Vecchione Scores Overtime Winner as Bears Beat T-Birds, 3-2

November 10, 2024

The Hershey Bears (9-3-1-0) conceded a two-goal lead late in regulation but Mike Vecchione scored in overtime to lift the club to a 3-2 win over the Springfield Thunderbirds (4-8-1-0) on Sunday afternoon at GIANT Center, as the club continued its 2024-25 season, presented by Penn State Health.

The win extended Hershey's home win streak against the Thunderbirds to 13 games dating back to the 2018-19 season.

BOX SCORE

NOTABLES:

• Riley Sutter scored his second goal of the season at 10:14 of the second period to give Hershey a 1-0 lead. Both of Sutter's goals this season have come against Springfield.
• Spencer Smallman was credited with his first goal as a Bear after burying an empty-net goal with Colten Ellis pulled late in regulation, giving Hershey a 2-0 lead.
• Springfield scored a pair of goals in a 28-second span to tie the game, as Samuel Johannesson (19:19) and Nikita Alexandrov (19:47) spoiled Clay Stevenson's shutout bid.
• Vecchione scored the game-winner 53 seconds into the extra frame for his first of the season.
• Pierrick Dube collected two assists.
• Clay Stevenson made his first appearance since Oct. 19 after missing six of the previous seven games with an upper-body injury; the goaltender earned his first win of the season with a 19-save effort.
• The Bears established a new season-high for shots on goal, with 43. Hershey's 20 shots on goal in the first period also represented a new season-high for the Bears after setting the prior season-high the night before against Springfield with 17.

SHOTS: HER 43, SPR 21

GOALTENDING: HER - Clay Stevenson, 19-for-21; SPR - Colten Ellis, 40-for-42

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

THEY SAID IT:

"We wanted to get a little more to the interior against them, they're playing that zone defense. They're making it tough to get inside to get those second chances. And if you look at all three goals tonight, they were all from the blue paint. We all have to get in there. We all had to pay a price for a second chance to make sure that we had those opportunities." - Assistant coach Nick Bootland on the team's performance tonight

"Obviously we want to do our best for Clay out there, but we played 58 minutes of good hockey and just kind of let our guard down, think the game was over, and let in two there. But overall, we really liked our performance. 40 shots on net, give credit to [Colten Ellis]. He was unbelievable, making stop after stop even with traffic up front. When they scored the second goal, it was just kind of take a breath, reset guys just had a, you know, sit there for a second and just take that breath and go out there and try and win, so it was good we got it done." - Mike Vecchione on the team resetting after conceding a two-goal lead late in the game

NEXT GAME:

The Bears continue the 2024-25 regular season, presented by Penn State Health, when they visit the Bridgeport Islanders on Tuesday, Nov. 12 at 10:30 a.m. at Total Mortgage Arena. Hershey then returns home to face the Islanders on Friday, Nov. 15 at 7 p.m. at GIANT Center. Purchase tickets for the game by CLICKING HERE.