Hershey Fall 4-3 in Overtime Saturday

November 19, 2016

(Hershey, PA- November 19, 2016)-The Hershey Bears got goals from Jakub Vrana, Liam O’Brien, and Christian Thomas, but the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins earned a comeback victory, beating the Bears 4-3 in overtime Saturday night. Penguins forward Tom Kostopoulos scored with 1:04 to play to tie the game, and Carter Rowney scored the game-winning goal 2:01 into overtime to give the Penguins the extra standings point. 

For the second straight evening, Hershey opened the scoring with a goal by Vrana. Travis Boyd made a highlight reel pass to setup Vrana for his ninth goal of the season at 12:49. Boyd dashed down the left wing and cut behind the goal. He threw a behind the back, no-look pass to Vrana, who struck to make it 1-0 Hershey. 

After the Penguins tied the game on a Jake Guentzel goal at 5:01 in the second period, Hershey jumped back out front on O’Brien’s second goal of the season. Hershey struck on a pretty passing play, as Christian Djoos fed a wide-open O’Brien on the right wing to make it 2-1 Hershey. Domenic Monardo also assisted. 

Hershey took a 3-1 lead early in the third period on Christian Thomas’ seventh goal of the season at 1:23, but Garrett Wilson responded for Wilke-Barre/Scranton, knocking a loose puck out of the air at 6:24 to cut the Bears’ lead back to just a goal. 

Late in the game, the Penguins pulled Jarry for the extra attacker and Kostopoulos knocked in a rebound for his sixth goal of the season at 18:56. In overtime, the Penguins seized the momentum and Rowney jammed the net, sliding his third whack at the puck past the left pad of Cannata to win the game for the Penguins.

The victory was Wilke-Barre/Scranton’s second overtime win versus Hershey this year. The Bears were outshot 30-28.  Both teams were 0-for-4 on the power play. 

The two rivals meet again Wednesday at GIANT Center at 7 p.m.  It’s Sara Lee & Canteen Vending Turkey Shoot Night and tickets are available.