BEARS WELCOME ATLANTIC LEADERS IN FRIDAY NIGHT

March 25, 2010

HERSHEY continues a four-game homestand Friday, hosting the Atlantic Division leading Worcester Sharks at 7:00 p.m. HERSHEY’S 24-game home winning streak, the longest in NHL/AHL/IHL/ECHL history, came to an end Sunday as the Adirondack Phantoms posted a 4-3 win here at Giant Center. Miko Pyorala scored the game-winning goal on a power play with 2:40 left in the third period to give the BEARS a loss at home for the first time since November 28. It was also the first time this season the Chocolate and White dropped a game when leading after two periods. HERSHEY had been a perfect 40-0 this season when ahead after 40 minutes. Andrew Gordon picked up two more goals, his 35th and 36th of the season in the setback. The Sharks sit atop the Atlantic Division standings, with a five-point edge over the Portland Pirates heading down the stretch. Worcester begins Friday an incredibly tough three games in three nights stretch, traveling to Norfolk Saturday to face the Admirals at 7:15 p.m. before heading back to the Keystone State Sunday afternoon to play Wilkes-Barre/Scranton at 3:05 p.m. The second place Pirates are on the road Friday in Providence, but play a pair of home games Saturday and Sunday against Springfield and Hartford. Worcester goaltender Alex Stalock set an American Hockey League record this week, recording his 36th win of the season, the most of any rookie goaltender in AHL history. 12 other games are scattered across the AHL landscape on Friday, including the Milwaukee Admirals and the Grand Rapids Griffins at Van Andel Arena. Adirondack is at Hartford Friday, in a battle of teams outside the playoff picture looking in, and Springfield is at Lowell to play the Devils at the Tsongas Center. Elsewhere, Portland is at Providence to face the Bruins, Binghamton is on the road to play Rochester, Wilkes-Barre/Scranton is in Norfolk to take on the Admirals, and Bridgeport is at Manchester in a critical Atlantic Division matchup. Toronto is in Syracuse to play the Crunch Friday, while Peoria is at Rockford, Texas is at Chicago, Lake Erie is down south taking on Houston, and the Western Conference leading Hamilton Bulldogs are in Abbotsford to play the Heat. Hamilton is HERSHEY’S biggest threat for home ice throughout the 2010 Calder Cup playoffs. Friday’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.