Game Preview: Bears at Americans, 7:05 P.M.

November 26, 2021

The Hershey Bears continue the 2021-22 season, presented by Penn State Health, with a Black Friday showdown against the Rochester Americans. The Americans are the American Hockey League affiliate for the NHL's Buffalo Sabres. Both teams will rematch at GIANT Center on Sunday, Dec. 19 to conclude their two-game season series. 

Hershey Bears (8-5-2-1) at Rochester Americans (9-6-0-0)
November 26, 2021 | 7:05 PM | Game #17 | Blue Cross Arena
Referees: Stephen Hiff (#56), Mason Riley (#79)
Linespersons: Brian Wasilewski (#79), Adam Tobias (#29)

AHL STANDINGS

Broadcast Information
Voice of the Bears, Zack Fisch on the call
RADIO: WFVY-100.1 FM, Fox Sports 1460-AM, SportsRadio 98.9-FM & WOYK 1350-AM
WATCH LIVE: AHLTV
LISTEN LIVE: Fox Sports AM-1460 Stream
Radio pre-game coverage starts at 6:35 p.m.

LAST TIME OUT:
The Hershey Bears scored a 4-3 overtime victory against the Providence Bruins in the club's 66th all-t ime Thanksgiving Eve game on Wednesday night. Down 2-0, Joe Snively tallied Hershey's first shorthanded goal of the campaign to cut the deficit to 2-1 midway through the second period. Trailing going into the third period, goals from Garrett Pilon and Shane Gersich less than a minute apart provided Hershey a 3-2 advantage. Tied at 3-3 in sudden-death overtime, Mason Morelli scored his first goal with the Chocolate and White, confirmed upon video review, to hand his team the 4-3 victory. Also on Wednesday night, the Rochester Americans dethroned the 13-0-0-0 undefeated Utica Comets with a 4-2 win at Utica. Sean Malone scored twice for the Americans in addition to strikes from Casey Fitzgerald and Brett Murray.

MORELLI MOMENTUM:
On Wednesday, Mason Morelli tallied his first goal as a member of the Chocolate and White in 25 total games dating back to last season. Morelli's overtime heroics also marked the first game-winning goal in his AHL career, and also rounded out the first multi-point night in his AHL career (1g, 1a). Prior to Hershey, the Minot, North Dakota native appeared in 40 AHL games with the Stockton Heat across two seasons in addition to stints with the Bears' ECHL affiliate, South Carolina Stingrays. Morelli has compiled 36 points (15g, 21a) in 81 total pro games entering tonight.

SNIVELY'S DOUBLE DIPS:
After scoring on Wednesday, Joe Snively now has seven goals in his past seven games. The Yale University product now totals 63 points (27g, 36a) in 100 career professional/AHL games. Additionally, a multi-point night (1g, 1a) in his last time out marked his club-best fifth multipoint game of the 2021-22 season. Snively leads the Chocolate and White with three different three-point games thus far. His goal two nights ago also marked Hershey's first shorthanded goal of the season and the club's third unassisted goal.

POINT STREAK FOR PILON:
Garrett Pilon now has a four-game point streak (2g, 3a) dating back to Nov. 10 versus Lehigh Valley after scoring in Wednesday's third period. Pilon became the fourth Bear this season to total points in four straight, joining Axel Jonsson-Fjallby, Aliaksei Protas and Cody Frasnon. In 14 games this season, the fourth-year pro has earned 12 points (6g, 6a). Pilon enters tonight with 97 career AHL points and 98 professional points after scoring his first NHL goal earlier this month. 

ABOUT THE AMERKS:
The Rochester Americans enter tonight's game with a 9-6-0-0 record and sit fourth in the North Division. Rookie forward Jack Quinn is his club's leading point producer with 19 points (9g, 10a) in only 15 games. Second in team scoring is fellow rookie forward JJ Peterka with 15 points (4g, 11a) in 15 games. Goaltender Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen has started 11 of his team's 15 games and holds a 5-6-0 record accompanied by a 3.46 goals-against average, .883 save percentage and one shutout on Nov. 13 versus Cleveland.