The Hershey Bears (53-14-0-5) concluded the 2023-24 regular season with a 4-1 loss to the Charlotte Checkers (39-25-7-0) in front of 10,320 fans on Saturday night at GIANT Center.
Hershey finished the regular season with a 53-14-0-5 record, posting a .771 points percentage, the best mark in the franchise's 86-season history. The 53 wins earned by the Bears are an American Hockey League record for the most victories in a 72-game campaign, and the club's point percentage fell just shy of passing the 1992-93 Binghamton Rangers' mark of .775 for a new league record. Hershey also went the entire regular season without consecutive regulation losses, a first for the franchise.
Charlotte raced out to a 2-0 lead in the first period, with goals from Mackie Samoskevich at 4:45 and Will Lockwood at 5:53, as the Checkers outshot the Bears 16-7 in the game's first 20 minutes.
Thanks to several timely saves from Hershey netminder Hunter Shepard, the game remained 2-0 until the third period. Charlotte goaltender Spencer Knight shut the door until late in regulation when Hershey pulled Shepard for an extra attacker, and Joe Snively scored for the Bears on a slapshot from the point to make it 2-1 at 18:41.
Hershey would pull Shepard again to try and pull even, but Alex True and Zac Dalpe added empty net tallies to give Charlotte the victory.
Hershey finished 5-3-0-0 against the Checkers this season, setting a new club record for most wins against Charlotte in a single season.
Shots finished 31-23 in favor of the Checkers. Shepard went 27-for-29 in the losing effort; Knight earned the win for Charlotte with a 24-for-25 effort. The Bears went 0-for-3 on the power play; the Checkers went 0-for-1 with the man advantage.
The Bears next take the ice in the Atlantic Division Semifinals (opponent, dates, and times to be determined) after receiving a first-round bye for the 2024 Calder Cup Playoffs, as they look to defend their title as 2023 Calder Cup Champions. Continue to check HersheyBears.com for the latest updates regarding playoff opponents, game dates, start times, and ticket information.
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