Sam Anas scored the game-winning goal in overtime as the Hershey Bears (7-2-2-0) battled to a thrilling 2-1 sudden-death victory over the Bridgeport Islanders (7-2-3-0) on Saturday night at GIANT Center, completing a two-game weekend sweep of their Atlantic Division. The victory extended Hershey’s unbeaten streak at home to start the season to seven games (6-0-1-0).
Both teams were unable to light the lamp in the first period, although the Bears were led by three shots on goal in the opening stanza by Anas, who came within inches of giving Hershey an initial lead while on the power play, but his attempt came to rest on the goal line of Cory Schneider’s net before being knocked away.
After each squad also failed to find the net in the second frame, the Islanders broke through at 3:34 of the third period when Vincent Sevigny stepped into a shot near the left circle and beat Hunter Shepard to put the visitors up 1-0.
Hendrix Lapierre tied the game for Hershey at 1-1 when a centering attempt from Shane Gersich along the half-boards became lost in the skates of a Bridgeport defender, but Lapierre managed to secure the loose biscuit and rifled a shot through the legs of Schneider at 8:09 for his second goal of the season. Ethen Frank earned the secondary assist on the goal, extending his point streak to six games (5g, 2a).
With the game tied at the end of regulation, the Bears went on the power play 1:58 into overtime, and with Hershey on the subsequent 4-on-3 man advantage, Anas beat Schneider with a wrist shot from the right circle at 2:46, with Aaron Ness and Mike Vecchione collecting assists on the game-deciding tally.
Shots finished 32-28 favoring the Bears. Shepard went 27-for-28 for Hershey, while Schneider was 30-for-32. The Bears were 1-for-4 on the power play, while Bridgeport went 0-for-5.
With Hershey match report
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