Bears edge Monsters 3-2 in a shootout.

We returned to the Giant Center last night to see the Lake Erie Monsters take on the Bears. With Daren Machesney heading out to Switzerland, Simeon Varlamov was given the responsibility of tending between the pipes for Hershey. After their great chemistry on Saturday night, the line of Quintin Laing, Andrew Gordon and Kyle Wilson were named as the starters on offense.

Both teams seemed tired, and the game was a drawn out affair which ultimately saw Hershey drop a goal, only to recover, on two occassions. Laing and Wilson would score the only two goals in regulation for Hershey. Lake Erie came within a whisker of stealing a victory when Bryan Marshall found the puck on his stick in the Bears crease; Varlamov came up trumps, however, and denied the shot to ensure that the game would continue after three periods were over.



Both teams stood their grounds during the five minute overtime period, and as the horn sounded, the shootout loomed for both goaltenders. Up until this point, Monsters goaltender Jason Bacashihua had brushed away 42 of the 44 shots faced. Chris Bourque took to the ice first in the shootout and found the back of the net to give Hershey some renewed confidence and momentum. Bacashihua stood tall once again though, denying the following attempts from Wilson, Keith Aucoin and Matthieu Perreault. At the other end of the ice, Varlamov almost mirrored the opposing goalie, giving up one of four attempts. Stepping onto the ice to take the Bears final regular shot, Andrew Gordon could not have envisioned the good fortune he would have. Putting the puck between the pads with such velocity, Bacashihua made the save, only to fall prey to his own backwards reeling momentum that laid him, puck and all, on his back in the goal. The official awarded the goal, Varlamov denied the final Monsters shot, and Hershey came out with another victory at home. The game wasn't pretty! The game wasn't particularly exciting! Referee Jeff Smith called only four minor penalties. But the Bears took the critical two points to help keep the surging Bridgeport Sound Tigers at bay in the divisional standings.

Hershey Sinks the Admirals 3-2 and Keeps Streak Alive

We were back at the Giant Center yesterday evening to see the visiting Norfolk Admirals take on our Hershey Bears. Chris Bourque was back in the lineup, having being reassigned by the Capitals to Hershey. Simeon Varlamov would be responsible for tending the pipes, with Machesney having the much deserved night off after his dazzling performance against the Phantoms. Although both teams were tired, we knew that this game was not going to be another lopsided battle; the Admirals were a better team than their win-loss record indicated, and it was evident that this game would be won defensively.


The first period did not have too many highlights. Oskar Osala opened up the scoring just three minutes into the game and gave Hershey a 1-0 advantage after the first twenty minutes of play. We found it amusing that just as John Walton was pondering over how Osala failed to score on the previous evening in the radio coverage, wham - the big 'O' found the net and beat McKenna to put Hershey on the board. Here's hoping that Walton displays more telepathic insights as the season progresses, with many references to the words 'Calder Cup.'



The second period saw former Bear Grant Potulny even the score after just four minutes, and much to the disapproval of the 6000 in attendance. While I always find it difficult to root against former Bears, I am happy to see that Potulny has escaped from the basement-dwelling Rampage and can at least make a potential run to the postseason with his new club.


The crowd would be silenced just 40 seconds into the third period when Norfolk managed to sneak a puck into Hershey's net. Varlamov did react well to the shot, but failed to scoop the puck from underneath him before it crossed the line. However, with a man advantage halfway through the period, Keith Aucoin sent the puck to the net and Alexandre Giroux sent it home. As the fans cheered for a team that was running low on gas, the Bears somehow tapped into their energy reserves, and were rewarded once again when Chris Bourque sent a beautiful backhand pass to Andrew Joudrey, who found the back of the Admirals' net. Two minutes later, the horn would sound, and the Bears would congratulate Simeon Varlamov for his strong performance down the stretch that kept them in the game. With a 10-3-1 record during November, the Bears look to continue their success and hopefully keep their winning streak alive when Hartford comes to town on Saturday night.