Djoos Leads Bears to 4-3 OT Win Over Wolf Pack

March 17, 2017

(Hershey, PA- March 17, 2017)-Christian Djoos scored 59 seconds into overtime to complete a four-point evening and earn the Hershey Bears hockey team a 4-3 win over the Hartford Wolf Pack on Friday evening at the Giant Center. The victory improved Hershey’s win streak on home ice to eight games, and gave the Bears their second overtime win of the season. 

Hershey entered Friday’s game with a 1-8 record in overtime, and a 0-5 mark on home ice. That all changed within the first minute of the extra session on Friday. With a goal and two assists under his belt, Djoos elated the crowd of 9,047 with his second goal of the game to earn Hershey the win. Stanislav Galiev drifted into the slot and fed Djoos on the right wing. The defender took a one-timer that beat Wolf Pack netminder Jeff Malcolm over the left shoulder.

Djoos’ exceptional night started midway through the second period. Only 44 seconds after Matt Carey gave Hartford a 1-0 lead, Djoos set up the tying goal. The defender fed Hershey’s Paul Carey on the left wing, and the Boston native scored his 19th goal of the season to make it 1-1 at 10:50. Djoos then gave Hershey the lead in the closing seconds of the second period. Paul Carey dug the puck out of a scrum on the nearside corner boards and found Djoos wide open at the top of the crease. The defender chipped a shot past the glove of Malcolm at 19:57 for his 11th goal of the year. 

Both teams traded goals in the third period. Dan Catenacci tied the game for Hartford at 4:52, but Hershey captain Garrett Mitchell responded, scoring at 6:21 to make it 3-2. The forward redirected Tom Gilbert's shot from the right point past the blocker of Malcolm for his ninth goal of the year. The goal gave Mitchell his 100th career AHL point, all of which have come with the Bears. Djoos picked up the secondary assist on the go-ahead marker. 

Overtime was setup by a tying goal from Hartford's Niklas Jensen with under four minutes to play. Wolf Pack forward Marek Hrivik broke his stick on a slap shot, and the puck knuckled, deflecting off Hershey goalie Pheonix Copley's stick. The rebound bounced right to Jensen who notched his 26th goal of the season to force overtime. 

The Bears outshot Hartford 26-25 on the evening. The victory, and a Bridgeport loss to Providence on Friday, moved Hershey into fourth place in the Atlantic Division. 

The two teams rematch tomorrow evening in Hershey for Girl Scout Night and a College Night delivered by Papa John's