PHANTOMS WIN WILD OFFENSIVE BATTLE IN SHOOTOUT

November 27, 2015

ALLENTOWN, Pa. – Paul Carey scored his fifth goal in as many games to force extra time after a wild regulation, but Tim Brent capped off a five-round shootout with the only goal as the Lehigh Valley Phantoms took a 6-5 decision from the Hershey Bears on Friday night at PPL Center.

Two days after a game featuring limited offense, the two teams combined for four goals in the opening period.  Tyrell Goulbourne started the scoring just 1:22 into the game, firing a pass from Kevin Goumas past Dan Ellis for his second goal in as many games against the Bears.

Later, after a lengthy and relentless offensive zone shift, the Bears would knot the score.  Hard work down low by Travis Boyd and Connor Carrick got the puck to an open Mike Moore in the slot.  Moore snapped the puck past the stick side of Phantoms netminder Connor Knapp at 8:38 for his first point of the campaign.

Tyler Lewington then put the Bears ahead for the first time in the game, scoring his first pro goal in the process.  His wrist shot from the right point sailed through traffic and into the upper-left corner of the net at 12:24, a goal set up by Sean Collins and Zach Sill.

But the lead lasted less than two minutes.  The Bears took the first and only penalty of the period and the Phantoms capitalized when Taylor Leier took the puck to the net from a sharp angle and lifted a shot behind Ellis at 14:09.

The Bears’ fourth line would then connect to restore Hershey’s lead early in the second period.  Austin Fyten faked a forehand pass behind the Phantoms net, and snuck a backhand pass into the slot.  With Knapp leaning off the post, Boyd one-timed the puck home at 4:35.

But the Phantoms would succeed on their second power play chance.  Leier stickhandled out of the left corner and found Petr Straka for a shot from in close that slipped through Ellis’ pads at 10:51.

Straka struck again at 16:58, jumping to a rebound and slamming it under a diving Ellis to give the Phantoms a 4-3 lead after two periods.

The Bears took control of the third period, outshooting the Phantoms 10-4 and battled to force overtime.  Nathan Walker crashed the crease for his own rebound at 12:08, backhanding a dropped shot by Knapp into the cage for his third of the season to tie the game at 4-4.

Goulbourne, however, would net his second of the game after a turnover behind the Bears’ net.  The puck came out in front courtesy of Evan Rankin’s pass, and Goulbourne beat Ellis from in close at 16:13.

But off of the ensuing faceoff, the trio of Carter Camper, Riley Barber and Carey would again battle to tie the game.  Carey headed hard down the left side toward the net, and one-timed a perfect long cross-ice pass from Barber inside the left post at 16:33 for the equalizer.

After a back-and-forth overtime with no further scoring, Knapp would deny Carey, Carrick, Chris Bourque, Dustin Gazley and Collins to allow Brent’s fifth-round backhand goal stand up as the winner.

Ellis stopped 28 shots in regulation and overtime and four of five in the shootout but fell to 5-3-2 on the season.  Knapp won in his first appearance of the year with 23 saves on 28 shots.  The Bears finished the night 0-for-2 on the power play and 3-for-5 on the penalty kill.

The Bears will travel north to take on the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins tomorrow, November 28.  Face-off from Mohegan Sun Arena is set for 7:05 PM.  Fans may listen to the broadcast beginning with the M&C Foreign Car Parts pre-game show at 6:25 on the Bears Radio Network of affiliates WQIC-FM 100.1, WTKT-AM 1460, WOYK-AM 1350, via the iHeartRadio app for smartphones (Fox Sports 1460 Harrisburg) and online at FoxSports1460.com.  Fans may also watch the game online for a small fee at AHLLive.com.

The Bears will host the Phantoms in the club’s next home game on Saturday, December 5 at 7:00 PM.  The first 4,000 fans age 18 and older will receive a Pennsylvania Lottery coupon.  Individual tickets for this and all Bears home games are on sale at the GIANT Center box office, by calling 717-508-BEAR or online at TicketMaster.com.