March 12, 2010
The BEARS continue a four-game road trip Saturday night at Mass Mutual Center against the Springfield Falcons. Face-off is at 7:00 p.m.
HERSHEY enters play Saturday night needing just a win or an Albany regulation loss to clinch the 2009-10 East Division championship. Bryan Helmer scored the game-winning goal in overtime Friday night as the BEARS defeated the Adirondack Phantoms 5-4 at the Glens Falls Civic Center. Goaltender Michal Neuvirth picked up the win. The Chocolate and White could have clinched the division title Friday, but Albany defeated Rochester 4-3 behind former BEARS winger Oskar Osala’s two goals. The River Rats host Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Saturday afternoon.
With 16 regular season games remaining, the BEARS stand just two wins short of setting a new franchise record for most wins in a single season. Bruce Boudreau’s 2006-07 club won 51 games a season after winning the Calder Cup. Now, Mark French and Troy Mann’s team looks to put the 2009-10 team above all others in HERSHEY history, perhaps as soon as Sunday. The BEARS are also just eight wins short of setting a new American Hockey League record for most wins in a single season. The 1992-93 Binghamton Rangers won 57 games, setting the standard for the AHL 17 years ago.
Springfield has not exactly had as successful as a season. The Falcons are mired in eighth place in the Atlantic Division with a 21-34-9-3 record, 15 points out of a Calder Cup playoff spot with just 13 games remaining. Springfield’s captain is former BEARS defenseman Dean Arsene, who won Calder Cup titles with HERSHEY in 2006 and 2009.
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 calls the action from western Massachusetts.
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