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AHL Hershey Bears

Hershey Weekly

October 27, 2015 - American Hockey League (AHL)
Hershey Bears News Release


In its first sequence of three games in three days in the young season, the Hershey Bears Hockey Club posted five out of a possible six points - all in thrilling fashion.

In the team's first visit to Utica, New York since March 17, 1993, Bears goaltender Justin Peters thwarted all 19 shots by the Utica Comets and had help from a smothering defense to post his second Hershey win - and second by shutout - in a 1-0 decision. After two scoreless periods featuring both stellar goaltending by Peters and Comets backstop Joe Cannata, and outstanding penalty killing by the squads, captain Garrett Mitchell would find himself alone in the slot against Cannata midway through the third but couldn't find an opening in the Utica net. But later in the period - with only 1:11 left, to be precise - Mitchell poked the rebound of an Aaron Ness shot out of Cannata's clamped-down glove and over the goal line for the only tally of the night and the eventual win.

After four games away from GIANT Center, Hershey came home to a raucous crowd and a visiting Hartford Wolf Pack team that had gone 4-1- 0-0 in its first five. Jayson Megna would give the visitors a 1-0 lead at 12:49 of the middle period, finishing off a two-on-one rush with Brian Gibbons while the teams skated four-on-four. Ryan Stanton would later score the Bears' first goal at home this season to tie the game. Travis Boyd gave Hershey the lead with a power play goal early in the third, but the resilient Wolf Pack battled for the tie on Shawn O'Donnell's first goal of the season. Fans would see the three-on-three overtime for the first time this year, but it only lasted 1:18 when Hartford's Adam Tambellini was whistled for a slashing penalty. On the four-on-three power play - after two goal posts were hit - Chris Bourque buried a feed from Boyd behind Magnus Hellberg, sending the team onto the ice in celebration. Dan Ellis made 22 saves in the Hershey net for his first Hershey victory.

Jakub Vrana provided the excitement in the Sunday rematch between the clubs when he scored with just 12.1 seconds left in regulation to force overtime, but the Wolf Pack survived furious pressure to force a shootout which the club claimed in victory. Nick Tarnasky provided all of Hartford's offense, scoring twice in the contest. Madison Bowey struck for his first AHL goal to answer Tarnasky's first goal, and after the visitors' second tally came at 12:44 of the third, Vrana one-timed a feed from Bourque past Malcolm while the Bears had six attackers on the ice. Bourque answered Gibbons' shootout score, but Marek Hrivik ended the game in the last half of the third round. Peters made 25 saves in earning third star honors.

The Bears travel to Syracuse on Friday before returning home to face the St. John's IceCaps on Saturday and Lehigh Valley Phantoms on Sunday.

HERSHEY BEARS NEWS AND NOTES

BOURQUE NEEDS ONE: Chris Bourque's three-point weekend (1-2-3) gives the three-time Calder Cup champion 505 points (173 goals, 332 assists) in the American Hockey League. 399 of those 505 points (133 goals, 266 assists) have come in a Hershey sweater, in 398 games played - giving Bourque over a point-per-game average production. One more point 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).

BOWEY BURIES FIRST: Rookie defenseman Madison Bowey notched his first professional assist in Saturday's win over Hartford, and followed that up with his first career pro goal in Sunday's shootout loss against the Wolf Pack.

BIG BOYD: Rookie forward Travis Boyd has a productive weekend as well, posting three points (1-2-3) in the two home contests. He is tied for fourth on the team in scoring (1-3-4), with his power play goal one of five that Hershey has scored this season.

STANTON STRIKES: New Bears defenseman Ryan Stanton's first goal with the Bears was also the first goal scored by Hershey at home in the young season. Stanton is tied with Madison Bowey, Connor Carrick and Aaron Ness for the team scoring lead among defensemen with two points (1-1-2).

PETERS IN THE PIPES: Goaltender Justin Peters made 19 saves on Friday night at Utica for the Bears' first shutout of the young season in their 1-0 win. Peters' other victory with the Bears came during his conditioning loan from Washington, which was also by shutout - a 24-save clean sheet at Albany last January 9.

RAISING THE HEARTBEAT: The Bears struck late in all three games this weekend to produce their five points. Captain Garrett Mitchell's winner on Friday at Utica came with 1:11 left in regulation; Chris Bourque's winning goal came 2:50 into overtime on Saturday; and Jakub Vrana's game-tying goal came with 12.1 seconds left in regulation on Sunday.

BEARS BULLETS: The Bears were perfect on all 11 penalty kills on the weekend to tie for the league lead at home, and move to ninth overall (20/23=87%)...Hershey ranks third in shots allowed per game (23.83)...In games that have ended 1-0, Hershey has won six in a row and has not lost by such a score since January 3, 2014 at Adirondack...Hall of Fame Broadcaster Mike "Doc" Emrick introduced the Bears' 1980 Calder Cup championship team in a pre-game ceremony on Saturday, honoring their 35th anniversary.

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