BOX SCORE
NOTES:
- Cam Allen returned to the lineup after missing the previous eight games with an upper-body injury, and opened the scoring with his first career goal on the power play at 3:32 of the first period. Nicky Leivermann, making his season debut after suffering a lower-body injury during the preseason, earned the primary assist, while Andrew Cristall earned the secondary helper to extend his assist/point streak to a team-leading seven games (0g, 9a).
- Ivan Miroshnichenko scored on a delayed penalty at 15:43 to give Hershey a 2-0 lead after Brett Leason advanced the puck to Henrik Rybinski, who threaded a behind-the-back pass in the slot for Miroshnichenko to bury his fourth of the season. Following Miroshnichenko’s goal, an ice problem in front of the Charlotte bench sent both teams to their respective locker rooms, with the remainder of the opening frame played at the end of the first intermission. Coincidentally, this occurred on the anniversary of a similar incident involving the Bears (Hershey at St. Catharines Saints, on December 13, 1983), in which the ice machine broke down after the first period at Garden City Arena and the ice melted, forcing the game to be suspended until the following evening when the remainder of the game was completed and resulting in a 2-2 overtime tie.
- After the start of the second period, Rybinski extended the lead to 3-0 with his third of the season 33 seconds in, with assists from Leason and Miroshnichenko.
- Jalen Luypen, playing in just his second game with the club after signing a professional tryout deal with Hershey earlier this week, scored his first goal as a Bear with an unassisted marker at 9:12 of the third period on a Charlotte giveaway.
- Mitch Gibson earned his second win of the season and his first AHL shutout with 36 stops, including 20 in the second period. Since making his AHL debut with Hershey in the 2023-2024 season, Gibson has improved his AHL record to 5-0-0, becoming the fourth goaltender in team history to begin their Bears tenure with five straight wins, joining Harvey Bennett, Bobby Perreault and Cam Newton.
SHOTS: HER 16, CLT 36
OBJECTIVE: HER – Mitch Gibson, 36-for-36; CLT – Louis Domingue, 12-for-16
POWER PLAY: HER – 1-for-6; CLT – 0-for-5
THEY SAID IT:
Bears head coach Derek King on the team’s work ethic:
“Yeah, that was huge for us. Obviously Gibby was the main reason for that, but that’s a good hockey team there. They put some pressure on us in the second and I like to say we kept a lot of shots outside, but I don’t know if we did that or not. It was good for the guys to bounce back like that after two losses.”
Brett Leason on the chemistry of his line with Henrik Rybinski and Ivan Miroshnichenko:
“Yes, we worked well together. We have a good mix of skill and speed there, and Miro was great today helping us. We flew in transition and that creates some 3-on-2 battles and being in the right spots.”
Mitch Gibson on ability to contain Charlotte’s unusual flow and pressure in the second period:
“Well, especially because the period ended the way it did with a second period of essentially 25 minutes, so I think it was just a battle that we knew we were going to have to face, just trying to be in the moment, right? They had their chances, we had ours, and we tried to weather the storm. We took a few bends, but we didn’t break, and I think that’s the biggest thing.”
Cam Allen on how he felt returning to the lineup after being sidelined by injury and being able to contribute upon his return:
“Credit goes to the training staff, and [assistant coach Brent Thompson] because you kept me ready in those pocket skates – they weren’t easy – but I felt ready tonight and that’s the goal, just stay ready and be ready when you can go.
With Bears match report
(Answers edited for clarity)
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