Bears Double Up Phantoms in 4-2 Win

December 21, 2022

Ethen Frank’s first career two-goal game led the Hershey Bears (20-6-2-1) to a 4-2 win over the Lehigh Valley Phantoms (12-11-2-1) on Wednesday night at the PPL Center. Hershey became the first team to reach 20 wins this season in the American Hockey League.

The win pushed Hershey’s record against Lehigh Valley this season to 5-0-0-0, and gave the Chocolate and White their 20th victory in only 29 games, the second-fastest 20-win campaign in franchise history, surpassed only by the 2020-21 Bears in a shortened season that saw Hershey hit the 20-win plateau in its 28th contest. In doing so, the Bears notably surpassed the club’s full-season mark of 20 wins in 30 games established by Hershey in 2009-10, 2008-09, 1996-97, 1946-47, and 1941-42.

BOX SCORE

Frank gave Hershey a 1-0 lead at the 6:00 mark of the first period when he knocked in the rebound of Jake Massie past the pads of Lehigh Valley netminder Pat Nagle for his ninth of the season. Mike Vecchione added a secondary assist on the goal.

The Phantoms answered with two quick goals in the final two minutes of the opening frame when Artem Anismov buried a chance past Hunter Shepard at 18:42 with the Bears hemmed in their own zone, and Elliot Desnoyers scored 24 seconds later at 19:06 to put Lehigh Valley ahead 2-1.

The Bears managed to draw level midway through the second period when Dylan McIlrath rolled the puck out of the defensive zone ahead to Matt Strome who was able to spring Connor McMichael for a 2-on-1 rush up the left wing, and the forward snapped the puck beyond the blocker of Nagle for his sixth of the season at 11:05 to make it 2-2. Strome’s assist marked his first point of the season.

With the score tied in the third, Hershey took a 3-2 lead with a power-play strike from Frank when the forward one-timed an Aaron Ness pass at 10:22 for his second of the evening. Mike Sgarbossa earned a secondary assist on the tally.

Hershey sealed the game with an empty-net goal from Mason Morelli that came at 19:50, with Shane Gersich assisting on the goal, in what was Gersich’s 100th career professional point.

Shots finished 29-23 favoring Lehigh Valley. Shepard went 27-for-29 for Hershey to earn his seventh victory of the season; Nagle was 19-for-22 for the Phantoms. The Bears were 1-for-3 on the power play, while Lehigh Valley went 0-for-3 with the man advantage.

Hershey continues the 2022-23 season, presented by Penn State Health, when the Chocolate and White visit the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins at Mohegan Sun Arena on Tuesday, Dec. 27 at 7:05 p.m. The Bears are back on GIANT Center ice when they host the Providence Bruins on Wednesday, Dec. 28 at 7 p.m. for Berks Dollar Dog Night featuring Berks Dollar Dogs and $6 beers available at Boulevard, Hot Shots, and Hat Trick, and AAA Car Magnet Night, featuring a Bears Car Magnet for the first 5,000 fans in attendance. Purchase tickets for the game by CLICKING HERE.