The Hershey Bears enter this weekend’s action with a 1-3 record after splitting a pair of games last weekend, losing in Bridgeport on Friday 4-2 and rebounding with a 3-1 victory over Rochester on Saturday in their home opener.<\/p>\n
On Friday in Bridgeport, the Bears squared off against the Bridgeport Sound Tigers featuring former Bears Mark Wotton and Kip Brennan.<\/p>\n
Defensively, the Bears had a satisfactory night in limiting the amount of shots on goal, keeping Bridgeport to a respectable 30 shots on goal. <\/p>\n
Despite allowing the respectable shot total, the Bears were unsuccessful in limiting odd man scoring chances, leaving goaltender Frederic Cassivi all alone to fend for himself on numerous occassions.<\/p>\n
The game featured four fights, including a fight between Ben Clymer and Drew Fata on Clymer’s first shift as a Bear. Both Clymer and Fata traced the origins of that bout back to last season’s Washington Capitals training camp, when Clymer and Fata’s brother Rico squared off. <\/p>\n
In the goal scoring department, it was college night for the Bears. Jamie Hunt (Mercyhurst) and Kyle Wilson (Colgate) each tallied power play goals, their first goals of the season.<\/p>\n
On Saturday, the Bears opened up the home portion of their historic 70th AHL season by hosting the league’s second most senior member, the Rochester Americans.<\/p>\n
After a scoreless first period in which the Bears outshot the Americans by a huge margin (17-5), Ben Clymer gave the Bears the lead early in the second period with his first goal in a Hershey uniform.<\/p>\n
Rochester’s Kamil Kreps tied the game late in the second period with the Amerks on a 5-on-3 power play.<\/p>\n
Jame Pollock’s power play rooftop rocket gave the Bears a 2-1 lead early in the second period.<\/p>\n
Ben Clymer’s second goal of the game, a power play marker with the Bears enjoying a 5-on-3 power play, capped off the scoring in the game.<\/p>\n
Defensively, the Bears enjoyed their most smothering defensive effort of the season, limiting the Amerks to a handful of quality scoring chances.<\/p>\n
Frederic Cassivi responded to the defensive unit’s fine performance by putting on a spectacular show, stopping 30 shots, several of the stellar variety.<\/p>\n
Up next for the Bears are a pair of games this weekend.<\/p>\n
Friday night finds the Bears on the road in Binghamton, NY against former Bear and Capital, Lawrence Nycholat.<\/p>\n
Sunday night the Bears return to Giant Center for their second home outing of the season, hosting the Albany River Rats.<\/p>\n
Bears statistical leaders<\/u>:
\nGoals- Chris Bourque (3)<\/i>
\nPPG’s- Bourque, Wilson, Clymer, Hunt, Pollock, Motzko (1)<\/i>
\nSHG’s- NONE<\/i>
\nAssists- Barney, Wilson (3)<\/i>
\nPoints- Bourque (5)<\/i>
\nPIMS- Louis Robitaille (19)<\/i>
\nPlus\/Minus- Andrew Gordon, Malcolm MacMillan (+2)<\/i> <\/p>\n
– John Sparenberg<\/i><\/p>\n
Edit: This blog was archived in May of 2016 from our original articles database.It was originally posted by John Sparenberg<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"