BEARS RETURN HOME FOR ANOTHER DATE WITH AMERKS

December 18, 2009

HERSHEY returns home Saturday to face the Rochester Americans at Giant Center. Face-off is set for 7:00 p.m. Goaltender Braden Holtby made 26 saves and won his fourth game of the season Friday as HERSHEY defeated Rochester 3-1 at Blue Cross Arena. Jay Beagle was named the game’s number one star, scoring the game-winning goal and adding an assist. Oskar Osala picked up his seventh goal of the year, and Keith Aucoin scored a power play marker in the third period. In two games played between the two teams, HERSHEY has outscored the Amerks 9-3. Former BEARS winger Graham Mink missed the game Friday due to injury. HERSHEY’S penalty kill continues to be the class of the American Hockey League so far in 2009-10. With five more kills on five Rochester power plays Friday night at Blue Cross Arena, the BEARS have killed off a league best 93.5 percent of opposition man advantages. The Chocolate and White have allowed just one power play goal at home this season. Despite an impressive record this season, Rochester has just four wins in its last 10 games heading into tonight’s game. Goaltender Alexander Salak has four losses all season, but two of them have come against HERSHEY in the last week. The two teams won’t meet after tonight until an April 2 game at Blue Cross Arena to round out the four-game season set. 13 other games highlight a busy Saturday around the AHL, including the Hamilton Bulldogs visiting the Hartford Wolf Pack, Lowell visits Manchester, Bridgeport is in Portland and Providence skates at Springfield. Elsewhere around the league, the Toronto Marlies are in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton to face the Penguins, Adirondack is at Worcester, Binghamton plays the second of a two-game set in Norfolk while Albany travels to Syracuse. Out west, Milwaukee tackles the Chicago Wolves at Allstate Arena, Grand Rapids is at Texas, San Antonio plays at Rockford, with Lake Erie and Manitoba going head-to-head in downtown Winnipeg. The final game of the night pits Peoria and Abbotsford out in British Columbia. 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 from Giant Center.