Bears Fall to Monsters in Penalty-Filled Affair

November 17, 2018

The Hershey Bears closed out the weekend after dropping a 5-2 decision to the Cleveland Monsters on Saturday night at Giant Center. Hershey splits the two-game weekend series with the Monsters after winning Friday night, 6-1. 

Unlike the previous night between the Bears and Monsters, Cleveland drew first blood. At 8:32, Nathan Gerbe crashed the net shorthanded on Hershey goaltender Parker Milner and pushed a low shot across the goal line. The tally marked the third shorthanded goal allowed by the Chocolate and White this season. Shortly after, Riley Barber tied the game for Hershey on a power play goal. At 10:06, Barber snapped a shot from the high-slot past Monsters goaltender Jean-Francois Berube to even the score. 

The Bears continued to put bodies in the low-slot, close to the net, and earned themselves a late first period goal. At 15:45, Sgarbossa jammed a loose puck sitting in the blue paint into the cage to provide Hershey a 2-1 lead. The Chocolate and White went 1-for-2 on the power play and 3-for-3 on the kill in the opening stanza despite yielding the early shorthanded goal. Shots after 20 minutes were 13-6 Cleveland. 

Cleveland took control in the middle frame and posted a field goal to grab a 4-2 advantage. At 1:24, the Monsters tied the game at 2-2 after Kevin Stenlund buried a lively rebound left by Milner after a Gerbe shot. Only 59 seconds later, the Monsters grabbed a 3-2 lead. Adam Clendening scored his first goal of the season after blasting a shot five-hole on Milner following a centering feed from beneath the goal line from Sonny Milano.

At 10:20, Milano added his second assist of the night to help provide the Monsters a 4-2 advantage. Tommy Cross fired a high shot on goal, and the puck trickled across the goal line as Milner fell backwards in the blue paint. Shots on goal in the second period were 20-5 Monsters for a 40 minute total of 33-11. Cleveland remained in control for the third period, and Cross added his second goal of the night at 16:45. After a long puck battle behind Milner, Cross buried a centering feed into the slot for his club's fifth goal of the night.

Hershey's loss dropped their record to 8-9-0-1 on the season. Final shots on goal were 38-22 Monsters. Bears special teams finished 1-for-9 on the power play and 7-for-8 on the penalty kill. 

The Hershey Bears return to action on Black Friday, November 23 against the Lehigh Valley Phantoms at the PPL Center. Voice of the Bears, Zack Fisch will have the call on the Bears Radio Network