BOURQUE'S TWO POINTS NOT ENOUGH, BEARS FALL 4-2

November 29, 2011

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: November 29, 2011CONTACT: Scott Stuccio – HERSHEY BEARS – (717) 903-8448 WHALE COME BACK TO DEFEAT BEARS

HARTFORD, Conn. – Two late third-period goals by the Connecticut Whale broke a 2-2 deadlock and sent the hosts to a 4-2 win over the HERSHEY BEARS on Tuesday night at XL Center Veterans Memorial Coliseum.

The BEARS got on the board first with a power-play strike from Chris Bourque. Just after a two-man advantage expired and on the first part of a Connecticut double-minor penalty, Bourque collected a pass in the slot from Keith Aucoin and fired a slap shot that was blocked by goaltender Chad Johnson. But the puck rolled over and down his back and into the net, to give the BEARS a 1-0 advantage at 12:03.

The Whale answered right back when Mats Zuccarello finished off a two-on-one rush with Jonathan Audy-Marchessault at 14:01. Zuccarello cut down the left wing and placed a wrist shot inside the left post behind Braden Holtby to tie the score 1-1.

With a quick-moving second period ticking by, a BEARS attempt to clear the puck off the right boards deflected directly to Whale forward Aaron Voros, who took a snap shot that banked in off the right post and past Holtby at 14:20, giving the Whale their first lead of the night.

Down 2-1 in the third, the BEARS tied the game just after a power play expired when Aucoin’s pass from the right circle deflected past Johnson off of the stick of Graham Mink at 10:49. But the hosts wiped out the tying goal when Pavel Valentenko fired a low slap shot through traffic that eluded Holtby at 15:56. Chris McKelvie iced the win with an empty-netter at 18:44.

The BEARS finished the night 1-for-4 on the power play and 2-for-2 on the penalty kill.

Holtby stopped 19 shots but took the loss, falling to 5-5-1 on the season. Johnson improved to 6-3-2 with 26 saves on 28 shots.

The loss drops the BEARS to 9-6-3-2 on the season.

HERSHEY will visit the Syracuse Crunch on Friday, December 2 for a 7:30 PM faceoff. The team returns home next Saturday, December 3 to face the Portland Pirates at 7:00 PM. Individual tickets for this and all regular-season home games are on sale now by calling (717) 508-BEAR, or by visiting ticketmaster.com.

HERSHEY BEARS season ticket plans are also on sale now by calling (717) 508-BEAR, with many different flexible plans still available. Season ticket plans start as low as $160.

Game Recap: http://theahl.com/stats/official-game-report.php?game_id=1008936

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