BEARS LOOK TO GO UP TWO GAMES TO NONE SUNDAY

April 25, 2010

After winning Game 1 Saturday night, HERSHEY takes on the Albany River Rats in Game 2 of the 2010 East Division Final Sunday afternoon at 5:00 p.m. The BEARS lead the best-of-seven series one game to none, with Games 3 and 4 scheduled for New York’s Capital District. Kyle Wilson scored the game-winning goal in overtime Saturday night to lead the BEARS to a 4-3 win over the Albany River Rats in Game 1 of the 2010 East Division Finals. Wilson’s goal, his first playoff overtime goal as a HERSHEY BEAR, came after Keith Aucoin tied the game in the third period with his first tally of the postseason. Andrew Gordon scored two goals to round out the offense for the home team in Game 1. Goaltender Michal Neuvirth won his fourth postseason game without defeat, making 25 saves. The loss for Albany was its first in five postseason games this playoff year. Jerome Samson picked up two goals for the Rats in the losing effort, and Drayson Bowman added a first period tally for the visitors. The win marked the third straight playoff series, dating back to the 2009 Calder Cup Finals, that the BEARS opened a best-of-seven series with an overtime victory. One series gets started on Sunday, and two others could end as three other games dot the Calder Cup playoff schedule. The Worcester Sharks, the 2010 Atlantic Division regular season champions, begin a best-of-seven Atlantic Division Final with the Manchester Monarchs at the DCU Center. The Sharks advanced to the second round of the postseason by dispatching the Lowell Devils, while the Monarchs swept the Portland Pirates four games to none. The series figures to be a battle of terrific goaltending, with rookie sensation Alex Stalock tending the nets for the Sharks, and Jonathan Bernier leads Manchester to the division final. Bernier leads all AHL goaltenders in goals against average as Calder Cup action resumes Sunday. Elsewhere, the Hamilton Bulldogs look to eliminate the Manitoba Moose in Game 6 of one North Division Semi-Final. The Bulldogs, who lead the series three games to two, host the Moose at Copps Coliseum Sunday. The other North Division Semi-Final pits the Abbotsford Heat and the Rochester Americans in Game 6 Sunday. The Amerks look to close out Abbotsford in a game at Blue Cross Arena in western New York. Rochester, who won two of three games in British Columbia to take a 3-2 lead in the series, would face the winner of Hamilton/Manitoba in the 2010 North Division Finals with a victory. Monday night, the Chicago Wolves will host the Milwaukee Admirals in Game 7 of their West Division Semi-Final. The winner of the Wolves and Admirals will take on the Texas Stars in the 2010 West Division Final. Sunday’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, Ed Coffey and Jim Jones have the call of the action from Giant Center.