The Hershey Bears play the final road game of the 2024-25 season tonight as they look to extend their winning streak to five games in a matchup with the Lehigh Valley Phantoms.
Hershey Bears (43-18-6-1) at Lehigh Valley Phantoms (33-28-6-2)
April 12, 2025 | 7:05 p.m. | PPL Center
Referees: Mathieu Menniti (30), Patrick Hanrahan (52)
Linespersons: Brandon Grillo (75), Tommy George (61)
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, Capitals Radio
WATCH LIVE: AHLTV on FloHockey
LISTEN LIVE: Fox Sports 1460-AM Stream, Caps Radio 24/7
Radio pre-game coverage starts at 6:35 p.m.
LAST TIME OUT:
With his team trailing 2-0 at the start of the third period, Hershey's Luke Philp turned in a season-high four-point performance to spark the Bears to a 4-2 victory over the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins last night at Mohegan Arena at Casey Plaza. Clay Stevenson stopped 27 shots, and both teams went 1-for-3 on the power play. The Phantoms fell 2-1 last night in Syracuse. Anthony Richard had Lehigh Valley's only goal and the Phantoms were outshot 37-21 in the loss.
PLAYOFF PICTURE:
With 93 points, the Bears have a seven-point edge over the Charlotte Checkers in the Atlantic Division standings in the race for the Frank S. Mathers Trophy for the regular-season division title. The Bears can win the Atlantic Division tonight with a victory over Lehigh Valley and a Charlotte regulation loss to Utica; last night's win over Wilkes-Barre/Scranton guaranteed a first-round bye for the 2025 Calder Cup Playoffs. Hershey enters tonight's game two points behind Laval in the race for the Macgregor Kilpatrick Trophy for first place overall in the AHL. Both teams have four games remaining, and the Rocket visit Syracuse tonight.
END OF THE ROAD:
Tonight is Hershey's final road game of the 2024-25 season, and the Chocolate and White are the AHL's best road team with a 24-5-5-1 record. Hershey's road points percentage currently sits at .771, and no matter tonight's result, Hershey's road points percentage will finish better than its previous franchise-best of .736, set last season (24-7-0-5).
LET'S GO LUKE:
Luke Philp's four points last night marked a season-high for the Bears, and the third four-point night of his career, and his first since April 11, 2023 against the Chicago Wolves as a member of the Rockford IceHogs. The forward was credited with two goals and two assists last night, but a pending scoring change would credit Hershey's second goal to Henrik Rybinski, giving Philp one goal and three assists in yesterday's game. Philp now has seven points in his last five games.
FACING THE PHANTOMS:
Tonight is the ninth of 10 head-to-head meetings versus the Lehigh Valley Phantoms. Hershey is 5-2-1-0 so far this season versus the club's Keystone State rivals, and Hershey has won the past two meetings versus Lehigh Valley, including a 2-1 victory last Friday at the PPL Center. The Bears have posted a 24-6-1-3 (.667) record against Lehigh Valley in the Todd Nelson era. Ethan Bear's nine points (2g, 7a) in six contests leads Hershey in scoring against the Phantoms, and goaltender Clay Stevenson has gone 2-0-1 versus Lehigh Valley, owning a 1.49 goals-against average and a .943 save percentage in four games this season.
MIKE'S MILESTONE:
Mike Vecchione scored the game-winning marker last night for Hershey, giving him his team-leading sixth deciding goal this season. It was the 19th career regular-season game-winner for Vecchione with the Bears, and the former Phantom enters tonight one goal from recording the third 20+ goal season of his AHL career. His tally last night was the 300th point of his professional career. The Bears are 12-1-2-0 when Vecchione scores this season.
BEARS BITES:
Defender Leon Muggli could make his AHL debut tonight for Hershey. He is the first 18-year-old (18 years, nine months, three days) to play in a game since Jonas Siegenthaler (18 years, nine months, 17 days) made his debut on March 23, 2016 at Lehigh Valley, and he is the youngest player to dress for Hershey since Garrett Mitchell (18 years, seven months, four days) debuted on April 6, 2010 at Syracuse...Hershey's win last night marked its seventh comeback victory when trailing after two periods this season and fifth on the road...Defender Nicky Leivermann logged an assist last night, and he has four helpers over his last seven games. Hershey is 12-0-2-1 when he records a point this season...Chase Priskie's assist last night gave him 35 points on the season, a mark that ties his career best...Garrett Roe's goal last night was his first tally since Nov. 16, a span of 25 games...Goaltender Clay Stevenson has won his last three starts, posting a 1.33 goals-against average and a .953 save percentage...Spencer Smallman is one assist away from his 100th pro helper...Brad Hunt is three points away from his 300th AHL point.
ON THIS DATE:
April 12, 2009 - With goaltender Daren Machesney pulled for an extra attacker, Alexandre Giroux beat Wilkes-Barre/Scranton netminder Adam Berkhoel at 18:49 of the third period for his second goal of the evening and his 60th goal of the season in an eventual 5-4 Hershey loss at GIANT Center in the final game of the 2008-09 season. Giroux became the first Bear in franchise history to reach the 60-goal mark in a single season with the club, and in doing so claimed the Willie Marshall Award as the league's leading goal scorer, the John B. Sollenberger Trophy as the league's overall point leader (97), and the Les Cunningham Award as AHL MVP.
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