The Hershey Bears secured win number 40 of the season on Friday night in Allentown. In the latest installment of the rivalry with the Lehigh Valley Phantoms, Hershey took a 2-1 victory. Goaltender Clay Stevenson picked up a huge win between the pipes with 32 saves as the busier of two netminders. The Bears gained valuable points in the Atlantic Division standings race with opponents falling out of town.
Awesome Ness
Hershey got good news going into action with the return of captain Aaron Ness to the lineup. Ness has not suited up in game action since March 1 after taking a shot to the head. He has skated with the team but was not cleared for contact until the days preceding Friday’s game. Ness, a veteran of 776 AHL contests, made an immediate impact on a defensive line looking to shape up. His usual smarts and prowess were on full display on Friday.
The Bears got a jolt courtesy of a player returning from a brief injury absence. Luke Philp scored on a savvy deflection of a Nicky Leivermann shot to put the Bears up 1-0. In his first season with Hershey, Philp has dealt with injuries over the course of the year but chipped in a key goal. He scored 29 goals in 2022-23 and could be a secret weapon for the Bears if he heats up.
Smallman Standing Tall
Hershey’s second goal capped a big night for forward Spencer Smallman. Matt Strome fed the puck to Ethan Bear at the point, and his shot got deflected by Ivan Miroshnichenko and Smallman. Smallman got the last touch and tallied in his 300th AHL game. The goal is the icing on the cake in a big week that saw the forward sign a two-year contract extension with Washington.
“Just how everybody cares so much about this team,” Smallman said on the extension. “The Hershey Bears are bigger than any one individual and I think I called my agent the next day and said, ‘This is where I want to be,’ and just whenever the time comes that we’d like to be here for an extended period of time.”
Smallman has excelled in his first year in Hershey. He’s already achieved a new single season best in points with 34 (ten goals, 24 assists). The extension will keep him in the organization for two more years and takes care of some off-season business early. Smallman’s goal stood as the game-winner as his third such tally.
Battle in Allentown
The two teams duked it out for the first time in about three months. The inter-state rivalry will heat up down the stretch as both teams jockey for playoff positioning. Despite plenty of fisticuffs on Friday, there was only one power play between either team. Lehigh Valley got the opportunity late on a delay of game call, but Hershey stood tall to take a 2-1 win.
Stevenson picked up his seventh win of the season with 32 saves. It’s a nice bounce-back effort for him, making a few key saves in critical moments. Lehigh Valley’s lone strike came off of a rare defensive lapse and a snipe from Alexis Gendron. Stevenson’s efforts loomed large after Hunter Shepard was recalled earlier in the week. Stevenson and Garin Bjorklund will be relied upon in this weekend’s set of three games in as many nights.
The win banks some important standings points for Hershey. Division rivals Charlotte and Wilkes-Barre dropped regulation decisions on Friday. The Bears opened a five-point lead for first place with the win, gaining some much-needed separation. It’ll be a challenge to maintain the lead and earn an all-important bye in the first round of the Calder Cup Playoffs.
