Hershey Bears fall in the 2018 Outdoor Classic, 5-2

For the first time since 2013, the Hershey Bears hosted the Outdoor Classic at Hershey Park Stadium, hosting the Lehigh Valley Phantoms.

The Phantoms would strike first 2:59 into the first period when Colin McDonald would score on the feed from Oskar Lindblom and Samuel Morin to take the early 1-0 lead.

The Phantoms would add another goal from Alex Krushelnyski after an unlucky bounce off of Pheonix Copley’s back would find the back of the net making it 2-0 midway through the second period.

Hershey would cut the lead to one late in the second period as Nathan Walker would score off the rebound from a point shot from Travis Boyd.

Lehigh would answer with only six seconds left in the second when Chris Connor would capitalize on a Bears turnover in their own zone making it 3-1.

No more scoring would happen until late in the third when, with an empty net, Travis Boyd would find the back of the net to make it 3-2 with 2:56 left in the game.

Lehigh would add two empty netters from TJ Brennan and Chris Conner to make it 5-2 and seal the victory.

“I thought maybe there was a possibility for us to come back and tie it up late again,” said Garrett Mitchell. “We’re having our chances, and our chances aren’t going for us right now. When those chances aren’t there, then that’s when you hit the panic button.”