Bears Push Sound Tigers With the Brink to With Game 3 Win

April 23, 2019

Ryan Sproul broke a 1-1 tie in the third period to help the Hershey Bears to a 2-1 win over the Bridgeport Sound Tigers in Game 3 of the Atlantic Division Semifinals on Tuesday night at Giant Center. Hershey now leads the best-of-five series, 2-1, and can advance to the Atlantic Division Finals with a win on Thursday night.

The Bears dictated play in the first period with an 18-4 shot advantage, but both teams traded tallies for a 1-1 score at intermission. Liam O'Brien put the Bears in front at the 11:22 mark after blazing to the net along the left wing. Mike Sgarbossa entered the zone through the middle of the ice, and Riley Barber connected with a streaking O'Brien, who beat Sound Tigers goaltender Christopher Gibson low to the ice. 

Before the period expired, the Sound Tigers knotted the score on a breakaway goal by Josh Ho-Sang 17:38. The 1-1 deadlock stood until early in the third period, when Bears blueliner Ryan Sproul sent 7,152 fans at Giant Center into a frenzy. At the point, Sproul blasted a shot through a maze of bodies past Gibson to put the Bears on top at the 2:50 mark. Ilya Samsonov put forth a remarkable effort in goal by stopping 26 of 27 shots to capture third-star honors. Final shots on goal were 34-27 Hershey. Special teams for the Bears went 0-for-4 on the man-advantage and 3-for-3 on the kill.

The Hershey Bears can advance to the Atlantic Division Finals and push the Sound Tigers to elimination on Thursday night with a victory. Puck drop at Giant Center for Game 4 is scheduled for 7 p.m. Ticket information is available online at HersheyBears.com.