Bears Open Homestand with 2-1 Loss to Checkers

December 14, 2024

The Hershey Bears (18-7-3-0) fell to the Charlotte Checkers (13-6-1-2)  by a 2-1 score on Saturday night at GIANT Center, as the club continued its 2024-25 season, presented by Penn State Health.

Brennan Saulnier gave Hershey a 1-0 lead, but Charlotte's Oliver Okuliar scored twice as the Checkers battled back to take the contest.

BOX SCORE

NOTABLES:

• Brennan Saulnier opened the scoring with his third of the season at 6:04 of the first period, deflecting Vincent Iorio's shot from the point past Chris Driedger. Henrik Rybinski earned a secondary assist on the goal. Saulnier then fought Riley Bezeau at 9:37 for his fifth fighting major of the season.
• Oliver Okuliar tied the game for Charlotte at 18:28 of the first and put the Checkers ahead 2-1 at 4:54 of the third period.
• Forward Garrett Roe suited up for his 600th professional game.
• Rookie forward Zac Funk was a late addition to the lineup as Mike Sgarbossa was ruled out following warmups (upper body); it was the first game of the season that Sgarbossa was listed as unavailable due to injury.
• The contest marked the first of a club record-tying eight-game homestand. The Bears previously played eight consecutive home games from Oct. 19-Nov. 9, 1985, collecting a 7-0-1 record in that stretch of games at Hersheypark Arena.

SHOTS: HER 19, CLT 23

GOALTENDING: HER - Hunter Shepard, 21-for-23; CLT - Chris Driedger, 18-for-19

POWER PLAY: HER - 0-for-4; CLT - 0-for-1

THEY SAID IT:

Bears head coach Todd Nelson on what led to Saturday's loss:
"The way we had power plays we didn't score on...the game-winning goal, let's call a spade a shovel. The referee picks our defenseman, and they have a wide-open lane to the net, and that's the difference in the game, so they have to be better than that."

Nelson on who he looks to step up with the lineup affected by several injuries:
"Well, anyone really, these are games where you can't totally rely on guys like Vecchione and Frank all the time or the Spencer Smallmans and Philps - everybody has come to the party. I thought the Sutter line was pretty good tonight and they generated the one goal for us. When you take guys like [Dube, Limoges, and Sgarbossa] out of the lineup, there's not much chemistry, especially with no practice time for the new guys going on the power play. So [we] look pretty sloppy out there. But you know, teams go through this where you get depleted, key guys - offensive guys are out of your lineup, other guys have to step up. We didn't give up a whole lot but we didn't generate a lot. We've got to find a way to get shots going to the net, more traffic, both five-on-five and on the power play."

Nelson on what makes Charlotte a challenging opponent:
"They play with an aggressive forecheck. They do a good job in their own end. They bring up the puck well. I think they're a bit depleted too, to be quite honest, but they make it very hard for us to break out pucks with the way they forecheck because their 'D' are really aggressive coming down the walls and a lot of teams do it, but they're one of the best at it. And so, the first period, we had a tough time with it. As the game went on, we got better with it and just breaking pucks out. But that's the main thing. Their forecheck is very good and hard to play against."

NEXT GAME:

The Bears continue the 2024-25 regular season, presented by Penn State Health, when they host the Toronto Marlies on Saturday, Dec. 21 at 7 p.m. at GIANT Center for Hollywood Casino Penn National Racecourse Deck of Cards Night. The first 5,000 fans 21 & over will receive a back-to-back Calder Cup champions deck of cards, thanks to Hollywood Casino at Penn National Racecourse. Purchase tickets for the game by CLICKING HERE.