Boychuk’s Hat-Trick Drops Hershey, 6-3

HERSHEY, PA – Mike Haviland walks down the hallway after being ejected by David Banfield during Hershey’s loss to Charlotte Sunday night. (Kyle Mace / Sweetest Hockey on Earth)

With a snow storm approaching the central PA area Sunday night, it couldn’t have been a better time for Hershey’s first 4pm start time to a Sunday Giant Center tilt.

The Hershey Bears closed out their season series with the Charlotte Checkers Sunday in front of 9,942 fans at Giant Center.

On a night where the first 3,000 fans received a baseball cap promotion sponsored by Capital BlueCross, Charlotte’s Zach Boychuk notched a hat-trick in a 6-3 win over Hershey.

Justin Peters fresh off his first star performance the previous night again earned the starting nod in goal for Charlotte. He was solid in the opening frame and held Hershey scoreless in the opening period, stopping all 12 shots he faced.

Despite two decent power play attempts by the Bears where puck possession was at a premium, Peters held Hershey off the scoreboard. Charlotte was handed a 5-on-3 power play chance with 30 seconds remaining in the stanza, setting the stage for a pretty one-time goal by Chris Terry.

With just over two seconds left on the period game clock, Aaron Palushaj feathered a one-time pass across for Terry’s 19th finish of the campaign.

Charlotte tacked on two more second period goals to take a 3-0 advantage in the late stages of the middle period. Mark Flood floated a shot from the point through four bodies and into the Hershey cage 7:33 into the frame to extend his club’s lead to 2-0.

Minutes later at the 10:15 mark, Ryan Murphy scored after an apparent flubbed icing call. Head Coach Mike Haviland, up in arms, was assessed a two minute bench minor for unsportsmanlike conduct and moments later a game misconduct from referee David Banfield.

In danger of trailing by three goals at second intermission in consecutive nights, Jeff Taffe hit twine for the Bears with 3:37 left. On an offensive rush, Taffe blasted a shot that stuck to the back of the net behind Justin Peters to put Hershey on the board before intermission.

Tyson Strachan cut Charlotte’s lead to one at the third period’s 7:08 mark, but David Leggio yielded a goal the very next shift to restore the Checkers’ two goal advantage. Zach Boychuk was credited for his club’s fourth, fifth and eventual sixth goal of the game, which was an empty netter with two seconds left.

Ryan Stoa tallied on a backhand shot with 3:15 remaining to make it a 5-3 hockey game prior to Boychuk’s finishing touch on his hat-trick.

The Bears return home on March 15 against the Adirondack Phantoms.

More photos from the game. All photos by Kyle Mace

Charlotte starts their run of goals

Jeff Taffe shot the puck so hard, it was stuck in the net behind Justin Peters