GIROUX SCORES 7TH AS BEARS WIN OVER SENATORS

October 25, 2008

GIROUX, AUCOIN PACE BEARS TO 3-2 VICTORY By: John Walton The BEARS scored early and hung on Saturday for a 3-2 win in regulation against the Binghamton Senators at GIANT Center. The victory gave the Chocolate and White 12 points, tops in the AHL, and six victories in its first seven games this season. It didn’t take Keith Aucoin long to get the scoring started Saturday. Aucoin scored an unassisted goal on the power play just 2:16 into the game. Oskar Osala made it 2-0 late in the first at 13:28, his third goal of the year. Osala’s goal also came unassisted, as HERSHEY manhandled the Senators in the first period. The BEARS fired 20 shots at Binghamton goaltender Jeff Glass, while Daren Machesney faced just three for the home team. Neither team would score in the second, and Alexandre Giroux would score his league leading seventh of the season at 5:57 to give the BEARS a 3-0 lead. It not only would be the final goal of the night for HERSHEY, but it also proved to be the game-winner. Brendan Bell scored a five-on-three power play goal at 12:45 of the third to put the Senators on the scoreboard at 3-1, and then the Sens would close within a goal late. Matt Carkner scored in close against Machesney and scored his first of the season with the goaltender pulled for an extra attacker at 18:41 to make the score 3-2. Try as they might, Binghamton could not solve Machesney after that, and the BEARS won for the sixth time in seven games to start 2008-09. Notes: The BEARS announced Saturday that defenseman Josh Godfrey has been assigned to South Carolina (ECHL). Godfrey had played in just two games this season for HERSHEY, recording one assist. Machesney started his third straight game for the Bears, and Bob Woods said on his pregame radio show that Machesney will also start Sunday against the Rochester Americans. The game with Binghamton was the first of eight meetings between the two teams, with the Chocolate and White not scheduled to travel to the southern tier of New York State until Friday, February 13. Binghamton returns to GIANT Center for games on November 16, November 26 and December 27 before the BEARS set foot in Broome County Veterans Memorial Arena. Tickets are still available for Sunday’s HERSHEYPARK Pass Night Sunday against Rochester. Call (717) 534-3911 for information, or visit the GIANT Center box office. Binghamton goaltender Brian Elliott was recalled earlier in the day Saturday to Ottawa, marking the second consecutive Saturday that HERSHEY’S opponent lost its starting goaltender on the day of the game. Syracuse’s Dan DaCosta was recalled to Columbus (NHL) last Saturday. Aucoin received his Reebok AHL Player of the Week award prior to the game from BEARS President/GM Doug Yingst. Bears Radio Network Three Stars of the Game 1. Daren Machesney (Big saves, especially late) 2. Alexandre Giroux (Scored game-winner, leads AHL with seven goals) 3. Jeff Glass (Binghamton goaltender played awfully well in defeat)