Bears Take Down Penguins 4-1 in Return Home

The Hershey Bears (40-9-0-3) returned home from a five-game road trip and came away with a 4-1 victory over the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins (26-18-7-1) on Friday night in front of a crowd of 10,520 at GIANT Center.With the win, the Chocolate and White became the first team in the American Hockey League this season to reach the 40-win plateau. The Bears improved to 8-2-0-0 against Wilkes-Barre/Scranton in head-to-head play this season and 5-0-0-0 on home ice. Hershey has earned points in its last four games (3-0-0-1) and has won six consecutive home games.Thoughts from head coach Todd Nelson following tonight's 4-1 win over Wilkes-Barre/Scranton. pic.twitter.com/cRMsIeUWDt- Hershey Bears (@TheHersheyBears) February 24, 2024 BOX SCOREJonathan Gruden gave the Penguins a 1-0 lead with a shorthanded breakaway goal at 5:49, beating Clay Stevenson to the blocker side.Ryan Hofer leveled the score with his third of the season at 13:57 when he took a pass from Jake Massie in the neutral zone, skated into the offensive zone and snapped a low shot that beat Joel Blomqvist. Matt Strome earned a secondary assist.Third of the season for Ryan Hofer to get us on the board!

🍎Massie

🍏Strome https://t.co/4B8TUcI9IB pic.twitter.com/ODyuIuqEMc- Hershey Bears (@TheHersheyBears) February 24, 2024 The score remained tied through much of the second and third periods, before Chase Priskie broke the deadlock with a power-play marker from the left circle at 16:22 of the final frame for his sixth of the season. Mike Vecchione and Joe Snively earned assists.Priskie breaks the deadlock with his seventh of the season!

🍎Vecchione

🍏Snively https://t.co/BE2Cwv1tdM pic.twitter.com/94fc0qo2xk- Hershey Bears (@TheHersheyBears) February 24, 2024 Strome and Bogdan Trineyev then added shorthanded empty-net tallies at 18:05 and 19:30, respectively, to close out the game.Shots finished 25-23 in favor of the Penguins. Stevenson went 24-for-25 for his 18th win of the season for Hershey; Blomqvist took the loss for Wilkes-Barre/Scranton with a 19-for-21 effort. The Bears went 1-for-7 on the power play; the Penguins went 0-for-5 with the man advantage.The Bears continue the 2023-24 season, presented by Penn State Health, when they host the Rochester Americans on Saturday, Feb. 24 at 7 p.m. at GIANT Center for their first-ever FeBREWary Beerfest event. CLICK HERE for more information. Hershey Food Bank will also be collecting canned and non-perishable food items outside the front entrance to GIANT Center prior to the game. Purchase tickets for the game by CLICKING HERE (limited tickets available).