Game Recap: Hershey vs Lehigh Valley 12/7/19
Hershey’s boys of winter looked to keep their win streak alive on Saturday night, as they took on the Lehigh Valley Phantoms, in the second half of a home and home with their in-state rivals.
The first twenty minutes proved to be rather uneventful. Many wondered if there would be any carryover from last night’s contest into this one, after Beck Malenstyn’s big hit on Lehigh Valley’s Mark Friedman, midway through the third period last night. What we got was quite the opposite. Not a whole lot of physical play from either side through the first stanza and a much slower pace to go along with it. Neither party was able to pocket a goal in the opening period. At the end of the first, the shot advantage was 13-7 in favor of Lehigh Valley. The one constant for the Chocolate and White during the period was once again the strong play of goaltender Vitek Vanecek. Through the first 10 minutes, the Bears spent quite a bit of time in their end. But the effort from Vitek kept the game deadlocked through the remainder of the first. Even though his season stats suggest he may be struggling, Vanecek has had an excellent last few outings. Only allowing two goals or fewer, in his previous two starts coming into play tonight.
The Second period ended up a lot like the first, at least through the first twelve plus minutes of the frame. After a big hit from Kale Kessy on Lehigh Valley’s Cal O’Reilly behind the Bears net, a scrap ensued as Greg Carey of the Phantoms took exception to the blow, and went at it with Kessy. The penalties would offset, both receiving five-minute majors for fighting. Not even a minute later, Tyler Lewington was hit up high in the same spot behind the Bears net by Lehigh’s Issac Ratcliffe. This led to another scrap between the clubs and sending the Bears to their second power play of the night. One that would eventually lead to a Hershey goal, as Mike Sgarbossa, would stay red hot for the team. Giving the boys their first power-play goal in three games. They had been held without one, since their crazy 7-6 shootout loss to Providence on the 27th of November.
The third period did not provide that insurance goal the Bears were looking for. But in the end, it would not matter. The clear number one star of this game tonight was Vitek Vanecek. Not like the defense in front of him was playing poorly either, but what stood out to be the most significant sequence of the game for number 30 was at the 6-minute mark of the third period. When after all five Chocolate and White skaters were dead tired on the ice and out of gas, Vanecek stood on his head, making three outstanding stops to keep the Bears lead at 1. His handy work led to Hershey stringing together their first three-game win streak on the season.
Hershey will look to further build on their streak tomorrow night against the Wilkes-Barre Scranton Penguins.
