Anas Lifts Bears Past Phantoms in 2-1 Win

March 17, 2023

Sam Anas scored the game-winner in his return to the lineup for the first time since Dec. 21, as the Hershey Bears (36-16-5-2) picked up a 2-1 victory over the Lehigh Valley Phantoms (31-24-3-3) on Friday night at the PPL Center.

With the win, Hershey is now 10-2-0-0 against Lehigh Valley this season. The victory, combined with a regulation loss by Hartford against Springfield, has also reduced the Magic Number for the Bears to six points.

BOX SCORE

Ethen Frank put Hershey up 1-0 in the first period when Joe Snively’s shot rebounded off the pads of Samuel Ersson to Frank at the right circle, who put home is 26th of the season at 18:56. Connor McMichael collected a secondary helper on the goal, extending the forward’s point streak to four games (1g, 3a).

The Phantoms tied the game at 16:09 of the second period when Ronnie Attard swung off the left wall and beat Hunter Shepard upstairs.

With the game still level at 1-1 in the third, Anas broke the deadlock with a power-play goal as he beat a screened Ersson with a wrist shot at 10:47 to make it 2-1 with his eighth of the season. The goal was also Anas’ 300th career professional point (104g, 196a). Julian Napravnik and Bobby Nardella contributed assists.

Shots finished 22-19 in favor of the Phantoms. Shepard went 21-for-22 for Hershey in his 13th victory of the season to snap a five-game stretch without a win; Ersson was 17-for-19 for Lehigh Valley. The Bears were 1-for-2 on the power play; the Phantoms finished 0-for-5 with the man advantage.

Hershey continues the 2022-23 season, presented by Penn State Health, when the Chocolate and White return home to GIANT Center where they will host the Rochester Americans for Hall of Fame Night and Print Works On Demand Poster Night on Saturday, March 18 at 7 p.m. Purchase tickets for the game by CLICKING HERE.