BACK AT THE TOP: BEARS WIN 4-1 SATURDAY

November 22, 2008

BEARS DECLAW TIGERS Hershey Regains Lead in East Division By Jess Mikula Thanks to three goals in the third period, the BEARS defeated the Bridgeport Sound Tigers 4-1 and pulled ahead in the East Division points race. Bridgeport found the score sheet for the first and only time in the first period. Jesse Joensuu picked up his seventh goal of the year from Ben Walter and Blake Comeau at 10:34. On the man advantage, HERSHEY answered little more than 90 seconds later, as Keith Aucoin finished a wraparound for his eighth of the season. Alexandre Giroux and Chris Bourque added the helpers. The BEARS out-shot the Sound Tigers 19-6, and the score was tied at one after the first. Neither team found the back of the net in the second period, though the BEARS came close on several tries. Daren Machesney made seven saves to keep Bridgeport off the board. The score remained deadlocked heading to the dressing room after 40 minutes of play. Sami Lepisto gave the BEARS the go-ahead goal, and the eventual game winner, early in the third period. He notched his third of the season at 3:07, with Bourque and Machesney tallying the assists. Oskar Osala potted his 13th of the season at 4:30, completing a wraparound from Mathieu Perreault and Patrick McNeill to give the home team a two-goal lead. HERSHEY struck again midway through the third. Graham Mink rounded out the scoring for the BEARS, pushing the puck past Sound Tiger net minder Yann Danis for his 10th goal of the year, with assists from Aucoin and Karl Alzner. Machesney made 17 saves on 18 shots to earn the win in net. Bears Radio Network Three Stars of the Game: 1. Keith Aucoin 2. Chris Bourque 3. Greg Amadio Notes: HERSHEY is off until Wednesday night when the Binghamton Senators come to GIANT Center at 7:00 p.m. The game will begin a stretch of four games in five nights for the BEARS, who travel to Albany next Friday before hosting Philadelphia and Norfolk next weekend. Tickets are available for all of next week's games by visiting the GIANT Center box office, or by calling (717) 534-3911.