Bears Weekly: Hershey Looks for Strong Run to Finish Line
March 27, 2018 - American Hockey League (AHL)
Hershey Bears News Release
(Hershey, PA) - The Hershey Bears split a home-and-home with the Hartford Wolf Pack last week with the road team getting the victory each night. The Bears have eight games left in the regular season, and hold a 28-31-4-5 record, which ranks them 7th in the Atlantic Division. The club's loss last Sunday to Hartford eliminated Hershey from playoff contention, marking just the 13th time in the franchise's 80-year history that the Bears will not make the Calder Cup Playoffs. Despite this, Hershey will look to finish the season strong, and the club opens a three-game week at Bridgeport Wednesday. They then head to Utica for a Friday game, before returning to the Giant Center on Saturday to host Laval.
Last Saturday, the Bears earned a 2-1 win over the Wolf Pack as they bested Hartford at the XL Center. After a scoreless opening frame, defender Madison Bowey put Hershey ahead in the second period, but Cole Schneider tied the game shortly after. A blocked shot by the face of Connor Hobbs kept the game tied through 40 minutes, setting up the game-winning goal for Bowey in the third period. Hershey goaltender Vitek Vanecek finished with 22 saves in the win, and Hershey ended the year a perfect 3-0-0-0 in Hartford.
The two teams rematched Sunday at Giant Center, and the Wolf Pack came away with a 4-2 win. Hartford bolted out to a 2-0 lead thanks to goals from Vinni Lettieri and former Bear John Albert. Hershey got goals from Zach Sill and Liam O'Brien, but the first professional goal for Hartford defender Ryan Lindgren proved to be the winning marker.
UPCOMING GAMES/PROMOTIONS:
-Wednesday, Mar. 28 at Bridgeport, 7 p.m.
-Friday, Mar. 30 at Utica, 7 p.m.
-Saturday, Mar. 31 vs. Laval, 7 p.m.
Dietz & Watson Ham Shoot Night
WEEKLY PRACTICE SCHEDULE:
Wednesday, Mar. 28: 11:15 a.m., Morning Skate, Webster Bank Arena
Thursday, Mar. 29: 1:30 p.m., Practice, Adirondack Bank Center
Friday, Mar. 30: 11:15 a.m., Morning Skate, Adirondack Bank Center
Saturday, Mar. 31: 10:00 a.m., Optional Morning Skate, Giant Center
*Practice schedule subject to change. Follow @TheHersheyBears on Twitter for updates.
HERSHEY BEARS NEWS AND NOTES
RARE OFF YEAR: For the Hershey Bears, not qualifying for the Calder Cup Playoffs is a rarity. This is the first time the Bears have not qualified for the playoffs since 2013-14. The Chocolate and White will look to return strong next year as the Bears have failed to qualify for the playoffs in back-to-back years just three times in the franchise's 80-year history.
¡AY, CARAMBA!: Forward Wayne Simpson is playing some of his best hockey down the stretch. He has points in five straight games, posting seven points (one goal, six assists) in that stretch. The forward has 39 points (13 goals, 26 assists) in 68 games, just three goals, and 10 points, off of his career-high set last year with Providence.
BOWEY BREAKS OUT: Madison Bowey has played a key role since returning to the Bears from Washington. The defender has five points (two goals, three assists) in seven games with the Bears this year. He scored both goals in the 2-1 win at Hartford on Saturday, making this the first two-goal performance of his AHL career. He also tallied his first career AHL regular season game-winning goal in that contest. For Bowey, the goals were a long time coming. The defender had zero goals and 12 assists in 51 games with the Capitals this season.
UPCOMING LANDMARKS: Last week, Nathan Walker scored his 100th AHL point. Walker is not the only Bear who is making noise in the milestone department. Forward Jeremy Langlois is just one assist from 50 in his AHL career. Alternate captain Zach Sill is just two games from 200 in his Hershey career, while captain Garrett Mitchell is just two games from 400 in his pro career. Chris Bourque is just three games from 600 games with the Chocolate and White.
LIAM GOES FOR 20: Liam O'Brien scored again on Saturday, giving him 17 goals on the season, a mark good for second on the team. O'Brien hopes to hit 20 goals, a milestone he has never achieved in the pro ranks. O'Brien scored 20 goals in his last junior season with Rouyn-Noranda in 2013-14. O'Brien has two goals vs. Wednesday's opponent, Bridgeport, this season.
BEARS BITES: Pheonix Copley was re-assigned to Hershey on Monday after a brief recall to Washington where he saw no game action...Since the Utica Comets came into the AHL in 2013, the Bears are 3-0-0-0 at the Adirondack Bank Center at the Utica Memorial Auditorium.
American Hockey League Stories from March 27, 2018
- Thunderbirds Sign F Horton to PTO - Springfield Thunderbirds
- Texas Signs Joel L'Esperance to Amateur Tryout - Texas Stars
- Tomkins Recalled by Rockford - Rockford IceHogs
- Pheonix Copley Recalled by Capitals - Hershey Bears
- Former Syracuse Crunch Forward Eric Neilson to Headline Crunch Classic April 14 - Syracuse Crunch
- Syracuse Crunch Weekly - Syracuse Crunch
- Griffins Continue Playoff Push with Three Games in Four Nights - Grand Rapids Griffins
- Alexandar Georgiev Returns from NY Rangers, Chris Nell Reassigned to ECHL Greenville - Hartford Wolf Pack
- Iowa Wild Announces Guaranteed Dates for 2018-19 Season - Iowa Wild
- Amerks Release Powell from ATO - Rochester Americans
- G John Muse Reassigned to Reading Royals - Lehigh Valley Phantoms
- Weekly: Well-Traveled Penguins Come Home for Big Showdowns with P-Bruins - Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins
- Condors Host Princess Night and First Responders Night - Bakersfield Condors
- AHL All-Star Highmore Assigned to Rockford - Rockford IceHogs
- Sabres Assign Bailey to Amerks - Rochester Americans
- Admirals Add Two More Games to Television Schedule - Milwaukee Admirals
- Two More American Hockey League Games Coming to TSN - AHL
- Jets Assign Michael Hutchinson to the Manitoba Moose - Manitoba Moose
- Bears Weekly: Hershey Looks for Strong Run to Finish Line - Hershey Bears
- D David Drake Signed to ATO - Lehigh Valley Phantoms
- Penguins Sign Alex D'Orio and Jan Drozg to ATOs - Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins
- Comets Return Michael Garteig on Loan to Kalamazoo - Utica Comets
- Playoff-Bound Phantoms Back at PPL Center this Friday, Saturday - Lehigh Valley Phantoms
- The Bridgeport Report - Week 25 - Bridgeport Islanders
- Moose Dropped by Rockford - Manitoba Moose
- Hogs Bolster Playoff Pedigree with 4-2 Win in Manitoba - Rockford IceHogs
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.
