BEARS AND PENGUINS SUNDAY AT GIANT CENTER

October 19, 2008

The HERSHEY BEARS look for win number six of the season Sunday, hosting the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins at GIANT Center. Face-off is at 5:00 p.m. Tonight’s game is the second meeting of ten between the two teams this season, with HERSHEY winning 8-4 over the Penguins back on October 8 at Wachovia Arena. Wilkes-Barre/Scranton is the AHL affiliate of the NHL’s Pittsburgh Penguins. Alexandre Giroux was named the number one star of the game, scoring two goals as the BEARS administered a 7-1 drubbing of the Syracuse Crunch at GIANT Center Saturday night. Graham Mink scored his fifth goal of the season in the game, and Andrew Gordon picked up his fourth of the year. Daren Machesney earned his third straight victory without defeat, allowing just a Mike York power play goal in the first period. The BEARS still hold the AHL’s best record heading into action Sunday. Keith Aucoin leads the AHL in scoring entering play Sunday with 11 points. Graham Mink and Alexandre Giroux are tied for the AHL goal scoring lead with five each. Teammate Andrew Gordon is tied for second in the AHL in goal scoring with four. Giroux is first in the league in shots on goal with 26, and Mink is second in the circuit in that department with 22. Aucoin leads the league in assists with eight, with no other AHL player currently with more than six playmakers. He’s also number one in the league in plus/minus with a +7, Sami Lepisto and Tyler Sloan are tied for second in the league in +/- at +6. Karl Alzner leads all AHL rookies in +/- with a +5 so far this season. While the exploits of HERSHEY’S offense have been well documented, only two players on the roster have notched points in all five games to begin the season. Forwards Keith Aucoin and Mathieu Perreault each have points in five straight entering play tonight against Wilkes-Barre/Scranton. Sunday's game can be heard on the BEARS Radio Network (100.1 FM, 1490 AM and Sportsjuice.com) beginning at 4:40 p.m. John Walton has the call of the action. Tickets are on sale now at the GIANT Center box office or by calling (717) 534-3911.