Bears Push Win Streak to Eight with 4-2 Win Over Checkers

December 1, 2023

Pierrick Dube scored twice, while Ivan Miroshnichenko and Riley Sutter each recorded a goal and an assist to lead the way for the Hershey Bears (17-4-0-0) in a 4-2 win over the Charlotte Checkers (10-8-0-0) on Friday night at Bojangles' Coliseum. With the victory, Hershey extended its season-high win streak to eight games.

BOX SCORE

Sutter scored off a face-off play at the left of the Charlotte net as he won the draw to Matt Strome, who pushed it through the skates of a defender to Sutter, who beat Spencer Knight for his fourth of the season at 10:12 of the first period to put Hershey up 1-0.

Sutter factored into Hershey's next goal, collecting a secondary assist on Miroshnichenko's sixth of the season at 13:03, after the rookie fished out a blocked Vincent Iorio attempt and put it past Knight to give the Bears a 2-0 edge.

Charlotte got on the board at 7:01 of the second period when Lucas Carlsson's shot from the blue line struck Patrick Khodorenko and deflected past Clay Stevenson to trim Hershey's lead to 2-1.

Dube buried a Mike Sgarbossa feed at 11:30 for a power-play goal and Dube's team-leading ninth goal of the season. Miroshnichenko added a secondary assist.

Dube scored again several minutes later when his shot rang the post and deflected into the net, with Jimmy Huntington collecting the lone assist for his 100th career point.

The Checkers chipped away at Hershey's lead with a third-period strike from Mackie Samoskevich at 2:49, but Stevenson stopped all remaining shots to close out the win.

Shots finished 29-24 in favor of the Checkers. Stevenson went 27-for-29 to secure his third consecutive victory of the season and his seventh win of the season overall (first among AHL rookies); Knight stopped 20-of-24 shots in the defeat for Charlotte. Hershey went 1-for-2 on the power play; the Checkers went 0-for-3 with the man advantage.

The Bears continue the 2023-24 season, presented by Penn State Health, when they close out the weekend with their second game against the Charlotte Checkers at Bojangles' Coliseum on Saturday, Dec. 2 at 6 p.m. Hershey returns home to GIANT Center to host the Cleveland Monsters for Hometown Heroes Night, featuring military-themed activities and recognition throughout the evening, on Saturday, Dec. 9 at 7 p.m. Purchase tickets for the game by CLICKING HERE.