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AHL Hershey Bears

Hershey Weekly

October 21, 2015 - American Hockey League (AHL)
Hershey Bears News Release


The Hershey Bears Hockey Club unfortunately came up short of a winning weekend on its recent trip to Maine, dropping a pair of decisions to the team's new Atlantic Division rival Portland Pirates. Despite the game outcomes, however, two rookie forwards are clicking at a point-per-game out of the gate.

On Saturday, Jakub Vrana netted his first career AHL regular-season goal, a power-play tally that evened the contest. But Wade Megan would answer back late in the second period, and goaltender Mike McKenna turned aside a furious Hershey onslaught in the third to help Portland win their home opener by a score of 3-2. Dustin Gazley opened the scoring with a shorthanded goal just 6:30 into the game, and Justin Peters stopped all eight shots in the opening period to keep the Bears in front after one. In the second, however, forward Logan Shaw scored twice in succession, both times on the power play, and Portland took a 2-1 lead. Vrana's goal tied the contest but Megan put Portland in front for good just 3:03 later. The third period featured 15 shots from the Bears to only six for Portland, but McKenna turned them all aside. Hershey had four quality scoring chances with Peters pulled for a sixth attacker.

In the rematch, another tough middle period would prove too much from which the Bears could recover and the Pirates skated to a 5-2 victory. Portland grabbed the game's first goal, a power-play goal from Rob Schremp. Kyle Rau and Schremp would strike in the second period as well, and the Pirates opened up a 3-0 edge before Paul Carey buried his first Hershey goal. Skating two-on-two with Carter Camper, Carey collected a pass, beat a Pirates defenseman and snapped a shot past the glove of goaltender Sam Brittain. Momentum swings were the theme of the weekend, and once again, Portland grabbed it right back on Schremp's second of the contest, a goal that came while the teams played four-on-four. Early in the third period, Riley Barber fired home his third of the young season but it was the pass from Travis Boyd that highlighted the play. Boyd flew down the left wing and pulled a spin-o-rama move on a Portland defender before whipping a backhand pass across the slot. Barber found it and sent it past Brittain to bring Hershey back within two.

Portland sealed the win when John McFarland was awarded a penalty shot late in the third period and converted it with a shot past Bears backstop Dan Ellis.

The Bears wrap up their four-game season-opening road trip on Friday with their first visit to Utica, New York since 1993 to take on the Comets, then known as the Utica Devils. Hershey then hosts the Hartford Wolf Pack on Saturday for the 78th home opener in franchise history.

HERSHEY BEARS NEWS AND NOTES

CHRIS CLOSES IN: Chris Bourque didn't take long to make his mark in the Hershey lineup, tallying three points (1-2-3) in his first three games back with the Chocolate and White. He now has 502 points (172 goals, 330 assists) in the American Hockey League. 396 of those 502 points (132 goals, 264 assists) have come in a Hershey sweater, in 394 games played - giving Bourque over a point-per-game average production. Four more points will result in Bourque joining just 11 other players to have produced 400 or more points in his Hershey career (Mike Nykoluk, Tim Tookey, Arnie Kullman, Gil Gilbert, Willie Marshall, Dunc Fisher, Roger DeJordy, Mitch Lamoureux, Frank Mario, Ralph Keller and Obie O'Brien).

HAPPY CAMPER: Carter Camper is out to the early scoring lead among his teammates, producing four points (1-3-4) in three games played. Camper has scored a power play goal, assisted on another, and posted two assists at even strength. He is also tied for third on the team in shooting percentage (25%).

BARBER BOMBS AWAY: Rookie Riley Barber got his AHL career off to a flying start, scoring his first two goals in the Bears' season opener at Springfield. He scored his third goal in his third game on Sunday at Portland, and is now tied for third among rookies in goal-scoring and tied for 16th among rookies in points (3-0-3).

CAREY CASHES IN: After setting up the first goal of Hershey's 2015-16 season in Springfield, Paul Carey got himself his first goal of his Bears career on Sunday at Portland. Carey and Carter Camper teamed up to get Hershey on the board on Sunday, and along with linemate Chris Bourque, have recorded nine points (3-6-9) in three games. Carey ranks third on the Bears in shots on goal (seven).

BEARS BULLETS: For the first time since March 17, 1993, the Bears will visit the Utica Memorial Auditorium to take on the Comets...Hershey defeated the then-Utica Devils by a 6-2 count...Martin Brodeur was in goal for the Devils, while Yanick DeGrace picked up the win in the Hershey net...Bears goals came from Eric Dandenault, Tim Tookey, Pat Murray, Chris Jensen, Yanick Dupre and Wes Walz...Former Bears defenseman Paul Jerrard, who won the 1997 Calder Cup in Hershey, is an assistant coach with the Comets...Hershey only faced Utica during the 2013 pre-season, winning 6-0 at GIANT Center on September 27.

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