Late Heroics from Vecchione Gives Bears 4-2 Win Over Amerks

December 29, 2023

Mike Vecchione broke a 2-2 tie late in the third period to lift the Hershey Bears (26-6-0-0) to a 4-2 victory over the Rochester Americans (13-12-2-1) on Friday night at Blue Cross Arena.

The win was Hershey's seventh consecutive victory; In addition to their 26 wins so far, the Bears' 52 points in the standings is also the most by the club through its first 32 games of any season in its 86-year history of play in the AHL.

BOX SCORE

Lucas Johansen scored the opening goal for the Bears at 14:20 of the first period when Riley Sutter received a pass from Henrik Rybinski in the offensive zone and sent a feed from the right circle into the slot for Johansen, who buried a wrist shot past Devin Cooley for his first of the season.

Linus Weissbach tied it early in the second period for Rochester, as the Americans recovered the puck as Clay Stevenson attempted to play it, and Weissbach buried the puck 24 seconds into the frame.

Hershey took a 2-1 lead with a power-play goal at 11:57, as the Bears moved the puck back and forth in the offensive zone before Ethen Frank set up Mike Sgarbossa for an open net, allowing Sgarbossa to put home his sixth of the season. Joe Snively collected a secondary assist.

Tyson Jost tied the game at 2-2 with a power-play goal for the Americans at 8:03 of the third period.

Vecchione scored the eventual game-winner at 14:13 when Garrett Roe stole the puck at the Americans blue line on a Rochester breakout and found Vecchione, who skated through the slot and beat Cooley for his eighth of the season.

Vecchione and Roe then set up Bogdan Trineyev for an empty-net insurance marker at 18:25 to close out the scoring.

Shots finished 34-28 in favor of the Bears. Stevenson went 26-for-28 to earn his 11th victory of the season, good for first in the AHL among rookies and tied for fifth overall; Cooley took the loss for Rochester with a 30-for-33 effort. Hershey went 1-for-2 on the power play; the Americans went 1-for-3 with the man advantage.

The Bears continue the 2023-24 season, presented by Penn State Health, when they visit the Lehigh Valley Phantoms at PPL Center on Saturday, Dec. 30 at 7:05 p.m. Hershey is back on home ice against the Charlotte Checkers on Wednesday, Jan. 3 at 7 p.m. for Berks Dollar Dog Night. Purchase tickets for the game by CLICKING HERE.