Bau Leads Bears to 3-1 Win at Springfield

November 8, 2017

Mathias Bau scored his first American Hockey League goal to lead the Hershey Bears to a 3-1 victory over the Springfield Thunderbirds on Wednesday night at the MassMutual Center. Hershey improved to 5-6-0-2 and earned a second straight win on the road.

Just 3:50 into the contest, Springfield's Bobby Farnham was called for a tripping infraction. Five seconds before the penalty expired, Hershey's Wayne Simpson scored his fourth goal of the season. Simpson received a cross-ice feed from Dustin Gazley along the point. Simpson's shot beat Springfield goaltender Harri Sateri through the five-hole and trickled inches across the goal line to make it 1-0.

Hershey's 1-0 lead carried into the second period, when Bau scored his first AHL goal to double his club's lead. Also on the power play, Bau received a loose puck from an angle in close to the net. From the right post, an uncontested Bau potted the loose puck into the cage. Travis Boyd and Lucas Johansen assisted on the goal at 11:44.

The 2-0 lead for the Chocolate and White became a 3-0 lead with 3:39 left in regulation. Chris Bourque's fifth goal of the season came with the Springfield net vacated. After a defensive zone faceoff was won by the Bears, Bourque lobbed a backhand shot in the neutral zone towards and into the open net.

The Thunderbirds broke Pheonix Copley's bid for his first shutout of the season with 2:03 left. On a power play, Anthony Greco blasted a shot from the right wing past Copley to put Springfield on the board.

Hershey went 2-for-6 on the power play and outshot the Thunderbirds 24-21.

The Chocolate and White return home to the Giant Center this Saturday, November 11 for a 7 p.m. tilt against the Lehigh Valley Phantoms. Following the match up, the Bears will auction off their game worn Hometown Heroes jerseys on Hometown Heroes Night.