BEARS LOOK TO ADVANCE WEDNESDAY NIGHT, UP 3-1

April 21, 2010

The BEARS return home on Wednesday, looking to advance to the 2010 East Division Finals against the Albany River Rats. HERSHEY leads Bridgeport three games to one with Game 5 of the East Division Semi-Finals on the docket Wednesday night at 7:00 p.m. The Sound Tigers showed a lot of determination in Game 4, avoiding a four-game sweep by defeating the BEARS 4-1 at the Arena at Harbor Yard on Sunday. Defenseman Andrew MacDonald was named the game’s number one star, scoring two goals. Rookie goaltender Mikko Koskinen made his first Calder Cup playoff start and earned the win. Andrew Gordon scored the only goal for HERSHEY in the contest, a third period strike that was Gordon’s fourth tally of the postseason. Goaltender Braden Holtby played in his second Calder Cup playoff game, and took his first-ever loss in the postseason. Although he was held off the scoreboard in Game 4, Alexandre Giroux leads the team in goals with five heading into Wednesday’s Game 5 at Giant Center. Bridgeport defenseman Andrew MacDonald leads the Sound Tigers in both goals (three) and points (four) heading into Game 5 Wednesday. MacDonald scored two goals in Bridgeport’s Game 4 win on Sunday at Harbor Yard. Defenseman Dustin Kohn also has four points in this series, including two goals. With six goals between the two blueliners, no Sound Tiger forward has more than one goal thus far in this best-of-seven. Both players were assigned to Bridgeport after the NHL’s New York Islanders ended their season without a trip to the Stanley Cup playoffs. The Tigers have used three different goalies in this series, with rookie Mikko Koskinen drawing the start and earning the win in Game 4. Koskinen has a 2.07 goals against average in the series, Nathan Lawson has a 2.63 average and former Philadelphia Phantom backstop Scott Munroe has posted a 5.46 goals against in three appearances in the series to date. Since the BEARS last took the ice in Game 4 of this East Division Semi-Final on Sunday, two teams have been eliminated from the 2010 Calder Cup playoffs. The Portland Pirates, the second seed in the Atlantic Division, were swept four games to none on Tuesday night by the third seeded Manchester Monarchs. On Monday night, HERSHEY’S I-81 rival, the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins, also suffered a first round sweep at the hands of the Albany River Rats. It’s the first time in Penguins history that the team from Wilkes-Barre Township has been eliminated in the first round. Albany will play the winner of this HERSHEY/Bridgeport series in the 2010 East Division Finals. Elsewhere around the Calder Cup playoffs, all other division semi-final series continue, and all are in action on Wednesday. Worcester, leading Lowell three games to one in the other Atlantic Division semi, takes on the Devils at Tsongas Center on Wednesday. The Manitoba Moose look to even its best-of-seven North Division Semi-Final at two games apiece on Wednesday, playing Game 4 at home against Hamilton. The Bulldogs won the North Division regular season title, but must play the next two games at MTS Centre. Rochester, after losing the first game of its North Division series, looks to go up three games to one on Wednesday night, playing Game 4 in Abbotsford against the Heat. The Chicago Wolves can advance to the West Division Finals on Wednesday with a win in Game 5 over the Milwaukee Admirals at Allstate Arena. The Wolves lead the series three games to one. The Texas Stars play its first Calder Cup playoff road game in franchise history Wednesday, traveling to Rockford to face the IceHogs. The Stars lead the best-of-seven set two games to none. Wednesday’s game can be heard via the BEARS Radio Network (100.1 FM and www.Sportsjuice.com) beginning at 4:40 p.m. John Walton has the call of the action from Giant Center.