BEARS GRIND OUT 1-0 WIN OVER THUNDERBIRDS
Dubé scores lone goal for Hershey while Shepard records 18-save shutout
Pierrick Dubé broke a 0-0 deadlock early in the third period, while Hunter Shepard earned his first shutout of the season to push the Hershey Bears (22-6-0-0) to a 1-0 win over the Springfield Thunderbirds (14-9-2-0) in front of a crowd of 9,053 on Sunday evening at GIANT Center.
The Bears extended their win streak against Springfield at home to 10 games in the victory, dating back to March 13, 2019 (5-3 W). Hershey head coach Todd Nelson was credited with his 100th game behind the Bears bench since joining the club for the 2022-23 season, posting a 66-25-9 record.
The first period began with a spirited bout between Bears captain Dylan McIlrath and Thunderbirds forward Sam Bitten at 3:21 that lasted for over half a minute before McIlrath knocked Bitten down to the left of the Hershey bench.
Hershey out-shot Springfield 9-8 in the opening frame, and 4-3 in the second period, but neither team found the back of the net as Shepard and Malcom Subban put up a wall in front of their respective cages through the first 40 minutes of play.
The Bears finally broke through at 5:31 of the third period when Dubé unleashed a slapshot from the right side that struck the shoulder of Subban before trickling over the goal line for a 1-0 lead and Dubé’s team-leading 14th goal of the season. Aaron Ness and Vincent Iorio earned the assists on the goal. Dubé is currently tied for third in the American Hockey League in goal-scoring, and his four game-winners are tied for second in the AHL.
Shots finished 19-18 in favor of Hershey. Shepard stopped all 18 shots he faced to earn his 12th victory of the season, tying him for first in the league; Subban took the loss for Springfield with an 18-for-19 effort. Hershey went 0-for-2 on the power play; the Thunderbirds went 0-for-1 with the man advantage.
The Bears continue the 2023-24 season, presented by Penn State Health, when they visit the Springfield Thunderbirds at MassMutual Center on Friday, Dec. 22 at 7:05 p.m. Hershey is back on home ice for Berks Holiday Ham Shoot Night against the Providence Bruins at GIANT Center on Saturday, Dec. 23 at 7 p.m. All fans are welcome onto the ice postgame to take part in the Berks Holiday Ham Shoot. Purchase tickets for the game by CLICKING HERE.
