SENATORS AGAIN SLIP BY BEARS FRIDAY

February 27, 2009

BEARS CAN’T HOLD ANOTHER LEAD, FALL TO SENATORS IN OVERTIME By: John Walton HERSHEY again enjoyed a nice offensive night away from home, but ultimately fell to the Binghamton Senators 5-4 in overtime Friday night at Broome County Veterans Memorial Arena. Much like Wednesday night, the BEARS and Senators started out scoring goals by the truckload. Alexandre Giroux opened the night on ice Friday, scoring his 41st goal of the season at the 7:15 mark from Keith Aucoin. Aucoin won a draw in the Binghamton zone to number 12, who one-timed a shot past Binghamton backstop Jeff Glass. Kyle Wilson then picked up his 23rd goal of the season, keeping the puck on a two-on-one rush to beat Glass at 8:44. But with HERSHEY leading the game 2-0, the Senators rallied from a two goal deficit. Josh Hennessy scored on a right circle shot at 12:03 and Denis Hamel picked up his 21st goal of the season at 13:15. Late in the first, Wilson scored his second of the game and 24th of the year at 18:30. HERSHEY led it 3-2 after one. The Senators again rallied in the second to tie the game when Peter Regin scored a power play goal at 4:41, but Graham Mink continued a big two-game stretch in Binghamton with a goal at 6:47. Following the Regin goal, starting goaltender Kris Mayotte was pulled from the game, allowing three goals on just eight shots. Daren Machesney, who himself was pulled in the first period on Wednesday, came on in relief and allowed an even strength goal to Regin at 11:29. Both teams went to the dressing room after two tied at four. Neither team would score in the third period, with both Glass and Machesney making big saves. In overtime, Regin finished a hat trick by scoring at 3:13 of sudden death, clinching Binghamton’s fourth straight win over the BEARS dating back to December. Machesney suffered the overtime loss as HERSHEY saw its lead in the East Division dwindle to just three points over Wilkes-Barre/Scranton and four over Bridgeport. The Penguins have two games in hand on HERSHEY, while the Sound Tigers have just one. Notes: The BEARS return home to face the Norfolk Admirals Saturday night at GIANT Center. Face-off is at 7:00 p.m. Providence makes its only central PA appearance Sunday at 5:00 p.m. Tickets for both games are on sale now at the GIANT Center box office, or by calling (717) 534-3911. HERSHEY has one more trip to Binghamton next month to round out the eight-game season series. The overtime loss Friday night was HERSHEY’S first of the season in 60 games. Bears Radio Network Three Stars of the Game 1.Peter Regin (Hat trick, including the OT game-winner) 2. Kyle Wilson (Two goals, three in two games against Sens) 3. Alexandre Giroux (League leading 41st goal comes in loss)