It doesn’t seem like there’s much Mike Vecchione hasn’t done for the Hershey Bears. He scored the iconic overtime goal in Game 7 of the 2023 Calder Cup Finals and has been a regular for this team. Vecchione and his teammates found something to check off the list on Saturday as he tallied a hat trick in a 4-2 win. Hershey took both games of an essential set in Charlotte this weekend after a dramatic comeback a day prior.
Bears Battling
Vecchione got the scoring started with some much-needed success on the power play. Hershey connected on their first attempt of many on this night as Luke Philp spotted him all alone on the left wing. Vecchione teed up a big slap shot for his first goal of the night on some slick movement. He beat Ken Appleby to put Hershey up early.
However, Charlotte had a response in mind. The host Checkers evened the score just under three minutes later as Patrick Giles deflected a shot past Clay Stevenson. Hershey’s goaltender was forced to play in back-to-back games after Hunter Shepard was called up to Washington following a goaltender injury on Friday. Stevenson had to play under similar circumstances during two different trips to Charlotte last season.
Charlotte took the lead in the middle stanza on another goal for Justin Sourdif against Hershey. Bears defenseman Jake Massie was down and unable to play his position in front of Stevenson. It allowed for Will Lockwood to find Sourdif all alone for the goal. Sourdif has four goals this season, with three tallies in three different games versus the Bears.
Vecchione’s Big Night
Trailing by a goal, the Bears got a big chance to claw back with an extended two-man advantage. Hershey cashed in on the opportunity and evened the count at two as Friday’s hero Alex Limoges had the tally. Ivan Miroshnichenko and Hendrix Lapierre, the two most recent assignments from Washington, combined for the sweet finish.
Special teams played a big role in the win as the Bears tallied twice in six chances while holding off the Checkers in all six penalty kills. Hershey went ahead and stayed ahead in the third period. Vincent Iorio made a perfect pass in front of the net to Vecchione, who deflected a shot past Appleby. His second tally stood as the eventual game-winner.
Vecchione finished the hat trick with the net empty. Spencer Smallman blocked a shot and drove the puck into the offensive zone by himself. Hendrix Lapierre retrieved the puck and found Vecchione for his third goal of the night. He has eight goals on the season and tallied his first hat trick in a Hershey uniform.
“A lot of weight lifted off the shoulders,” Vecchione told Bears media specialist Jesse Liebman. “It’s been a tough stretch, but the guys picked me up. Feels good to get a win out here in their barn, couldn’t be happier for the boys.”
Second Half Swagger
Saturday’s game kicked off the second half of the season for Hershey. It’s a big point swing for the Bears as the Checkers looked to close the gap in the Atlantic Division standings. Instead, the Bears extended their lead to seven points to put the pressure back on the Checkers. Charlotte has five fewer games played, meaning they can close the gap while Hershey is idle.
Aside from Vecchione, Lapierre tallied a pair of assists to give him four points in five games since his return. Ethan Bear added an assist to collect his fourth straight with a point. In that span, he has six (one goal, five assists) along with 21 points and a plus-14 mark. He leads all Bears defenders in those categories. Bear was recently named one of Hershey’s representatives to the 2025 AHL All-Star Classic in Coachella Valley.
Hershey can’t control those games but took care of business to put the pressure back on their opponents. It’s a good way to start the second half as the Bears look to ramp up their play for another long spring and summer. The Bears will look to continue their strong play back at home on Friday against Belleville.
