GRAHAM MINK RETURNS AS BEARS HOST ROCHESTER

December 11, 2009

The first place team from the East Division squares off Saturday with the top club out of the North as Rochester comes to HERSHEY to face the BEARS. Face-off is at 7:00 p.m. Albany goaltender Justin Peters continued his mastery over the BEARS Friday night, making 36 saves to earn a shutout as the River Rats blanked HERSHEY 3-0 at Times Union Center. Chris Terry scored what proved to be the game-winning goal in the first period, with Nick Dodge and Mike Angelidis contributing goals as well. HERSHEY goaltender Jason Bacashihua absorbed the setback, his second regulation loss of the season. The Rats have taken two of the first three games of the eight-game season series against the Chocolate and White. Saturday’s game against Rochester marks the return of Graham Mink to HERSHEY for the first time since he helped the BEARS win the club’s 10th Calder Cup title this past June. Mink, who also helped the BEARS win the 2006 title, signed with the Florida Panthers this past summer. He recently was named by the American Hockey League to captain one of the AHL All-Star teams in Portland in January. The Stowe, VT native began his pro career with the Portland Pirates. Mink leads Rochester in goals with 10, with Chris Taylor leading the club in points with 22. Goaltender Alexandre Salak is 15-2-0 this season for the Amerks, dropping just his second game of the season Friday night at home to Abbotsford. Rochester leads the North Division standings by three points over second place Manitoba. 11 other games are on tap Saturday around the league, including Wilkes-Barre/Scranton at Adirondack, Providence at Albany, Bridgeport at Hartford and Lowell at Manchester. The Portland Pirates head to Springfield to face Dean Arsene and the Springfield Falcons Saturday, Syracuse plays in Binghamton against the Senators, and Manitoba wraps up a two-game series in Norfolk against the Admirals. Elsewhere, Chicago is at Lake Erie, Milwaukee ventures to Grand Rapids, San Antonio plays at Peoria, and Rockford concludes a two-game set at Texas against the Stars. Saturday’s game can be heard via the BEARS Radio Network (100.1 FM and www.Sportsjuice.com) beginning at 6:40 p.m. John Walton, Ed Coffey and Jim Jones have the call of the action from Giant Center.