BEARS TAKE THRILLING GAME 1 IN OVERTIME 4-3

April 24, 2010

BEARS TRAP RATS 4-3 TO TAKE GAME 1 Wilson Notches Deciding Goal in OT By Jess Mikula After dueling goal-for-goal through regulation, the BEARS stunned Albany with a 4-3 overtime victory Saturday night. Dealing the Rats their first loss of the 2010 postseason, HERSHEY captured a 1-0 advantage in the best-of-seven series. The BEARS drew first blood, as Keith Aucoin dished a centering pass from behind the Albany cage to a net-crashing Andrew Gordon at 4:00. Bryan Helmer added the secondary assist on Gordon’s fifth of the postseason. The Rats brought the game to a 1-1 deadlock at 8:25. Zac Dalpe won a draw in the HERSHEY zone and dropped a pass to Drayson Bowman, who fired a wild wrister from the right wall and eluded backstop Michal Neuvirth. The score remained knotted at one after one. Tim Conboy was hit by a teammate’s stick near the five minute mark of the second period, and Greg Amadio, caught in the fracas, was assessed a double minor for high sticking. Jerome Samson scored on the ensuing Albany power play, burying the puck high glove side on Neuvirth at 6:40, assisted by Bowman and Chris Terry. Gordon answered with a 4-on-3 tally for the Chocolate and White, finishing a series of tic-tac-toe passes from Alexandre Giroux and Chris Bourque at 15:47. The BEARS and Rats showed two goals apiece after 40 minutes of play. Samson gave Albany the go-ahead goal with his second of the night on a wrist shot from Mike Angelidis and netminder Justin Peters at 7:13. Aucoin potted the equalizer for his first goal of the playoffs at 13:16. Giroux rifled a shot from the high slot with Aucoin waiting on the doorstep to net the rebound. Gordon registered the secondary helper on the game-tying goal. Giroux nearly found the game winner late in an extended man advantage, but his shot rang off the left post to the dismay of 7,651 HERSHEY faithful. The BEARS were granted a power play in the final minute of regulation but failed to convert, forcing the game into overtime. Despite opening the sudden-death overtime period with 1:14 of power play time, the Chocolate and White could not muster the deciding goal on the man advantage. As Albany’s Bryan Rodney held the game on his stick with a breakaway chance early in the frame, Neuvirth denied the defenseman with a post-to-post kick save. Threaded a pass by Boyd Kane, Andrew Joudrey rifled a shot from the left point, and Kyle Wilson swatted the bouncing rebound past Peters at 10:41 to lift HERSHEY to victory with his third postseason strike. Neuvirth emerged with his fourth win of the playoffs, turning aside 25 shots. The BEARS outshot the River Rats by a 48-28 margin Saturday, boasting the team’s most shots in a game this postseason. HERSHEY converted once on seven power play chances and stymied Albany on four of its five man advantage opportunities. Bears Radio Network Three Stars of the Game: 1. Andrew Gordon (two goals, one assist) 2. Kyle Wilson (overtime game winner) 3. Keith Aucoin (one goal, one assist) Notes: With Saturday’s win, the BEARS now lead the River Rats 1-0 in the best-of-seven East Division Finals series. The teams will meet for Game 2 on Sunday, with a 5:00 p.m. puck drop. Tickets are available at the Giant Center box office or by calling (717) 534-3911.