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AHL Hershey Bears

Bears Weekly: December to Remember Has Bears Rolling Going into 2020

December 31, 2019 - American Hockey League (AHL)
Hershey Bears News Release


(Hershey, PA) - The Hershey Bears ended 2019 with an impressive month of December to move just two points off the division lead. The Chocolate and White have won 10 of the past 11 games and currently sit at 18-10-2-3, good for 41 points, only two points back of both Hartford and Providence. The Bears open 2020 this week with another three in three, visiting Wilkes-Barre/Scranton on Friday, before hosting Bridgeport Saturday and Sunday at Giant Center.

Hershey won its 9th straight game last Friday, earning a 6-5 overtime victory at Utica. Kody Clark scored his first AHL goal in the win, tallying one of Hershey's four goals in the first period. Mike Sgarbossa was the hero, scoring the winning goal on the power play in overtime.

The winning streak came to an end on Saturday in a 2-1 loss at Giant Center to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton. A disallowed goal stalled Hershey's fast start, and Matt Moulson's power play tally in the second period was the only shot that beat Wilkes-Barre/Scranton netminder Dustin Tokarski.

On Sunday, Hershey blanked the Lehigh Valley Phantoms, 3-0, at the PPL Center. Joe Snively, Garrett Pilon, and Brian Pinho had second period goals, and goaltender Parker Milner stopped all 19 shots he faced to earn the victory.

UPCOMING GAMES:

Tickets to all home games are on sale now at the Giant Center Box Office, or online via Ticketmaster.

-Friday, Jan. 3 at Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, 7:05 p.m.

-Saturday, Jan. 4 vs Bridgeport, 7 p.m.

BOGO Dietz & Watson Hot Dogs

-Sunday, Jan. 5 vs Bridgeport, 3 p.m.

STAR WARS Night

WEEKLY PRACTICE SCHEDULE:

Wednesday, Jan. 1: DAY OFF-HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Thursday, Jan. 2: 10:30 a.m., Giant Center

Friday, Jan. 3: 10 a.m., Morning Skate, Giant Center

Saturday, Jan. 4: 10 a.m., Morning Skate, Giant Center

*Practice schedule subject to change. Follow @TheHersheyBears on Twitter for updates.

Player Appearances

Upcoming appearances for select players include the Old Barn Hockey Live Show on Monday, Jan. 6 from 7-8 p.m. at The Bears' Den at the Hershey Lodge.

DECEMBER TO REMEMBER: The Bears went 10-1-0-0 in December, a month that saw them move from 6th in the Atlantic Division to 3rd. Mike Sgarbossa led the way for the club in December with 14 points (three goals, 11 assists) in 11 games. Vitek Vanecek was 6-1-0 in goal with a 1.70 goals against average and .937 save percentage in the month. Hershey's special teams also played a large part, as the power play went 7-for-33 (21.2%) in December, while the penalty kill went 47-for-52 (90.4%). Hershey also earned four overtime wins in the month, giving the club a league-leading five overtime wins on the season.

FOR THE LOVE OF MIKE: Hershey forward Mike Sgarbossa finished 2019 strong. Hershey's leading scorer is currently on a four-game point streak, collecting one goal and six assists in that span. His four-point game on Dec. 27 at Utica (one goal, three assists) tied a personal-best for points in a single game in his AHL career. Sgarbossa ranks 3rd in the AHL in scoring, collecting 32 points (11 goals, 21 assists) in 31 games this season.

PILON POURS IT ON: Forward Garrett Pilon enjoyed a strong three games last weekend, notching points in each contest. He earned his first AHL multi-goal game in a three-point performance at Utica on Dec. 27. The 2016 3rd round selection of Washington has 17 points (six goals, 11 assists) in 32 games so far this season for the Chocolate and White.

PARKER'S PERFECT: It was a short but sweet stint for goaltender Parker Milner with the Bears. Milner was called up from South Carolina last week due to an injury to Pheonix Copley. In his first AHL start in over a year, the goaltender was perfect in Sunday's win at Lehigh Valley, stopping 19 shots to earn his first career AHL shutout in a 3-0 win. On Monday, he was returned to the Stingrays where he leads the ECHL in goals against average (1.86) and shutouts (5).

BEARS BITES: Forward Chris McCarthy played in his 100th career AHL game in the 3-0 win at Lehigh Valley on Sunday...Defender Bobby Nardella has 10 points (one goal, nine assists) in 12 games, averaging .83 points per game, a mark good for 4th among all AHL defenders who have played at least 10 games...Joe Snively's three game-winning goals are the most among rookies in the AHL. Snively also has goals in five straight road games...Matt Moulson has goals in three straight home games for Hershey...Hershey's penalty kill has moved up to 2nd in the AHL at 86.8%, trailing only the Charlotte Checkers who are at 89.6%...Defender Lucas Johansen returned to the lineup this past Saturday. He had missed 22 games with a lower-body injury.

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American Hockey League Stories from December 31, 2019


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