The Hershey Bears finish a stretch of four straight games on the road as they make the first of two visits this season to Syracuse to battle the Crunch.
Hershey Bears (12-4-2-0) at Syracuse Crunch (7-6-1-1)
Nov. 23, 2024 | 7 p.m. | Upstate Medical University Arena
Referees: Jack Young (24), Chad Ingalls (39)
Linespersons: Tory Carissimo (54), Sam Cucinotta (56)
Broadcast Information
Voice of the Bears, Zack Fisch on the call
RADIO: WFVY-100.1 FM, Fox Sports 1460-AM, SportsRadio 98.9-FM & WOYK 1350-AM
WATCH LIVE: AHLTV on FloHockey
LISTEN LIVE: Fox Sports AM-1460 Stream
Radio pre-game coverage starts at 6:30 p.m.
LAST TIME OUT:
The Bears trailed 3-2 late in regulation to the Rochester Americans last night, but Mike Vecchione netted the tying goal with just over eight seconds remaining, then provided the game-winner to lift Hershey to a 4-3 overtime victory at Blue Cross Arena. Hershey also received goals from Alex Limoges and Chase Priskie in the victory, and the Bears power play went 2-for-3. Goaltender Clay Stevenson earned his second win of the season with 23 saves for the visitors. The Crunch skated on home ice last night and dropped a 4-3 decision to the Utica Comets. Mike Hardman broke the tie at 18:47 of the third period to give Utica (1-10-1-2) its first win of the season. With the loss, the Crunch are winless over the club's past four home games (0-3-0-1).
ROCKING THE ROAD:
With last night's win, Hershey improved its road point streak since the start of the season to eight games (7-0-1-0), one shy of the franchise mark to open a season. The 2006-07 Bears hold the club record at nine (8-0-0-1) in a streak that lasted from Oct. 6 at Wilkes-Barre/Scranton to Nov. 15 at Springfield. The Bears have been a dominant team away from home since head coach Todd Nelson took the reigns in 2022, as Hershey has gone an impressive 52-17-4-7 (.719) over 80 games away from GIANT Center.
MR. CLUTCH:
Hershey forward Mike Vecchione tallied his second overtime goal of the season last night, tying him for the league lead with Cleveland's Denton Mateychuk, and putting him within striking distance of the franchise mark for overtime goals in a season. Alex Limoges (2023-24), Eric Perrin (2003-04), Willie Marshall (1959-60), Dunc Fisher (1953-54), and John Sorrell (1942-43) own the club record with three overtime tallies in a single season. Vecchione's overtime goal last night was his 15th career game-winning tally with the Bears, ranking him tied for 30th in franchise history. He has eight points (4g, 4a) over his past eight outings, and the Bears are 8-0-1-0 when he records a point this season.
BACK IN A BIG WAY:
Hershey's lineup was bolstered last night by the return of several key players. Forward Alex Limoges took the ice after missing two games with a lower-body injury and made an immediate impact, striking for his fourth goal of the season to open the scoring. On defense, head coach Todd Nelson reinserted Brad Hunt and Chase Priskie into the lineup after they had sat out the previous two outings. In the first period, Priskie scored his third power-play goal of the season, tying him for the team lead, while Hunt assisted on both of Mike Vecchione's goals.
CRUNCHING THE NUMBERS:
Tonight marks the first of four meetings between Hershey and Syracuse this season. The Bears went 1-1-0-0 versus the Crunch in 2023-24, with each team winning on home ice by a score of 4-1. Hershey is a lifetime 67-45-11-6-4 in 133 meetings with the Crunch. Syracuse is paced in scoring by veteran defenseman Derrick Pouliot, who has 12 points (3g, 9a) this season, and the club's roster also features two-time Stanley Cup Champion and former Washington Capitals forward Connor Sheary. Former Bear Kale Kessy has also skated in nine games for the Crunch, logging one assist and two fights. Hershey's Dalton Smith played one season for Syracuse in 2014-15, scoring a career-best 11 goals, while Chase Priskie skated in 15 games for the Crunch during the pandemic-shorted 2020-21 campaign.
BEARS BITES:
The Bears reached the quarter pole of the club's 72-game slate last night. Hershey's 12-4-2-0 record through 18 games is just two points off the club's 14-4-0-0 mark at this point in the record-setting 2023-24 campaign...With last night's win, the Bears are now 8-1-2-0 in one-goal games this season. The club set a team record with 24 one-goal victories last year...Blueliner Chase Priskie has a three-game point streak (1g, 2a) and is four assists from 100 in his AHL career...Matt Strome's next appearance will be his 100th career game as a Bear...Hershey's overtime win last night was the club's 94th road overtime victory in franchise history...Forward Grant Cruikshank made his Hershey debut last night.
ON THIS DATE:
Nov. 23, 2016 - The Bears blanked the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins, 4-0, in a Thanksgiving Eve game at GIANT Center. Former Penguin Zach Sill scored the winning goal for Hershey with 21 seconds left in the second period, and Christian Thomas, Christian Djoos, and Paul Carey also added goals. Hershey's Vitek Vanecek stopped all 24 shots he faced for his second AHL shutout, outdueling Tristan Jarry (14-for-18) in a goaltending matchup of future NHL netminders.
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