January 29, 2010
In what perhaps was the wildest game of HERSHEY’S season Friday night, the BEARS escaped Wilkes-Barre/Scranton with an 8-6 win at Mohegan Sun Arena.
The Penguins opened the first period with a goal inside of the first minute of play, a harbinger of what was to come. Tim Wallace picked up his 11th goal of the season just 45 seconds into the game to give the home team a 1-0 lead. Alexandre Giroux counted just seconds later at 1:04 of the first, and the track meet was on. Mark Letestu struck for his 14th of the season at 5:35 to make the score 2-1 in advance of an terrific offensive spurt by the Chocolate and White. Oskar Osala finished off a pretty play to score his 13th of the season at 18:37 to tie the game at 2-2. Boyd Kane then gave HERSHEY the lead for the first time with a lamp lighter at 19:11, and Giroux picked up his second of the period at 19:59 to lift the BEARS to a 4-1 lead after 20 minutes.
There was more where that came from in the second period. Mathieu Perreault scored his sixth of the season at 1:21 of the second to increase the lead to 5-2. John Carlson just moments later picked up his third of the campaign to make it 6-2 visitors. But Wilkes-Barre/Scranton would not go quietly. Mark Letestu scored twice for the Pens before the midway point of the second period to cut the lead to 6-4. Patrick McNeill notched his fifth goal of the season at 9:09 to make the score 7-4. Neither team would score the rest of the second, but more offense was to come in the third.
The Penguins pulled within a goal with two in the final frame. Wallace struck for his second of the night midway through to make the score 7-5, and Luca Caputi’s tip of a Letestu shot at 17:17 of the third pulled the Pens within one at 7-6. A late penalty against the BEARS gave Wilkes-Barre/Scranton the man advantage in the final 90 seconds, but Kane would strike short-handed for his second of the game to put the game on ice. The BEARS have now won 18 of its last 19 games, and six in a row heading into Saturday’s home game with Albany.
BEARS Radio Network Three Stars of the game:
1. Alexandre Giroux (Two goals)
2. Keith Aucoin (Four Assists)
3. Mark Letestu (Hat trick for Pens)
Notes: The HERSHEY BEARS booster club will be accepting donations this weekend at their table behind section 117 for Jason Hartle. Jason is a BEARS fan who is confined to a wheelchair, and had his hydraulic-equipped van stolen from his York Springs home last month. Please consider a donation in any amount to the Jason Hartle Mobility Fund, either at
Giant Center this weekend at the Booster Club table, or at any Members 1st Federal Credit Union throughout central Pennsylvania. The BEARS will host the Albany River Rats Saturday night at 7:00 p.m., and the Binghamton Senators Sunday at 5:00 p.m. Tickets are on sale for both games at the
Giant Center box office, or by calling (717) 534-3911. Bryan Helmer, on the strength of two assists Friday night, became the 78th player in American Hockey League history to accumulate 500 or more points in his AHL career.
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