BEARS’ HOME WIN STREAK SNAPPED IN 1-0 LOSS TO COMETS
Hershey blanked by 27-save shutout from Utica’s Isaac Poulter
One goal was all that was needed to deal the Hershey Bears (41-10-0-3) their first home loss in nearly two months, as Hershey fell 1-0 to the Utica Comets (23-22-4-3) on Saturday night in front of a crowd of 10,549 at GIANT Center. The loss ended a seven-game home win streak and snapped a five-game (4-0-0-1) point streak for the Bears.
The Bears have now completed three-fourths of their 72-game 2023-24 schedule, with 18 games remaining. Despite the loss, at 41-10-0-3 (85 points), Hershey has still maintained its best start through the first 54 games of a season in team history. Hershey’s Magic Number remains at nine points as a result of tonight’s loss and Springfield’s 7-3 win over Laval.
The game stayed scoreless through the first two periods of play, with Hunter Shepard and Isaac Poulter trading saves at each end of the ice.
Robbie Russo scored the lone goal of the game when he buried a feed at 10:45 of the third past Shepard.
Shots finished 27-26 in favor of the Bears. Shepard went 25-for-26 in the loss for Hershey, his first regulation defeat since Dec. 8 at Syracuse, ending a 14-game stretch without a regulation loss; Poulter earned the shutout victory for Utica with a 27-for-27 effort. The Bears went 0-for-4 on the power play; the Comets went 0-for-2 with the man advantage.
The Bears continue the 2023-24 season, presented by Penn State Health, when they visit the Lehigh Valley Phantoms on Sunday, March 3 at PPL Center at 3:05 p.m. as the club opens a four-game road trip. Hershey returns home to host the Syracuse Crunch on Saturday, March 16 at 7 p.m. at GIANT Center for GIANT Pennant Night. The first 5,000 fans in attendance will receive a Bears pennant, courtesy of GIANT. Purchase tickets for the game by CLICKING HERE.
