April 25, 2010
BEARS BATTLE TO 6-3 WIN IN GAME 2
Hershey Carries 2-0 Lead as Series Shifts to Albany
By Jess Mikula
After erasing two separate one-goal deficits, the BEARS rallied for four unanswered goals in the third period to down the visiting Albany River Rats 6-3 Sunday night. HERSHEY now leads the seven-game series two games to none.
The BEARS struck first, as Kyle Wilson dropped a pass to Ashton Rome, who potted his first goal of the postseason to put the home team on the board at 10:48. The River Rats answered with a backhand tally from rookie Drayson Bowman at 15:37, with the lone assist from Zac Dalpe. HERSHEY and Albany were knotted at one goal apiece through 20 minutes of play.
The Rats found the go-ahead goal early in the second stanza, just six seconds into a man advantage. With Oskar Osala screening BEARS backstop Michal Neuvirth, Dalpe found the back of the net, assisted by Bryan Rodney and Jamie McBain at 3:35. Alexandre Giroux notched the equalizer, stuffing a shortside rebound past Albany netminder Justin Peters at 5:15. Andrew Gordon and Bryan Helmer tallied the helpers on Giroux’s seventh marker of the playoffs. The Chocolate and White again found themselves in a deadlock with the Rats, the score 2-2 after two for the second straight game.
HERSHEY opened the third period with a power play for 1:40, but a turnover resulted in a 2-on-1 rush for Albany’s Nick Dodge and Jerome Samson. Dodge sent the puck five-hole on Neuvirth for the shorty to give the River Rats a 3-2 advantage at 1:16. The BEARS responded with three power play goals. Gordon fired a backhander past Peters for his seventh of the playoffs at 3:24, from Chris Bourque and Karl Alzner. Just seven seconds into another HERSHEY power play, Giroux lifted the rebound of a Keith Aucoin shot top shelf at 4:10, with Bourque adding the secondary assist. Gordon fired a shot from behind the Albany net, banking the puck off the leg pad of Peters and across the goal line at 9:56. Giroux and Bourque registered the helpers, as the Chocolate and White found its first two-goal lead of the series. Steve Pinizzotto clinched the win with an empty net goal at 18:22, assisted by Alzner and Zach Miskovic.
Neuvirth made 18 saves on 21 shots to earn his fifth win of the playoffs in net. The BEARS power play converted three times on seven chances, while the penalty kill went 3-for-4.
Bears Radio Network Three Stars of the Game:
1. Andrew Gordon & Alexandre Giroux (each two goals, one assist)
2. Chris Bourque (three assists)
3. Karl Alzner (two assists)
Notes: With Sunday’s win, Neuvirth now boasts a postseason record of 13-2 on
Giant Center ice in the past two seasons combined. The best-of-seven series shifts to Albany, with the BEARS leading two games to none. The BEARS and River Rats will face off at Times Union Center for Game 3 on Tuesday and Game 4 on Thursday. Puck drop for both games is slated for 7:00 p.m.
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