November 28, 2009
BEARS SPOOKED BY PHANTOMS IN SHOOTOUT
Shootout Loss Marks Third Consecutive Home Defeat
By Jess Mikula
With five points between them, Michael Dubuc and Zach Miskovic fueled the BEARS’ offense Saturday night, though sloppy play would cost the team, as HERSHEY fell to the Adirondack Phantoms 5-4 in shootout fashion.
Dubuc wasted no time getting the BEARS on the score sheet Saturday night. Both teams cleared the Adirondack zone, thinking the puck was in neutral ice, as Miskovic fired a pass from the blueline back into the zone. Dubuc put the puck top shelf on Phantoms netminder Nic Riopel 58 seconds into the game for his second goal of the season. The Phantoms answered with Stefan Legein, who evened the score after a takeaway in the HERSHEY zone at 4:16. Darren Reid reclaimed the lead for the BEARS with his fifth of the year, a power play marker at 11:22, assisted by Miskovic and Dubuc. The Chocolate and White held a 2-1 advantage after one.
Adirondack knotted the score at two early in the second period. A HERSHEY turnover gave the Phantoms a breakaway, allowing Jon Matsumoto a point blank shot on BEARS goaltender Jason Bacashihua at the 49 second mark. Capitalizing on a defensive breakdown on the BEARS’ power play, Jason Ward potted a shorthanded goal at 5:00, assisted by David Laliberte, to give Adirondack its first lead of the night. HERSHEY trailed the Phantoms by one after 40 minutes.
Kyle Wilson found the equalizer 2:33 into the third period for his sixth goal of the season and his second in as many nights. Miskovic and Francois Bouchard tallied the helpers. Andrew Gordon gave the Chocolate and White the go-ahead goal and brought 10,028
Giant Center faithful to their feet when he found the back of the net at 5:08, assisted by Patrick McNeill. The Phantoms answered with a late 6-on-5 strike, as Laliberte went backdoor on Bacashihua to tie the game at four goals apiece and force overtime at 19:24.
Neither team scored in the sudden-death overtime period, and the BEARS spent the final 1:18 down a man due to a double roughing minor assessed to Boyd Kane.
Bouchard found the back of the net as the BEARS’ first shooter, though the subsequent four shooters did not. Adirondack struck with Matsumoto and Krys Kolanos to give the Phantoms the shootout victory.
Bacashihua suffered his first shootout loss of the season in net, turning aside 25 of 30 shots on goal. The HERSHEY power play was 1-for-5, while the penalty kill remained flawless at home, denying the Phantoms on all five chances. Saturday’s shootout loss marked the first time this season that the BEARS have fallen when leading after the first period.
Bears Radio Network Three Stars of the Game:
1. Zach Miskovic (three assists)
2. Michael Dubuc (goal and assist)
3. Andrew Gordon (goal)
Notes: Trevor Bruess, Bryan Helmer and Brandon Sugden were all healthy scratches Saturday night. Alexandre Giroux was recalled by the Capitals on Friday to skate for Washington in Montreal on Saturday night. Dubuc, who was recalled from South Carolina to replace Giroux, scored his first AHL goal Friday night in Glens Falls. Former BEARS right winger Eric Fehr scored twice for Washington in the Capitals’ 4-3 shootout win over the Canadiens. The BEARS will play host to the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins at
Giant Center Sunday with a 5:00 p.m. puck drop. Tickets are available at the
Giant Center box office or by calling (717) 534-3911.
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