Senators Spoil Hershey's Home Opener with 5-2 Win

October 14, 2017

Chandler Stephenson and Chris Bourque scored, but the Belleville Senators defeated the Hershey Bears, 5-2, to spoil Hershey’s home opener Saturday night at the Giant Center. The loss dropped the Bears to 0-2-0-0 on the season, while Belleville improved to 1-3-0-0.

Hershey started the contest with a 5-on-3 power play marker just 4:24 into the game. Stephenson scored his second goal of the season, cashing in on a rebound. Bears forward Travis Boyd fed rookie defender Lucas Johansen on the left wing. Johansen’s shot was stopped by the pad of Belleville’s Danny Taylor, but Stephenson scored on the second effort from the slot to make it 1-0 Hershey. Johansen’s assist on the goal was his first professional point.

After Belleville’s Ethan Werek tied the score with just 1:06 left in the first period, the game opened up in the second. The teams traded three goals in a span of just 54 seconds as Belleville took a 3-2 lead.

At 2:57, Werek scored his second goal of the game on the power play, deflecting a Chris DiDomenico shot past the right pad of Hershey netminder Parker Milner to put Belleville in front for the first time.

Just 37 seconds later, Hershey’s Bourque evened the score. Off a faceoff, Boyd won the draw cleanly to Bourque. The veteran unleashed a slap shot that sailed over the glove of Taylor to make it 2-2. 

The tie didn’t last long. Just 17 seconds later, Gabriel Gagne struck on a 2-on-1 for the Senators, converting on a slap shot over the glove of Milner to make it 3-2 Belleville.

The Senators would never relinquish the lead, and added a pair of goals in the third period to put the game out of reach. Only 46 seconds into the game’s final frame, Jack Rodewald doubled Belleville’s lead to 4-2. The forward scored on a turnaround wrist shot that beat Milner past the blocker. At 17:49, DiDomenico added an empty net goal to secure the victory for the Senators.

With Pheonix Copley and Vitek Vanecek still out with lower-body injuries, Milner started in goal for the second straight game for Hershey, stopping 30 shots in the loss. The Pittsburgh native played a large role in keeping Belleville to just 1-for-7 on the power play, as he made several spectacular saves, including a sprawling glove save on Fillip Chlapik midway through the second period.

The Bears went 1-for-6 on the power play and were outshot 35-19 in the loss.

Hershey returns to the ice tomorrow evening at the Giant Center versus the rival Lehigh Valley Phantoms. The puck drops at 5 p.m. and its AAA 80th Season Car Magnet Night and Dietz & Watson Dollar Dog Night. Tickets information is available at HersheyBears.com.