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Playoff Push Intensifies with 3-2 Win at Rochester

Playoff Push Intensifies with 3-2 Win at Rochester

April 7, 2017

(Rochester, NY- April 7, 2017)-Two goals in the second period earned the Hershey Bears hockey team a 3-2 victory over the Rochester Americans on Friday night at Blue Cross Arena. Hershey’s win, and Bridgeport’s loss to Providence, pulled Hershey closer to the fourth and final playoff spot in the Atlantic Division. 

After Rochester’s Casey Nelson scored just 26 seconds into the game, Hershey responded with a quick strike to tie the game. Hershey’s Liam O’Brien threw a hit in front of the Rochester net, knocking the puck free to teammate Travis Boyd. The AHL Second Team All-Star fed a pass to Jakub Vrana on the right wing. With netminder Jonas Johansson dropping to the ice, Vrana snapped a shot into the top half of the net to make it 1-1. The goal was Vrana’s 17th of the season, surpassing his 16 goals scored during his rookie campaign in 2015-16. 

Rochester’s Brendan Guhle scored his first professional goal in his first AHL game at 14:32 of the first period to pull Rochester ahead. The defender fooled Hershey goalie Pheonix Copley, firing a shot from the left wing boards that rolled under the pad of the netminder to make it 2-1 Rochester. 

After opening the game 0-for-3 on the power play, Hershey finally struck on the man-advantage in the middle frame to even the score. Riley Barber cashed in with his 13th goal of the season at 8:52. O’Brien’s pass from behind the goal deflected off Johansson’s stick and landed in the slot. Barber snapped a shot over the netminder’s glove to make it 2-2. The goal was Barber’s second in as many games. 

The game-winning tally came from an unlikely source for Hershey. In the closing minutes of the second period, Hershey took a 3-2 lead that they would never relinquish. Tyler Lewington scored his fourth goal of the season at 18:26. The defender walked down the right wing, and fired a shot from the corner towards the goal. The puck deflected off the pad of Johansson and trickled into the net to give Hershey the lead. 

In the third period, Hershey’s penalty kill came up superb, holding the Americans off the board during two chances on the man-advantage. Copley made his best save while Hershey was shorthanded, denying Rochester sharpshooter Nick Baptiste from point blank range. 

The Americans outshot Hershey 27-20. Rochester was 0-for-5 on the penalty kill while Hershey was 1-for-4. 

The Bears currently sit at 91 points and a .623 points percentage through 73 games, good for 5th in the Atlantic Division. Bridgeport has 90 points and a .625 points percentage through 72 games, good for 4th in the Atlantic Division. Bridgeport hosts Providence tomorrow and Hartford on Sunday.  

The Bears have three games left in the regular season. Hershey visits Toronto tomorrow at 5 p.m. The game may be heard on the Bears Radio Network and viewed on AHL Live.


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