BEARS WRAP SERIES WITH PHANTOMS WITH 4-1 WIN
Hershey earns 51st victory to tie AHL record for wins in a 72-game season
The Hershey Bears (51-12-0-5) earned a 4-1 victory over the Lehigh Valley Phantoms (29-30-6-3) in front of a crowd of 10,034 on Friday night at GIANT Center. Hershey’s 51st victory of the 2023-24 campaign tied the 2022-23 Calgary Wranglers for the American Hockey League record for the most wins in a 72-game regular-season schedule.
With the win, the Bears concluded their regular-season series with Lehigh Valley with a record of 8-2-0-2. Hershey reduced its Magic Number for the American Hockey League’s Macgregor Kilpatrick Trophy for first place in the league to one point. Hershey’s earliest opportunity to clinch first place overall in the AHL can come with a Coachella Valley Firebirds loss to the Bakersfield Condors later tonight in their game at Acrisure Arena in Palm Desert, Calif.
The Bears opened the scoring at 14:48 of the first period when Hershey won a faceoff in the attacking zone, and Garrett Roe found Chase Priskie for a one-timer at the left point, which was redirected by Matthew Phillips past Cal Petersen for his second goal of the season.
Hunter Shepard came up with a big save at 17:20 as Cooper Marody tried to sneak the puck past the netminder at the left post, resulting in a review of the play by the officials, but the goaltender managed to keep it from crossing the goal line entirely, maintaining Hershey’s 1-0 lead.
Ethen Frank wired a power-play goal from the left circle through Petersen at 6:38 of the second for his team-leading 29th of the season.
Garrett Wilson got the Phantoms on the board at 10:40 as he brought the puck around the net and fired a shot near the right post that beat Shepard.
The Bears pulled away in the third period when Logan Day took a pass from Hardy Häman Aktell and snapped a shot from the right circle that beat Petersen upstairs at 6:34 for Day’s fifth of the season. Henrik Rybinski earned a secondary assist.
Joe Snively then made it 4-1 with his 12th of the season at 11:56 when he redirected Priskie’s pass behind Petersen to cap the scoring. Jimmy Huntington also assisted on the goal.
Shots finished 29-25 in favor of Hershey. Shepard went 24-for-25 to earn his 26th win of the season for Hershey; Petersen took the loss for Lehigh Valley with a 25-for-29 effort. The Bears went 1-for-5 on the power play; the Phantoms went 0-for-3 with the man advantage.
The Bears continue the 2023-24 season, presented by Penn State Health, when they visit the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins at Mohegan Sun Arena on Saturday, April 13 at 6:05 p.m. Hershey returns to GIANT Center against the Penguins on Sunday, April 14 at 5 p.m. for Belco Kids Goalie Mask Night. The first 1,000 fans 12-and-under will receive a goalie mask, courtesy of Belco Community Credit Union. Purchase tickets for the game by CLICKING HERE.
