The Hershey Bears completed a set of three games in as many days on Sunday afternoon with their first matchup against the Bridgeport Islanders. Goaltender Mitch Gibson made his American Hockey League debut in the game, helping backstop the Bears while Mike Sgarbossa scored in his 600th professional game in overtime to give the visitors the win. Hershey won its fourth straight game and took six points out of six in a difficult weekend stretch.
Chocolate Covered Scoring
It was another strong start for the Chocolate and White, who eased Gibson into play by only allowing three shots in the opening frame. The Bears got on the board first when Ivan Miroshnichenko tallied his second goal of the season to make it 1-0. Pierrick Dube made a slick pass from behind the net to the Russian rookie, and he made a nice stutter-step move to open the pads of Jakub Skarek and deposit the puck through them.
Hershey added on in the second period as another line is on the rise for the Bears. Colin Swoyer, making his Bears debut on the back end, swatted the puck to Joe Snively on the rush. Snively had time and space, drawing two Bridgeport defenders to him and threaded the needle back to Alex Limoges, who’d beat the goaltender for his first goal in a Hershey uniform. Limoges and Snively, two Virginia natives, are friends playing together for the first time as professionals, and their chemistry was on full display for this goal.
Bridgeport Bounces Back
Much as the case was for Saturday’s game, the Bears broke down a little bit and allowed their opposition back into the game. In this case, it might have been the amount of games as well as the short turnaround to the game that took its toll. Tanner Fritz’s goal in the third period squared the teams up at two goals apiece heading into overtime. Both teams entered the extra session after claiming a win beyond 60 minutes a day prior, and there was an extra point on the line.
The surrendered lead is the third time in as many games that the Bears surrendered a multiple goal lead and second time they were forced to overtime. Gibson, playing in his first professional game, stood tall with a few big saves to keep the Bears in the extra session. Hershey seemed destined to play another skills competition unless a hero emerged.
Sgarbossa Stars
Enter Sgarbossa, who entered extra time of his 600th professional game looking to extend his point streak to four games. His goal might not be how he drew it up, though; the veteran forward fired what appeared to be a pass towards the net for a cutting Mike Vecchione. The puck eluded Jakub Skarek on its way to the net and found the back of the net in the late stages of overtime to give Hershey a 3-2 decision. Swoyer tallied an assist on the goal, giving him two helpers in his Bears debut.
Gibson’s night was capped off by receiving the Bear Head as the team’s player of the game in his first professional win with 21 saves. Hershey earns its fourth straight victory and a rare sweep of a difficult set of three games in as many days, pulling them even with the Hartford Wolf Pack for first place in the Atlantic Division.
All Around Me Are Familiar Faces
Sunday’s game starts an interesting stretch for the Bears in which they’ll only play three different opponents for a month’s span. Until the Iowa Wild come to Giant Center on November 25, the Bears will only face off with these Islanders as well as the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins and the Lehigh Valley Phantoms. It’s a series of 13 straight games including Sunday afternoon of just those opponents as these perpetual rivals will get cozy once again.
It all starts on Wednesday as the Bears make their first trip of six to the Mohegan Sun Arena at Casey Plaza to take on the Penguins this season. The game will cap a stretch of four straight games on the road before the Bears return home to Giant Center.
