Bears Close Homestand with 5-4 Loss to Phantoms

January 7, 2025

The Hershey Bears (21-11-3-0) attempted to rally from a three-goal deficit but could not secure a tying goal late in regulation as they fell to the Lehigh Valley Phantoms (16-13-4-1) by a 5-4 score on Tuesday night at GIANT Center, as the club continued its 2024-25 season, presented by Penn State Health.

Defenseman Ethan Bear recorded his first three-point (1g, 2a) game of the season and Mike Sgarbossa scored twice for Hershey in the loss.

Tuesday's contest marked the conclusion of a franchise-record eight-game homestand, matching an eight-game stretch at Hersheypark Arena for the club from Oct. 19-Nov. 9, 1985 (7-0-1). Hershey went 3-5-0-0 in its homestand at GIANT Center that began on Dec. 14, 2024.

BOX SCORE

NOTABLES:

• Hunter McDonald scored on Lehigh Valley's first shot of the contest at 2:44 of the first period to put the visitors ahead 1-0.
• Grant Cruikshank scored for the second straight game for Hershey - a shorthanded marker for his third goal of the season - at 5:32 to tie the game at 1-1.
• Later in the frame the Phantoms scored twice in a 39-second span as Elliot Desnoyers (12:47) and Ethan Samson (13:26) pushed the visitors ahead 3-1.
• Lehigh Valley scored another early goal to start the second period just 65 seconds into the frame to extend its lead to 4-1.
• Bear scored his sixth goal of the season on a shot from the blue line that evaded Cal Petersen, who was screened by Bogdan Trineyev. Henrik Rybinski and Matt Strome assisted on the goal.
• Jacob Gaucher scored at 16:58 to make it 5-2 on a wrap-around play that was originally waved off by the official until a video review reversed the call and awarded the goal to the Phantoms.
• Mike Sgarbossa deflected a pass from Bear to find the net for the third consecutive game at 19:42 to close out the period with his third of the season; Bear's helper marked his 50th career AHL assist and 100th overall pro helper.
• Sgarbossa netted his second goal of the night 1:06 into the third period from Pierrick Dube and Alex Limoges for the 17th two-goal game of his AHL career and his first since Jan. 11, 2023 vs. Wilkes-Barre/Scranton. Limoges' helper extended his assist streak to three games (3a).
• The Bears are now 3-2-1-0 against Lehigh Valley in head-to-head play this season.

SHOTS: HER 25, LV 25

GOALTENDING: HER - Hunter Shepard [L], 15-for-20, Clay Stevenson, 5-for-5; LV - Cal Petersen, 21-for-25

POWER PLAY: HER - 0-for-6; LV - 0-for-3

THEY SAID IT:

Bears head coach Todd Nelson on Tuesday's result:
"We got off to a pretty decent start. We were humming there and then they get that first goal. It's kind of a seeing-eye shot that goes in, we end up killing off a penalty, get a shorthanded goal, which is great, but the bottom line is as the first period went on, we gave up two more goals and they're [the product of] turnovers and puck battles. So we can't expect to go down 4-1 in the second period and come back in a game like that. Anytime you give up five goals in your home building that's inexcusable."

Nelson on the difference between tonight and the weekend's performance against Providence that resulted in a pair of wins:
"I thought we wanted an easy night tonight. [In the] Providence games, there was a lot of emotion in the games where guys were engaged, and there was physicality in those two games - there wasn't a whole lot of physicality today. It comes down to wall battles and puck battles, and that was a direct result of a few goals [against], so it's disappointing, obviously. We finally score four goals on Cal Petersen, who's been our nemesis, but we give up five - can't happen."

Ethan Bear on what led to the loss tonight:
"I think just not enough urgency. Coming after two really hard-fought games and wins, I think we just weren't winning our one-on-one battles. We just weren't being hard enough and it's a man's game out there every single night, and this team's won two years in a row, so we have a target on our back every time we play - teams want to show they can beat us. And if we're ever sleeping or, or not ready to really dig in, that's what's going to happen. We let in four goals, we let down Shep. So yeah, I think we just need to work harder - that's it."

Bear on what he thinks the group as a whole must do to step up:
"At the end of the day, it's about passion. How much do you care to win? How much pride do you have on your shoulders when you lose a battle - does it sting? Are you going to win that next one? I think that's what we have to really show: pride, passion. That's why we play. We play because we love it and we have to have some killer instinct to protect that. And we just didn't have that tonight. They wanted it more than us at the end of the day."

Bear on the looming weekend series ahead against Charlotte:
"We should be mentally preparing right now. Charlotte's always given us a tough time. They work hard, they're fast and we've got to be ready to play a complete game. And that starts with puck battles, winning one-on-ones, winning races, being willing to take hits to make plays. And that's what we have to do. And when we do that, like in the games against Providence, when you get knocked down, who cares? Just keep going. That's what we have to do, is just bring that killer mentality."

NEXT GAME:

The Bears continue the 2024-25 regular season, presented by Penn State Health, when they visit the Charlotte Checkers for the first of two games at Bojangles' Coliseum on Friday, Jan. 10, at 7 p.m. Hershey returns home to host the Belleville Senators on Friday, Jan. 17 at 7 p.m. at GIANT Center. Purchase tickets for the game by CLICKING HERE.