would be all the scoring in Friday's game, as goaltender Pheonix Copley stopped 27 shots for the Bears to earn the win. Hershey did not have a power play in the game.

Sunday, Mar. 13: Hershey 2, Lehigh Valley 0

The Bears claimed a 2-0 win over Lehigh Valley last Sunday, earning a third straight victory. Zach Fucale recording his third consecutive shutout victory, stopping 29 shots to earn the clean sheet. After a scoreless first period, Hershey got the eventual game-winning goal at 16:52 of the middle frame. Marcus Vela redirected a Mason Morelli shot from the slot past Lehigh Valley goaltender Felix Sandstrom to make it 1-0. In the third period, the goalies traded saves, and in the closing minutes, Sandstrom raced to the bench for an extra attacker. Before he could even get off the ice, Hershey's Mike Sgarbossa scored into the vacated goal to make it 2-0 Hershey. The goal was Sgarbossa's 9th of the season and his first since returning from injury.

UPCOMING SCHEDULE:

-Thursday, Mar. 17 at Toronto, 1:30 p.m.

-Friday, Mar. 18 at Belleville, 7 p.m.

-Saturday, Mar. 19 at Laval, 3 p.m.

Video Coverage: AHLTV, Radio Coverage: Bears Radio Network

TEAM NEWS AND NOTES:

FUCALE REWRITES THE HISTORY BOOKS:

Hershey's Zach Fucale became the first goaltender in Hershey's 84-year franchise history to post three consecutive shutout wins thanks to a 29-save clean sheet versus Lehigh Valley last Sunday. Fucale is the first Bears goaltender in the modern era to record three straight shutouts, and the second in franchise history to post three straight zeros. Nick Damore is the only other goaltender to record three straight shutouts (two wins, one tie) during the 1939-40 season. Damore holds the overall franchise record for the longest scoreless streak by a goaltender at 221:02, set over five games in that same season. Fucale enters this week having not allowed a goal in 190:02 of playing time, trailing Damore's club record by 31 minutes.

CHASING DOWN 3000:

Hershey enters this week with 2,998 career victories in franchise history. With a pair of wins in Canada, the Bears would become the first team in American Hockey League history to record 3,000 regular season wins. The Bears first win in the AHL came in the club's first game in the league as Hershey skated to a 2-1 win over Providence on home ice on Nov. 5, 1938. Since then, the Bears have gone on to become the gold standard of the league, serving as the oldest continually-operating franchise in the AHL, and winning more Calder Cups (11) than any other team.

O' CANADA:

Hershey heads to Canada for three games over three days this week, and it'll mark Hershey's first visit to the Great White North since the opening month of the 2019-20 season. Hershey last visited Canada on Oct. 16-19, 2019, claiming victories in Belleville and Laval after failing in Toronto to open the trip. Hershey will play those same three teams again on this trip, visiting Toronto on Thursday at 1:30, skating in Belleville at 7 p.m. on Friday, and finishing versus Laval on Saturday at 3 p.m. Hershey has played all three of those teams earlier this year at GIANT Center, beating Belleville 5-4 on Feb. 12, but losing to Laval by a score of 4-2 on Dec. 12, and falling to Toronto, 4-3, in overtime on Jan. 15.

SHUTTING IT DOWN:

Over three victories last week, Hershey allowed just one goal. The Bears now rank third in the league in goals against, surrendering just 2.69 goals per game. Netminder Pheonix Copley ranks ninth in the AHL with a 2.39 goals-against average, while Zach Fucale is 16th at 2.59. Hershey's penalty kill now sits at sixth in the AHL at 82.6%, and in the three wins last week, Hershey was 9-for-9 on the kill.

VECCHIONE TO THE SHOW:

Center Mike Vecchione was recalled by the NHL's Washington Capitals on Tuesday. Vecchione has posted 36 points (12g, 24a) in 43 games this season with the Bears. He leads Hershey in assists (24) and power play points (18). He is tied for first on the club in power play goals (5), and ranks second in points (36). If he plays for Washington, it will mark Vecchione's third NHL game, and his first since he skated with the Philadelphia Flyers on Apr. 9, 2017 versus Carolina.

BEARS BITES:

Hershey's Kody Clark and Tobias Geisser each enter this week with 97 career AHL games played...Defender Dylan McIlrath is still just one point from 100 in his AHL career while fellow blue liner Cody Franson is two tallies from 100 professional goals...Hershey recalled forward Drake Rymsha from Fort Wayne (ECHL) on Monday. Rymsha has seven assists in 32 games with Hershey this season...The Bears also announced that forward Brian Pinho is out indefinitely after having a successful surgery on this shoulder on Mar. 11.

Check out the Hershey Bears Statistics

Share: Facebook | Twitter/X | LinkedIn | Reddit | Email



American Hockey League Stories from March 15, 2022


The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.

OurSports Central