The Hershey Bears continue their opening weekend festivities as they host the Cleveland Monsters for the second and final time of the 2024-25 regular season.
Hershey Bears (1-0-0-0) vs. Cleveland Monsters (0-1-0-0)
Oct. 13, 2024 | 5 p.m. | GIANT Center
Referees: Jim Curtin (22), Chad Ingalls (39)
Linespersons: Shawn Oliver (56), Devon Gale (97)
Tonight's Promotions:
PNC Bank Magnet Schedule Night (all fans) - All fans in attendance will receive a Bears 2024-25 magnet schedule, courtesy of PNC Bank
Opening Weekend Specialty Jerseys - The Bears will wear specialty jerseys during both games against the Monsters this weekend featuring a back-to-back Calder Cup champions crest. The jerseys will be auctioned off following Sunday's game; a portion of the proceeds from the jersey auction will benefit one of several local area non-profits in conjunction with the Hershey Bears Cares charitable initiative.
BUY TICKETS NOW VIA TICKETMASTER
Broadcast Information
Voice of the Bears, Zack Fisch, AHL Hall-of-Famer Mitch Lamoureux, and Jim Jones on the call
RADIO: WFVY-100.1 FM, Fox Sports 1460-AM, Caps Radio, In-Arena on 88.9 FM
WATCH LIVE: AHLTV on FloHockey
LISTEN LIVE: Fox Sports AM-1460 Stream, Caps Radio 24/7
Pre-game coverage starts at 4:30 p.m.
LAST TIME OUT:
The Hershey Bears opened the 2024-25 season with a 7-3 victory over the Cleveland Monsters on Saturday in front of a sold-out crowd at GIANT Center. Prior to the game, the back-to-back Calder Cup Champions raised the club's 13th Calder Cup banner to the rafters, and following the monumental moment, the team didn't disappoint on the ice. Vincent Iorio scored the first goal of the season for Hershey at 5:00 of the first period, and after briefly falling behind 2-1 in the second period, the Bears rallied for six of the game's next seven goals to complete the sizable win. Ethen Frank had a hat trick, while Bogdan Trineyev, Ethan Bear, and Luke Philp also tallied for Hershey. Hunter Shepard earned the victory in net with 30 saves for the Bears, and Hershey went 2-for-6 on the power play.
FANTASTIC FRANK:
Hershey forward Ethen Frank collected the fourth hat trick of his American Hockey League career last night, striking for a pair of power-play goals in the second period, and adding an even-strength marker in the third period, to guide Hershey to a victory. Frank's hat trick marked the first by a Bear in a season-opening game since Andrew Gordon on Oct. 3, 2009 vs. Norfolk (3-1 W). Frank's second goal proved to be the game-winner, the 15th of his Hershey career; his third goal marked his 100th career AHL point, all with the Bears. In 13 career games versus the Monsters in regular-season and postseason play, Frank has scored 20 points (12g, 8a).
STARTING WITH A BANG:
Hershey's victory last night was the most goals the Bears have scored in a home opener since Oct. 20, 2012. In that contest nearly 12 years ago, the Bears tallied seven times, but dropped an 8-7 decision to Rochester despite four assists from Garrett Stafford. Hershey's last win in a home opener when they struck for seven goals came on Oct. 18, 2008, a 7-1 win over Syracuse. Keith Aucoin, Alexandre Giroux, and Andrew Gordon all had three points in that contest.
DEFENSE FIRST:
Hershey's first goal of the season last night was tallied by blueliner Vincent Iorio. It marks the second straight year a Hershey defender has scored the inaugural goal of the campaign as Hardy Haman Aktell notched the first marker of 2023-24, also versus Cleveland. Over Hershey's last six seasons, a defenseman has scored the season's first goal four times, with Alex Alexeyev (2019-20) and Lucas Johansen (2021-22) joining Haman Aktell and Iorio on the list.
MONSTER MASH:
Tonight's game marks the 31st regular-season contest between the Bears and Monsters since the two teams first faced each other in the 2007-08 season. In that time, Hershey has gone 18-8-0-4 against Cleveland, with a 10-3-0-3 record on home ice; the Bears have earned points in 14 consecutive games (12-0-0-2) against the Monsters and are 8-0-0-1 in the last two seasons against the Monsters under head coach Todd Nelson.
ON THE HUNT:
Veteran defenseman Brad Hunt is expected to make his Hershey debut in tonight's game. Hunt captained the Colorado Eagles last year and led the team with 49 points (16g, 33a) in 70 games, earning AHL First All-Star Team honors. He's played in three AHL All-Star Classics, and previously played for head coach Todd Nelson in Oklahoma City from 2013-15. He's recorded 279 points (90g, 199a) in 381 career AHL games, and has also played in 288 NHL games.
BEARS BITES:
Ethen Frank's hat trick last night gave Hershey hat tricks in its previous two games, dating back to Pierrick Dube scoring three times in Hershey's Game 6 victory over Coachella Valley in the 2024 Calder Cup Finals. The last time Hershey had hat tricks in consecutive games came on Feb. 26-27, 2000 when Serge Aubin struck for three goals versus Louisville, and posted three more versus Albany the next night...With 98 wins in 144 regular-season games since stepping behind the bench for Hershey before the 2022-23 season, head coach Todd Nelson is two wins away from his 100th victory with the Bears. If he wins his next two games, he will tie Mark French for the franchise record for the fastest 100 career wins by a head coach...Thirteen different Bears picked up a point in last night's win with forward Alex Limoges tying a career-best with three assists...Brad Hunt is one assist away from his 200th AHL helper...Cleveland's roster features former Hershey defenseman Madison Bowey. The rearguard signed a professional tryout with the Monsters earlier this week, but he has yet to join the club due and did not dress in last night's game.
ON THIS DATE:
Oct. 13, 1956 - The Frank Mathers era officially got underway, as Hershey's new player-coach formed a blue line pairing with Jack Price to escape a 5-on-3 penalty kill in the first period and help the Bears eventually beat the Providence Reds 3-1 in front of 6,562 at Hershey Sports Arena. The win marked the first of Mathers' 610 career victories at the helm of the Bears as part of a 35-year career as a player, coach, and executive with the club.
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