Bears Fall to Penguins, 4-1

December 6, 2025

Brett Leason scored for the Hershey Bears (11-8-1-0), but the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins (17-5-1-0) tallied four unanswered goals to deal the Bears a 4-1 loss on Saturday night at GIANT Center.

Valtteri Puustinen scored twice for the visitors, and Hershey's record against Wilkes-Barre/Scranton this season is now at 1-2-0-0.

BOX SCORE

NOTABLES:

• Brett Leason opened the scoring for Hershey with his second of the season at 11:32 of the first stanza, by way of a wrist shot from the right point that eluded a screened Joel Blomqvist.
• The Penguins leveled the score with a strike from Valtteri Puustinen at 17:26 of the middle frame. Puustinen scored again 58 seconds into the third period to give Wilkes-Barre/Scranton a 2-1 lead.
• Gabe Klassen widened the lead for the visitors to 3-1 at 2:11.
• Aiden McDonough added the final goal of the game on the power play at 11:57, tallying his fifth marker of the season to make it 4-1 Penguins. 
• Bears captain Aaron Ness suited up in his 800th career American Hockey League game, passing legendary former Bear Frank Mathers for sole possession for the 16th-most games among defensemen in league history. Ness has appeared in 448 of those games with Hershey over the course of two stints with the club from 2015-19 and 2022-present.
• Prior to the game, Hershey inducted the Class of 2025 into the Hershey Bears Hockey Club Hall of Fame. Chris Bourque (player), Alexandre Giroux (player), Boyd Kane (player), Mike McHugh (player), and William W. "Tiny" Parry (general) were inducted in a pre-game ceremony. 

SHOTS: HER 28, WBS 31

GOALTENDING: HER - Garin Bjorklund, 27-for-31; WBS - Joel Blomqvist, 27-for-28

POWER PLAY: HER - 0-for-2; WBS - 1-for-2

THEY SAID IT:

Bears head coach Derek King on what led to Hershey establishing an initial 1-0 lead:
"Well, we kept it simple. We didn't turn pucks over. We got pucks in deep. We were on the forecheck, forcing them to make plays, they were turning pucks over. We forced them to come 200 feet to play the game. And then we got away from it at the end of the first, and it just snowballed from there."

King elaborating on the difference in the second and third period that led to the loss:
"The biggest difference is their forwards are better than our forwards. That's the biggest difference. And they got big 'D' back there that can move and they moved the puck, and their goalie made saves, and that's why they're in first place. And that's why we're not. We have to be better. We can be better and we show it, but we can't be inconsistent. That team plays the same way, period after period after period. They don't change the way they play. We decided we're going to change the way we play, and it's in the back of our net."

Bears captain Aaron Ness on what he observed from tonight's game:
"I thought the first was all right, we had spurts where we got back to what we needed to do to win games, but they're a really good hockey team all the way from top to bottom, so you have to play your best to beat them, and unfortunately in the second and most of the third, I don't think we did that."

Ness on a tribute video recognizing his achievement of playing in his 800th AHL game:
"Yeah, it was awesome. Obviously 800 games - to be able to get to that point is pretty cool and a huge honor - but just hearing some of the guys that I've played with in the past or currently play with - some of their kind words, it means a lot. Seeing [Chris Bourque] up there was fun on his night tonight. That was an incredible ceremony and cool to see him get the recognition he deserves with the Hall of Fame. I've just been really lucky to play with a lot of incredible players, good people, a lot of great coaches, and to be able to do it in a Bears jersey means a lot."

The Bears continue the 2025-26 season, presented by Penn State Health, when they host the Lehigh Valley Phantoms on Sunday, Dec. 7 at 3 p.m. at GIANT Center for Hersheypark Pass Night. All fans in attendance will receive a 2026 Hersheypark ticket, valid for one-day admission through June 30, 2026. The team will also auction off its 1970s-inspired throwback sweaters worn this weekend. CLICK HERE to purchase tickets for this game.