November 21, 2009
BEARS PECKED BY FALCONS
Shootout Loss Snaps Winning Streak
By Jess Mikula
HERSHEY failed to maintain a lead through 65 minutes of play Saturday night, as the Chocolate and White was dealt a 3-2 shootout loss at the hands of former BEAR Chad Wiseman.
The BEARS battled with the Falcons for possession of the puck throughout the majority of the first period. Neither team mustered a shot on goal until nearly three minutes into play, and neither team found the score sheet through the opening 20 minutes.
Keith Aucoin put the BEARS on the board midway through the second period. Aucoin potted his eighth goal of the season from Alexandre Giroux and Sean Collins at 9:35, reviving the listless
Giant Center crowd, albeit temporarily. The visiting Falcons answered shortly thereafter with a wrister from Colton Fretter at 11:48, assisted by Charles Linglet and Wiseman. The score remained knotted at 1-1 after two.
Giroux gave the Chocolate and White the go-ahead goal 19 seconds into the third period with a top-shelf tally on Springfield netminder Devan Dubnyk. Boyd Kane tallied the lone assist on Giroux’s 10th marker of the year. Again the Falcons provided the equalizer, as Ryan O’Marra beat BEARS backstop Braden Holtby at 4:41. With the game-winning goal on his stick and a wide open net before him, Ryan MacMurchy was denied thanks to the backcheck heroics of Oskar Osala. Neither side would break the 2-2 standstill through the remainder of regulation.
Kyle Wilson set up Kane with what could have been the game winner late in overtime, but Kane whiffed on the centering pass, and time expired, sending the contest to the shootout.
All five HERSHEY shooters failed to score in the shootout. Holtby stopped the first two Springfield shooters before allowing what turned out to be the game-winning goal to Wiseman, the former BEARS center.
Holtby took the shootout loss in net, turning aside 15 shots. The BEARS badly out-shot the Falcons by a 31-17 margin but were shut down by Springfield goaltender Dubnyk. The HERSHEY penalty kill remained flawless on
Giant Center ice, blanking the Falcons on all three of its man advantage opportunities. Saturday’s loss marked the first time this season that the BEARS lost when scoring the first goal of the game.
Bears Radio Network Three Stars of the Game:
1. Alexandre Giroux (goal and an assist)
2. Keith Aucoin (goal)
3. Chad Wiseman (assist and game winner in shootout)
Notes: Michal Neuvirth was reassigned by Washington after suffering a 3-2 loss in net against Montreal Friday night. John Carlson made his NHL debut Friday night, becoming just the ninth defenseman to skate for the Capitals as a teenager and the first Capital ever born in the 1990s. Carlson skated 17:24, recording a shot on goal, five hits and a blocked shot. Andrew Gordon was recalled by Washington for Saturday night’s match-up in Toronto. On this date in 1987, the BEARS and Baltimore Skipjacks combined to score 18 goals in a 10-8 BEARS win, the most goals scored between two teams in HERSHEY history. The BEARS will play host to the Providence Bruins on Wednesday, November 25, with a 7:00 p.m. face-off. Tickets are available at the
Giant Center box office or by calling (717) 534-3911.
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