Game Preview: Bears at Monsters, 7 p.m.

March 22, 2024

The Hershey Bears take the ice tonight against the Cleveland Monsters in their first of two games this weekend at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse, their first of two games in the Buckeye State.

Hershey Bears (44-11-0-5) at Cleveland Monsters (35-19-3-3)
March 22, 2024 | 7 p.m. | Game 61 | Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse
Referees: Bobby Jo Love (51), Brody Sutter (71)
Linespersons: Mitchell Hunt (62), Luke Pye (42)

Broadcast Information 
Voice of the Bears, Zack Fisch, and Bears media specialist Jesse Liebman on the call
TELEVISION: Antenna TV (WPMT FOX 43.2, Xfinity Ch. 247 and 1178, Verizon FiOS Ch. 463, Blue Ridge Ephrata Ch. 91, and Blue Ridge Newberry/Duncannon Ch. 88)
RADIO: WFVY-100.1 FM, Fox Sports 1460-AM
WATCH LIVE: AHLTV
LISTEN LIVE: Fox Sports AM-1460 Stream 
Radio pre-game coverage starts at 6:30 p.m.; Television coverage begins at 7 p.m.

LAST TIME OUT:
The Bears hosted the Hartford Wolf Pack on Sunday in a 4-0 victory. Ethen Frank scored a power-play goal just 1:19 into the contest, and Hershey added goals in the second from Alex Limoges at 19:44, and in the third from Riley Sutter (11:18) and Ryan Hofer (14:13). Hunter Shepard made 26 saves for his third shutout of the season. The Monsters were last in action on Monday in a home clash with the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins. After falling behind 1-0 in the first period, Jake Gaudet tied the game with a power-play goal at 15:11, but Radim Zohorna put the Penguins in front for good at 16:42, and would eventually go on to record a hat trick for Wilkes-Barre/Scranton. James Malatesta scored Cleveland's other goal late in the second period, as Malcom Subban took the 5-2 loss with a 35-for-40 effort.

POWER PLAY PRESSES ON:
Despite the call-up of Mike Sgarbossa (who is tied for the league lead with 19 power-play assists) since Feb. 5 and his absence as part of Hershey's power play unit, the Bears have continued to roll along with the man advantage. Hershey's power play has gone 3-for-14 (21.43%) over its last four games, and Ethen Frank's increased his team-leading power-play goals count to 11 in Sunday's win over Hartford, and now ranks fourth in the AHL. Hershey has posted a record of 27-4-0-2 this season when scoring a power-play goal.

MONSTERS, INC.:
The Bears will look to continue their winning ways against the Cleveland Monsters this weekend after taking the first two games of the regular-season series on home ice. Hershey has an overall 11-game point streak (9-0-0-2) against Cleveland dating back to Jan. 11, 2020 and has won its last four visits to Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse. Ethen Frank leads Hershey in scoring against the Monsters this season with seven points (2g, 5a) through two games, and Clay Stevenson has earned both victories, surrendering just two goals and making 40 saves. Bears head coach Todd Nelson played for the Cleveland Lumberjacks of the International Hockey League, while assistant coach Nick Bootland played in Cleveland for the second incarnation of the Barons franchise that operated from 2001-06. Monsters associate coach Mike Haviland was the head coach of the Bears during the 2013-14 campaign.

BEARS BITES:
Matt Strome has a three-game assist streak (4a)...Bears head coach Todd Nelson has already matched his win output from his first regular season at the helm of the Bears, and is three wins away from earning his 400th victory as an AHL head coach. Nelson is also seven games away from his 700th game as an AHL head coach...After missing 15 games with an injury, defenseman Lucas Johansen has three assists in his last four games since returning to the lineup...Hershey is 9-3-0-2 against North Division clubs this season...Matthew Phillips played in his 300th professional game on Saturday against Syracuse and was recalled by the Washington Capitals earlier this morning...Aaron Ness' next point will move him past Mike Gaul (168) for sole possession of seventh in franchise scoring among defensemen. Ness is the franchise's leader in scoring among all American-born defensemen...Hershey is a combined 14-5-0-2 in road Friday and Saturday games...The Bears are 7-1-0-0 this season in games against the same opponent on back-to-back nights in the same venue.

ON THIS DATE:
March 22, 1964 - The Bears clinched a berth in the Calder Cup Playoffs with a 3-2 overtime win at Baltimore. Bruce Cline netted the goal in sudden-death to send Hershey into the postseason, beating Gilles Villemure for his 26th of the season at 9:26 of the extra frame.