The Hershey Bears (10-4-2-0) started a three-game road trip on Wednesday with a 2-1 victory over the Springfield Thunderbirds (7-7-0-3) at MassMutual Center.
Despite a pair of early penalties in the first period, the Bears managed to out-shoot the Thunderbirds by an 8-7 margin over the first 20 minutes of play. But goaltenders Hunter Shepard of Hershey and Joel Hofer of Springfield kept the game score-less through the first period.
It seemed the second period would be the same until its final minutes when Martin Frk put Springfield up 1-0 ,when he one-timed the puck off a face-off play in the Hershey zone at 17:04.
The Bears responded 22 seconds later when Henrik Borgstrom fed Connor McMichael, who eluded a Thunderbirds defender to beat Hofer with a wrist shot at 17:26, for his first of the season to make it a 1-1 contest. Henrik Rybinski started the play for a secondary assist.
In the third period, Shepard prevented a go-ahead score at 5:26 with a diving ten-bell glove save on Greg Printz to keep the score tied.
Minutes later, just as Aaron Ness left the penalty box, Mason Morelli stole the puck from Frk and took off on a breakaway, backhanding the puck through the legs of Hofer for his third of the season, and the eventual game-winner at 8:18 to make it 2-1.
The Thunderbirds attempted to even the score late, but the Bears held off the six-on-five attempt by Springfield, with Hofer pulled for another skater.
Shots finished 27-25 favoring Springfield. The Bears were 0-for-2 on the power play and the Thunderbirds were 0-for-5 with the man advantage.
*** For a chance to win two free tickets to an upcoming Bears’ home game, email your name, email address, home address and phone number to dscottsports@comcast.net to be entered in a random drawing. A drawing for two tickets will take place each week. You must send a separate email to enter each week of the season. Previous winners will not be considered.
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