Bears Survive Pushback from T-Birds in 4-2 Win

March 19, 2025

The Hershey Bears (38-15-5-1) saw a 2-0 lead erased midway through the third period but Ethan Bear broke the 2-2 tie with under five minutes left in regulation to lift his team to a 4-2 win over the (30-24-2-4) on Wednesday Night at MassMutual Center, as the club continued its 2024-25 season, presented by Penn State Health.

Hershey completed its season series with Springfield by going a perfect 4-0-0-0, improving to a lifetime mark of 13-5-2-1 on the road against the Thunderbirds. The Bears improved to 5-0-0-1 during their franchise-record 10-game road trip, and are 6-0-0-1 in their last seven road games.

BOX SCORE

NOTABLES:

• A scoreless first period for both teams marked the first time during Hershey's road trip that the Bears failed to score.
• Matt Strome netted his sixth of the season at 10:54 of the second period to give Hershey a 1-0 lead and extend his point streak to four games (2g, 2a).
• Bogdan Trineyev made it 2-0 with his 12th of the season at 14:55.
• The Thunderbirds took advantage of Hershey penalties in the third by scoring a pair of power-play goals in a span of a minute, as Mackenzie MacEachern scored at 11:31 and Dalibor Dvorsky struck at 5-on-3 at 12:31.
• Ethan Bear netted the game-winner, and his 10th of the season, at 15:43.
• Pierrick Dube gave the Bears some insurance with an empty-net goal at 19:25.
• Vincent Iorio led Hershey in scoring with a pair of assists, matching his single-game career-highs for assists and points.
• Chase Priskie celebrated his 29th birthday by extending his point/assist streak to six games (1g, 9a) with an assist on Trineyev's goal.
• Mike Vecchione assisted on Dube's goal, giving him his 100th career helper as a Bear.
• Defender Hudson Thornton made his AHL debut for the Bears.
• Hershey matched its previous season-high for shots on goal with 43, which also took place against the Thunderbirds on Nov. 10, a 3-2 overtime home win.

SHOTS: HER 43, SPR 20

GOALTENDING: HER - Hunter Shepard, 18-for-20; SPR - Colten Ellis, 39-for-42

POWER PLAY: HER - 0-for-3; SPR - 2-for-4

THEY SAID IT:

Bears head coach Todd Nelson's on how Hershey came away with the win today:
"Well, I thought we played a really strong game. We were pretty consistent throughout the game and then we got ourselves into penalty trouble. That's what I didn't like. Those could have been prevented. And Springfield's a good team on the power play, so they ended up tying up the game, but we prevailed and we stuck with it, Bearsy got the game-winner, and it was another good road win."

Nelson on Bear's play this season:
"That's just who he is. He's a good hockey player and he's having a lot of fun out there with this group. He's got a great attitude, he had a great attitude when he got sent to us, and he's just having fun playing the game right now."

Nelson on the AHL debut of Hudson Thornton:
"I just thought for his first game he did a really good job. He kept things simple, moved the puck, he defended well for his first American Hockey League game, to come into this situation. Springfield has a pretty quick team as well, but he handled it well. I think the biggest thing with him moving forward is just him developing confidence as we go."

Nelson on whether the team's identity has taken shape over this road trip:
"When you look at our play on the road right now, we're very business-like. I like the swagger that we were playing with when we got down against Chicago, and even tonight when Springfield tied it up to make it 2-2, we didn't panic and guys just felt comfortable in those tight situations. And that's what I like about our team right now, mentally going forward into the playoffs."

Ethan Bear on how the team managed to come away with the win after seeing the 2-0 lead erased:
"We faced a resilient group today and when you get those bounces against and give up the lead like that, it builds character when we can stick with it and find that next one; we're coming up on the playoffs here, and it's not always going to go your way. It's about how you can bounce back from tough breaks and, you know, like you said, we bent but we didn't break this road trip."

Bear on how the group has come together in the midst of this road trip:
"We've got a good group of guys in there. Everyone has fun every day, coaching staff included. We have a goal and that's a championship and I think that's Hershey Bears hockey. We have a standard every single day, and you know what? We've just got to play up to it every night. And that's...it's a privilege is what it is."

Bear on how has the team identity crystalized:
"We work on the same things every single day. It's the American Hockey League. We're here to get better and try to reach the next level. So whatever that identity is, I think we know the type of hockey we need to play and the expectations we have as an organization. I think for the pressure that's on us, everybody approaches every day as professionals, and like I said, we have fun, but we work hard."

NEXT GAME:

The Bears continue the 2024-25 regular season, presented by Penn State Health, when they face the Hartford Wolf Pack on Friday, March 21, at 7 p.m. at XL Center. Hershey returns home to host the Utica Comets on Sunday, March 30, at 5 p.m. at GIANT Center for Hall of Fame Night and Toyota Postcard Night. Purchase tickets for the game by CLICKING HERE.