Photo: Bridgeport Islanders

The Hershey Bears blanked the Bridgeport Islanders, 4-0 Saturday night at the Total Mortgage Arena in Bridgeport, Connecticut. Riley Sutter recorded his first goal of the season, Ethen Frank scored his seventh goal of the season and Clay Stevenson stopped all 25 shots he faced for his league-leading third-shutout of the season in the win. The victory improves the Bears record to 12-4-0 on the season.

Clay Stevenson got the start between the pipes for the visiting Bears. Ken Appleby got the start in goal for the Islanders. The forward lines and defensive pairs for the Bears:

Mike Vecchione – Mike Sgarbossa – Ethen Frank
Joe Snively – Jimmy Huntington – Alex Limoges
Bogdan Trineyev – Garrett Roe – Pierrick Dube
Ryan Hofer – Riley Sutter – Matthew Strome

Aaron Ness – Vincent Iorio
Hardy Haman Aktell – Logan Day
Colin Soyer – Chase Priskie

Clay Stevenson
Hunter Shepard

Scratches: Ivan Miroshnichenko, Dylan McIlrath, Jake Massie, Dmitry Osipov, Henrik Rybinski (upper body injury), Nicky Leibermann.

Ivan Miroshnichenko is a healthy scratch. Bears head coach Todd Nelson: “Same case as Lapierre last year. I know he scored the goal, but you gotta look what happened before it, there were some missed assignments” #ALLCAPS

— Capitals Prospects (@jon_m_sorensen) November 18, 2023

Recalls and Re-assignments – Hardy Haman Aktell was returned to Hershey Friday afternoon. Dylan McIlrath was returned to the Bears on Saturday.

FIRST PERIOD

The Bears opened the scoring on Mike Vecchione’s  seventh goal of the season at 4:45 of the first period. Logan Day (5) and Ethen Frank (6) had the helpers.

.@Mvecc8 buries his team-leading seventh of the season!

🍎Day
🍏Frank https://t.co/dzq9q9VbS1 pic.twitter.com/vO2NsrUhBH

— Hershey Bears (@TheHersheyBears) November 19, 2023

And that was it for the first frame. Bridgeport led in shots, 8-6. The Islanders were 0 for 1 on the power play while the Bears did not have a man advantage in the first period.

SECOND PERIOD

The Bears made it 2-0 early in the middle frame on Ethen Frank‘s seventh goal of the season at 6:39. Vincent Iorio (2) and Mike Sgarbossa (14) had the assists.

Ethen Frank with the redirect for his 7th of the season. #ALLCAPS pic.twitter.com/RpDD1ofh3Q

— Capitals Prospects (@jon_m_sorensen) November 19, 2023

The Bears stretched their lead to 3-0 on a deflected goal by Riley Sutter (1) at 13:21.  Colin Swoyer (3) and Matt Strome (2) had the helpers.

Another deflection goal for the Bears, this time @sutts_14 nets his first of the season!

🍎Swoyer
🍏Strome https://t.co/zCui4viljj pic.twitter.com/uS3qL8t4sl

— Hershey Bears (@TheHersheyBears) November 19, 2023

The Bears held the 3-0 lead into the second intermission. Hershey led in shots 13-9 in the middle frame and 19-17 after two periods. Hershey was 0 for 2 and Bridgeport 0 for 1 on the power play through two periods.

THIRD PERIOD

The Bears stretched their lead to 4-0 with a tally from Pierrick Dubé (6) at 11:21. Garrett Roe (2) and Chase Priskie (6) had the assists.

Sixth of the season for @duber72_!

🍎Roe
🍏Priskie https://t.co/Lze3Kfn86L pic.twitter.com/RFBsnIxzlJ

— Hershey Bears (@TheHersheyBears) November 19, 2023

The Bears held on for the 4-0 shutout.

SHAVINGS

• AHL box score
• Attendance: 3,348