Bears Edge Comets in Overtime, Sweep Season Series

March 25, 2016

UTICA, N.Y. – Jakub Vrana scored on the only shot of overtime 1:50 into the extra session and Justin Peters turned away 26 of 27 shots, helping the Hershey Bears to a 2-1 win and a season series sweep of the Utica Comets on Friday night at the Utica Memorial Auditorium.

Neither team could get on the scoreboard in the first period, but the Comets had the first chance just 10 seconds into the game.  Ronalds Kenins jumped right through the Hershey defense and got a shot away from in close, but Peters kept the puck in front of him with a nice stick save.

At the other end, Richard Bachman would then pass test after test, stopping all 11 shots he faced including a breakaway by Dustin Gazley and a shorthanded partial break-in by Zach Sill.

The Bears finally broke through on Bachman at 3:03 of the middle period.  Gazley worked the puck up high to Aaron Ness, who teed off from the center point and beat Bachman low inside the right post for his fifth goal of the season.  Hershey’s penalty kill again came up big, holding off three more Comets chances with the man advantage.

But the penalty parade by the Bears would eventually come back to haunt them, as the Comets would cash in on a lengthy two-man advantage.  T.J. Hensick worked the puck to the right point for Jordan Subban, who walked in and unloaded a slapper that found the upper-right corner at 5:03.

The Bears would end up killing eight other power plays, with overtime to follow.  In the three-on-three, a wide shot taken by Utica was tipped out to neutral ice by Ryan Stanton, and was picked up in stride by Vrana.  Skating in alone on Bachman, he ripped a snap shot low to the stick side, emptying the bench in celebration.

Peters improved to 14-8-7 on the season, while Bachman dropped to 13-11-4 in a tremendous duel between the two.

The Bears improved to 37-18-4-7 on the season and remain tied with the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins at the top of the Atlantic Division.

Hershey returns home to face the Albany Devils tomorrow, March 26 at 7:00 PM.  Fans are invited to arrive early for a special pre-game ceremony to honor retiring Hershey Bears President/General Manager Doug Yingst.  The first 5,000 fans will receive a commemorative bobblehead figurine featuring Yingst.  All fans are invited to ice level after the game for the annual Dietz & Watson Ham Shoot.

Individual tickets are available at the GIANT Center box office, by calling (717) 508-BEAR or online at TicketMaster.com.

NOTES: The Bears tied for the most overtime games played in the AHL (19)…The Bears improved to 4-1 in games decided by a 2-1 final…Jakub Vrana became the 17th different Bears player to record a game-winning goal this season…The Bears scratched C Carter Camper, LW Paul Carey, D Christian Djoos, G Dan Ellis, RW Kevin Elgestal and and D Tyler Lewington…The Comets scratched LW Darren Archibald, C Milos Bubela, C Wacey Hamilton, LW Kellen Lain, D John Negrin, LW Brandon Prust, LW Evan Rankin, D William Wrenn and C Mike Zalewski.