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AHL Hershey Bears

Phantoms Hand Bears 6-3 Loss Friday Night in Allentown

February 11, 2022 - American Hockey League (AHL)
Hershey Bears News Release


(Allentown, PA) - The Hershey Bears opened a three-game weekend on the road, falling to the Lehigh Valley Phantoms 6-3 on Friday night at the PPL Center. Brian Pinho had a goal and an assist for the Bears and Mike Vecchione added three helpers, but the Chocolate and White fell to 23-14-3-3 on the season. The Bears are now 0-3-0-0 this season at the PPL Center.

The Phantoms opened the scoring early at just 1:21 of the opening period on Brennan Saulnier's third goal of the season. Matthew Strome picked up the lone helper on the game's icebreaking goal. Saulnier snuck the puck underneath the left pad of Hershey goaltender Zach Fucale at the left post to give the Phantoms the 1-0 advantage.

Alex Kile doubled Lehigh Valley's lead at 8:28, scoring the Phantoms second goal on their second shot of the game. Strome picked up a second helper, feeding Kyle alone in front of Fucale, and the forward slid the puck backhand to forehand, and through the Hershey goaltender to make it 2-0.

Pinho responded for Hershey on the power play at 16:26, extending his point streak to five games. The forward tipped a Cody Franson center-point shot past Lehigh Valley goaltender Felix Sandstrom to make it 2-1. Mike Vecchione also assisted on Pinho's 4th goal of the season.

The Phantoms tallied one more goal before the period ended as Strome added to his big night with his second goal of the season to make it 3-1 Phantoms at 19:23.

The home team would score twice more in the middle frame. Logan Day struck from the right circle, snapping a shot over the glove of Fucale and right under the crossback to make it 4-1 Lehigh Valley at 14:13. Hayden Hodgson and Cal O'Reilly assisted.

O'Reilly would add a power play goal at 18:49, connecting for his 10th marker of the season over the blocker of a screened Fucale to put Lehigh Valley in front 5-1 after 40 minutes.

Hunter Shepard replaced Fucale in the Hershey net to start the third period, and the Bears responded to head coach Scott Allen's move as Axel Jonsson-Fjallby made it 5-2 only 21 seconds into the period. Vechhione and Pinho assisted on Jonsson-Fjallby's 14th of the season.

Allen got aggressive in the closing minutes, pulling Shepard with just under six minutes to play, and Hershey's Mason Morelli scored a 6-on-5 goal off a Sandstrom rebound at 15:09 to pull Hershey within two goals. Vecchione picked up his third assist on the tally that made it 5-3 Phantoms, but that's as close as Hershey would come, as Lehigh Valley sealed the win with an empty net goal by Garrett Wilson with 38.7 seconds remaining.

Shots finished up 20-14 in favor of Hershey. The Bears went 1-for-3 on the power play, while Lehigh Valley was 1-for-1.

The Bears are back in action tomorrow on home ice versus the Belleville Senators at 7 p.m. It's a Truly Takeover at GIANT Center. Ticket information is available at HersheyBears.com.

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