Photo: Charlotte Checkers

The Hershey Bears beat the Charlotte Checkers 5-4 Wednesday night at Bojangles Coliseum in Charlotte, North Carolina. The Bears would score five unanswered goals in the first 15 minutes of the game, and hang on for the 5-4 win. The win ends a three-game losing streak for Hershey and improved the Bears record to 13-14-0-3 on the season. The same two teams will faceoff again Thursday night to close-out the two-game series. Puck drop is 7:00PM. 

STARTERS
Alex Nedeljkovic (12-3-0, 2.58, .904) got the start between the pipes for Charlotte. Vitek Vanecek (3-3-0, 2.16, .901) started in goal for the Bears. The starting lines and defensive pairs for the Bears:

Bourque-Boyd-Bau
O’Brian-Graovac-Barber
Albert-Margonari-Simpson
M.Mitchell-Sill-Peluso
Ness-Lewington
Siegenthaler-Williams
Labrie-Johansen

Bears Scratches – Jeremy Langlois, Garrett Mitchell, Dustin Gazley and Connor Hobbs.

FIRST PERIOD
The Bears got off to a fast start in this one, as Colby Williams banked-in a shorthanded goal just 1:57 into the contest. Tyler Graovac was credited with the lone assist.

Anthony Peluso would make it 2-0 with a goal at the 6:45 mark of the opening frame. Mason Mitchell and Aaron Ness were credited with the assists. But the Bears were just getting started.

Wayne Simpson would make it 3-0 with an unassisted tally at the 9:55 mark of the opening period.

Travis Boyd would make it 4-0 with a power play goal at 14:12 of the first period. Chris Bourque and Aaron Ness were credited with the assists. That would be all for the Checkers starting goalie, as Alex Nedeljkovic was yanked from the game.

Riley Barber would make it 5-0 with a goal at 14:26 of the opening frame, with Tyler Graovac and John Albert getting the helpers.

The Checkers would finally notch a tally late with a goal by Julien Gauthier at 17:57 of the first period, closing the gap to 5-1. The period would conclude with the Bears leading 5-1. The  ears led in shots on goal n goal 11-9 after the first 20 minutes of play.

SECOND PERIOD
A much less frenetic pace to start the middle frame. The Checkers led 6-1 in shots on goal through the first 8 minutes of play. Then the Checkers would make a game of it.

The Checkers Aleksi-Saarela would make it 5-2 with a power play goal at the 8:57 mark of the second period. Warren Foegele would make it 5-3 with a tally at the 14:23 mark and just like that it was a game again.

The period would conclude with the Bears hanging on to the 5-3 lead. The Checkers outshot the Bears 14-5 for the middle frame.

THIRD PERIOD
The Bears continued to hang on in the third period, as they were greatly outshot 8-2 through the first ten minutes of the period, but the score remained 5-3.

The Checkers would cut the lead to one with a goal by Sergey Tolchinsky at the 12:00 mark of the final frame, making in 5-4.

Despite being outshot 15-3 in the final frame, the Bears would hang on for the 5-4 win.

SHAVINGS

• The Checkers outshot the Bears 39-18 for the game.
• The Bears were 1 for 3 and the Checkers 2 for 6 on the power play.
• AHL box score for the game is here.

By JonSorensen

SCENES FROM CHARLOTTE

The Bears at Harrisburg Airport prior to departing for Charlotte, with musician Kenny G.