BEARS FALL TO PHANTOMS, WIN STREAK ENDS AT 24

March 21, 2010

BEARS SPOOKED BY PHANTOMS 4-3 Hershey Suffers First Home Loss in Nearly Four Months By Jess Mikula Without a single goal coming at even strength, the BEARS fell to Adirondack by a score of 4-3 Sunday night. The Phantoms dealt HERSHEY its first loss on home ice since Nov. 28, snapping a 24-game winning streak. Andrew Gordon put the BEARS on the board with his 35th goal of the season midway through the first period. Chris Bourque dished to Keith Aucoin in the left circle, and Gordon deflected the shot past Adirondack netminder Carter Hutton for his 17th power play marker of the year at 9:53. HERSHEY outshot the Phantoms 13-7 and held a 1-0 lead after 20 minutes. Mathieu Perreault found his 15th of the year early in the second period, swatting a rebound into the back of the net from the right post at 2:05. Kyle Wilson and Karl Alzner added the assists on the power play goal. The visiting Phantoms answered with an unassisted shorthanded tally from Jared Ross at 14:07. The BEARS maintained a one-goal advantage through two periods. Adirondack struck with two power play goals to open scoring in the third period. Joonas Lehtivuori potted a goal from Joey Mormina and Ross at 7:37 before Stefan Legein struck at 11:33, assisted by Jonathon Kalinski. HERSHEY responded with Gordon’s second power play goal of the night at 16:10. Hutton misplayed the puck behind the net, as Aucoin fed Gordon from the wall. Bourque added the secondary assist. Mika Pyorala found the deciding goal at 17:20, from Lehtivuori and Mormina. Braden Holtby suffered the loss in net Sunday, his sixth of the season. He stopped 16 of 20 shots faced. The BEARS converted three times on 10 power plays and surrendered three goals to Adirondack on its five man advantage chances. Bears Radio Network Three Stars of the Game: 1. Andrew Gordon (two goals) 2. Carter Hutton (35 saves on 38 shots in 2nd pro start) 3. Keith Aucoin (two assists) Notes: Sunday night’s match-up opened a four-game homestand for the BEARS, who will play three home games next weekend. HERSHEY will play host to the Worcester Sharks on Friday night, the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins Saturday night and the Binghamton Senators on Sunday night. Friday and Saturday’s games are both scheduled for 7:00 p.m. starts, and Sunday’s puck drop is slated for 5:00 p.m. Sunday’s tilt is already sold out, but tickets remain for Friday and Saturday’s games, available at the Giant Center box office or by calling (717) 534-3911.