Nathan Walker’s OT Goal Propels Bears to 1-0 Win in Game One

Stan Galiev and Ryan Bourque celebrate with Nathan Walker after Walker’s OTGWG to give Hershey the win in game one of the Atlantic Division semi-finals. (Kyle Mace / Chocolate Hockey)

It took 67 minutes and 38 seconds, but the Hershey Bears were able to break a scoreless tie in overtime to take a 1-0 win in Game One of their first-round series in Lehigh Valley Friday night. Nathan Walker scored on a rebound of a Tyler Lewington shot to get Hershey the win in the extra session.

The Bears had to weather an early storm by the Phantoms, who were playing their first playoff game since 2009 when the Chocolate and White swept them in Philadelphia. The Phantoms had 15 shots in the first period alone to Hershey’s five, and Pheonix Copley had to come up large for the Bears. Hershey had to kill off two penalties in the first as well and killed off all four penalties on the evening.

The second period had the Bears get back to playing their style, as they outshot the Phantoms 10-4 in the frame. Stanislav Galiev had two glorious chances that either went wide or hit the side of the net and helped keep the game scoreless.

In the third, a spirited scrap between Liam O’Brien and Tyrell Goulbourne was just one instance of some tension between the teams that carried over from the regular season series. The game would finish at a scoreless tie.

In overtime, the Bears defense would come to the rescue in the early going, as Copley would make two saves sliding out of the crease to preserve the tie. Later on, Phantoms captain Colin McDonald would find the puck in the zone, but as he made a move to step around Copley, Hampus Gustafsson would recover and check the stick of the Phantom to prevent a scoring chance. Copley would finish perfect for the first time in a Hershey uniform since being acquired at the deadline with 32 saves.

Shortly later, Tyler Lewington would find the puck at the point and fire a shot low on Phantoms goaltender Alex Lyon, and the rebound popped out to Nathan Walker cutting into the slot behind the defense. Walker waited out the goaltender and buried the winner 7:38 into the extra session to give the Bears a 1-0 win and a 1-0 lead in the best of five series. Hershey rematches the Phantoms tomorrow with a chance to take a commanding 2-0 lead, but for now, they have seized home-ice advantage in their first game of the postseason.