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AHL Hershey Bears

Bears Weekly: First Place on the Line in Critical Road Battles

March 3, 2020 - American Hockey League (AHL)
Hershey Bears News Release


(Hershey, PA) - The Hershey Bears skated in three home games last week, earning a pair of lopsided victories over divisional opponents. The Bears enter a critical week maintaining the top spot in the Atlantic Division, holding a 35-18-3-3 record, good for 76 points. Hershey has competition at the top of the division, as Providence is just two points behind the Bears, and Harford trails Hershey by just three points. The Bears visit the Wolf Pack for games on Friday and Saturday evenings, before playing a Sunday matinee in Providence.

After a 6-1 win over the Charlotte Checkers last Tuesday that saw rookie forward Joe Snively record his first professional hat-trick, the Bears returned to action last Saturday by hosting Wilkes-Barre/Scranton. Hershey blasted the Baby Pens, earning a 5-1 win. Daniel Sprong and Mike Sgarbossa each had three points, and Bobby Nardella added a goal and an assist. Hershey's penalty kill was busy, going 8-for-9 on the evening.

On Sunday, Charlotte got revenge against Hershey, doubling up the Bears, 6-3 at Giant Center. Matt Moulson, Brian Pinho, and Philippe Maillet each tallied for Hershey, but Morgan Geekie recorded a hat-trick for the Checkers to secure the road victory.

UPCOMING GAMES:

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

-Friday, Mar. 6 at Hartford, 7:15 p.m.

-Saturday, Mar. 7 at Hartford, 7 p.m.

-Sunday, Mar. 8 at Providence, 3:05 p.m.

WEEKLY PRACTICE SCHEDULE:

Wednesday, Mar. 4: 10:30 a.m., Practice, Hersheypark Arena

Thursday, Mar. 5: 9 a.m, Practice, Hersheypark Arena

Friday, Mar. 6: 11:15 a.m., Morning Skate, XL Center

Saturday, Mar. 7: 11:15 a.m., Morning Skate, XL Center

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

DANIEL'S DOMINATING DEBUT: Daniel Sprong made quite the impression in his Hershey debut, tallying three points (one goal, two assists), notching the game-winning goal, and earning First Star honors versus his former team, Wilkes-Barre/Scranton. Since the Bears moved to Giant Center, Sprong became the 14th player to register a multi-point game in his Hershey debut, and was the first to notch three points since Keith Aucoin had five points versus Wilkes-Barre/Scranton on Oct. 8, 2008. He is the fourth Bear to score in his Hershey debut this season, joining Alex Alexeyev, Matt Moulson, and Eddie Wittchow.

MIKE MAKES MARK: Hershey forward Mike Sgarbossa returned to the lineup last Saturday, skating for the Bears for the first time since Jan. 5. The center had missed 21 games with a lower-body injury. Sgarbossa's impact was quickly felt as he recorded a three-point contest, registering two goals and an assist in Hershey's win. He ranks second on the team with 38 points, and has collected 1.06 points per game this season. His eight-game point streak ended in Sunday's loss to Charlotte.

MATTY MO HITS 20: Hershey alternate captain Matt Moulson scored his 20th goal of the season in Sunday's loss to Charlotte. He is the first Bear to hit that mark this season, with Brian Pinho (19) and Garrett Pilon (18) approaching the milestone. Moulson is one of 28 players in the AHL this season to score at least 20 goals. In his six seasons in the AHL, Moulson has now scored 20 or more goals five times. He also exceeded 20 goals on four occasions in his NHL career.

STEVIE WONDER: Hershey's roster received a boost with the return of forward Steve Whitney. After being injured in November, Whitney returned to health and was assigned to South Carolina (ECHL). He dominated with the Stingrays, scoring nine points (five goals, four assists) in just five games. He was recalled to Hershey on Monday. In 14 games this season with the Bears, Whitney has registered two goals and two assists. He had 16 points (nine goals, seven assists) in 60 games with the Chocolate and White last year.

BEARS BITES: Hershey's 21 home wins are tied with Hartford and Iowa for the most in the AHL...The Bears are the only team in the AHL to not allow a shorthanded goal on home ice this season...Mike Sgarbossa has assists in his last five road games, tallying eight helpers...With his win Saturday, Vitek Vanecek now ranks ninth in franchise history for wins by a goaltender with 69...Bobby Nardella's 12 power play assists are fourth in the AHL among rookies...Entering this week, Hershey's magic number sits at 23.

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