The Hershey Bears capped off a difficult set of three games in as many days on Sunday with three wins. Hershey took two different wins over the Providence Bruins by 2-1 scores as well as a 6-2 decision over the Springfield Thunderbirds. The Bears moved to 6-1-1-0 with one game left in October, with Sunday’s win their fourth in a row. Hershey’s group dug deep amidst injuries and lots of bruises to get the wins. Hunter Shepard won both of his starts to be perfect in all five games he’s played.
North to Providence
Hershey opened the weekend in Providence, making their only two appearances at Amica Mutual Pavilion in the 2024-25 campaign. In the first game, the Bears fell behind early on a goal by Tyler Pitlick, which would be the only goal for the fans to celebrate. Shepard turned aside 38 of 39 shots fired his way as the difference-maker in this game. Ethen Frank struck only 25 seconds into the second period and Henrik Rybinski’s first goal of the season stood as the game-winner.
A few common trends of the weekend started with this game, as Hershey killed all four penalties against them. They’d get timely offense from different lines as Frank struck for his sixth of the season. Rybinski’s goal is the latest big contribution from Hershey’s “kid line” alongside Ivan Miroshnichenko and Bogdan Trineyev. Shepard was outstanding, facing double digit shots against in each period.
Bears head coach Todd Nelson wanted the team to start out the weekend strong with a win. Securing the first game helps the next two go smoothly, a big key towards success in three-in-threes. His team would pack up and make the hour and a half trip to Springfield for Saturday’s game.
Taking the Spring from Springfield
The back two games of the road trip would be the most difficult. Hershey had a 7:00 PM date with the Springfield Thunderbirds followed by the trip back to Providence. The Bears would have a date with the Bruins at 3:05 PM on Sunday, leaving precious few hours of turnaround time. However, Nelson’s counter for the travel was bringing every healthy player in the team’s employ and utilizing them over the weekend. The team had three different lineups for all three games.
Hershey lost defenseman Hardy Haman Aktell late in Friday’s game, making the swap to Jake Massie in Saturday’s contest. With the veteran rule playing a factor, Mike Vecchione (who assisted on both goals on Friday) came out in favor of Garrett Roe. Alexander Suzdalev made his AHL debut on the fourth line in addition to Ryan Hofer rejoining the lineup. All four of these players had a hard time finding the lineup due to the team’s depth, but it became an asset on Saturday.
The Bears once again fell behind in Saturday’s game, surrendering two goals and perhaps feeling the weight of the weekend. This weekend is one of just two times this season the Bears will play three games in as many nights. They won’t have a similar stretch until close to the season’s end in April. It’s a far cry from seasons of old but still proves to be a challenge unique to the minor leagues.
Bears Roar for More
Hershey chipped away at the deficit thanks to a lot of power play opportunities. The Bears have one of the league’s top power play units in the early stages of the season and got a lot of time on this night. Alex Limoges buried a perfect setup by Pierrick Dubé on a two-man advantage as the first of three straight power play goals. Chase Priskie tallied the next two as the Bears went three-for-eight overall on the night.
The Bears added three more tallies on the third period. Newly appointed captain Aaron Ness added his first of the season while Limoges buried his second of the game. Riley Sutter, who celebrated his birthday on Friday, got a belated gift with his first goal of the year. It was a good night overall as four players tallied multiple points in the win.
In another oddity for the Bears, goaltender Mitch Gibson made his first appearance in goal since January 7. Clay Stevenson did not make the trip, sustaining an upper-body injury leading up to the weekend. Gibson stepped into the crease with a strong effort, making 26 saves on 28 shots. In particular, he faced 16 shots in the first period before the Bears locked in defensively. The Bears were a perfect four-for-four on the penalty kill in the win.
Photo Finish in Providence
It all added up to one last game in Providence. The Bruins were off on Saturday and had the advantage of rest over the Bears. Hershey did their best to mitigate the rest by incorporating more fresh legs, with Zac Funk making his AHL debut. A few others rotated in, such as Dmitry Osipov’s first game of the new campaign. For the third straight game, the Bears fell behind early and had to rally.
Once again, the early goal would be the only celebration to be had at Amica Mutual Pavilion. The Bears searched for answers and found them with the “kid line” coming through for them. Miroshnichenko followed his teammates on offense and potted the loose change with Trineyev and Rybinski assisting. The goal is the seventh of the season for Hershey’s sophomore sensation as he moves into a tie for second in league scoring. His goal count ranks third overall as he continues to impress.
Ethen Frank continued to be a menace towards the Bruins. In an eerily coincidence to Friday’s game, Frank scored 20 seconds into the third period for his seventh of the season. He and Miroshnichenko rank among the league’s top scorers, and Sunday’s goal was a timely one to put the Bears in front.
Winning Ways
Shepard turned aside all 12 shots he faced in the third with some big stops late in the third. He’d finish with 24 saves on 25 shots in the win. The Bears killed off all three penalties against them to finish perfect on the penalty kill on the weekend. As a result of successfully defending 11 penalties, Hershey’s unit jumped to fourth-best in the league at 90.6% efficiency. A game can’t be won on the penalty kill, but it goes a long way towards success.
Sunday’s win is a gutsy one for this group. The Bears could have understandably come out flat amidst such a challenging schedule. They fell behind for the third time in these three road games, but instead stuck with it and turned it into their latest achievement. Hershey secured its fourth win in a row and has at least a point in their last six games (5-0-1-0). The Bears will get the best from their opponents with an even bigger target on their backs. So far, only the Calgary Wranglers have more points than the Chocolate and White.
Hershey will look to build upon this success with a lot of games at home. The Bears will be back at Giant Center on Wednesday to take on the Lehigh Valley Phantoms. It’ll be the first of five straight on home ice as well as six of their next seven games overall. Hershey will host the Charlotte Checkers next weekend in a major test, as Charlotte is second in the division in a solid start.
