Weekly Release #7: Copley Shines, Bears Set To Hit Road

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After failing to score in two consecutive games, the Hershey Bears ended last week strong with a victory on Hockey Fights Cancer Night over the Charlotte Checkers, improving the club’s record to 8-6-2-2 through 18 games this year. The Bears are now getting set for a pair of contests away from home ice as they visit Bridgeport on Saturday and Providence on Sunday.

Last Wednesday, Hershey and Wilkes-Barre/Scranton played to a 0-0 tie through regulation and overtime at the Mohegan Sun Arena. Hershey’s Pheonix Copley and the Baby Pens Casey DeSmith both earned shutouts, but it was the Penguins Stefan Noesen who scored the lone goal of the shootout to give the home team the 1-0 victory.

On Friday, Hershey was blanked by the Charlotte Checkers, 3-0 at Giant Center. Charlotte netminder Alex Nedeljkovic had 36 saves.

On Saturday, Hershey finished the weekend strong, scoring a 2-1 victory in the rematch with Charlotte. Liam O’Brien tallied in the second period for Hershey, and Mike Sgarbossa scored the deciding goal on the power play late in the third period. Hershey outshot Charlotte, 37-18, in the victory. 

UPCOMING GAMES: 
-Saturday, Nov. 23 at Bridgeport, 7 p.m.
-Sunday, Nov. 24 at Providence, 3:05 p.m.

WEEKLY PRACTICE SCHEDULE: 
Wednesday, Nov. 20: 10:30 a.m., Klick Lewis Arena
Thursday, Nov. 21: 10:30 a.m., Klick Lewis Arena
Friday, Nov. 22:  9:15 a.m., Hersheypark Arena
Saturday, Nov. 23: 11:15 a.m., Morning Skate, Webster Bank Arena
*Practice schedule subject to change. Follow @TheHersheyBears on Twitter for updates.

#HersheyBearsCares Events This Week
The Bears are committed to giving back to the local community. On Thursday, select players will appear at Coco Packs to assist in helping fight hunger during the holiday season. 

FANTASTIC PHEONIX: Hershey goaltender Pheonix Copley started all three games for the Bears last week, collecting a 1-1-1 record with a sensational .98 goals against average and a .959 save percentage. He earned his first shutout of the season at Wilkes-Barre/Scranton last Wednesday and finished the week with 71 saves on 74 shots. For his efforts, Copley was named Hershey’s PSECU Player of the Week. The North Pole, Alaska native is 4-4-3 this season with a 2.40 goals against average for the Chocolate and White.

STREAK BROKEN: The Bears snapped a scoreless drought of 167:42 in Saturday’s victory over Charlotte. Hershey had not scored since Steve Whitney’s goal to tie the game with 2:44 to play in the Nov. 10 win over Lehigh Valley. The Bears were blanked in back-to-back games heading in Saturday for the first time since Mar. 10-11, 2018. After more than two full games and two full overtimes without a goal, Hershey finally broke through when Liam O’Brien scored his 5th goal of the season at 14:58 of the second period on Saturday.

DISCIPLINED BEARS: The Chocolate and White are one of the most disciplined teams in the entire American Hockey League. The Bears are averaging just 9.94 penalty minutes per game, the second lowest total in the AHL. Only Hartford (8.06) averages less penalty minutes per game. Hershey’s penalty kill continues to be strong, ranking 6th in the AHL at 87.5%.

ROAD WOES: The Bears enter this weekend looking to get back on track away from Central Pennsylvania. After winning three of the first four games on the road this season, Hershey has dropped five straight games away from the Giant Center, going 0-3-1-1.

SUTTER DEBUTS: Forward Riley Sutter made his AHL debut last Friday for the Bears. The 2018 3rd round selection of Washington had skated in two games for the Bears this season. He had 41 points (14 goals, 27 assists) in 38 games with Everett of the Western Hockey League last season.

BEARS BITES: Saturday’s game in Bridgeport marks Hershey’s first contest at the Webster Bank Arena since the Chocolate and White won the decisive Game 5 of the Atlantic Division Semifinals, 3-2, in overtime on a Brian Pinho goal…Hershey’s Garrett Pilon (three goals, two assists) had five points in six regular season contests versus Bridgeport last year…After Sunday’s game at Providence, the Bears will not play outside the state of Pennsylvania until they visit Utica on Dec. 27…Nine of Hershey’s 10 games in that stretch are at home.