HERSHEY, PA — All hope seemed lost when Dan Ellis replaced Justin Peters. In 17:11 of ice time, Peters allowed three goals on eight shots. Peters was not able to corral the Adam Erne shot on the Syracuse Crunch’s second power play and Tye McGinn poked it over the goal line. Two minutes later, Liam O’Brien recieved a major and a game misconduct for checking from behind. It was his second such ejection in two games played.
On this five minute power play, the Crunch scored twice. Despite initially looking good, Peters failed to track the Philippe Paradis pass to Erne. Erne’s one-timer pierced the twine and took the air out of GIANT Center. McGinn tipped Anthony DeAngelo’s blue line shot and the game looked like a runaway for Syracuse. With Chris Bourque, the team’s leading scorer, out for the night due to injury, the Bears needed a complete team effort to turn around their fortunes.
After a dismal effort in the first, the Bears awoke to fire 21 shots on Adam Wilcox. It took a great deal of patience amid chance after chance getting thwarted, but the Bears were rewarded with a power play in the latter half of the period. Carter Camper’s pass to Ryan Stanton connected tape-to-tape. Stanton outwaited the sliding defense long enough to draw Wilcox out of position. His shot beat Wilcox top right corner to get Hershey on the board.
One minute later, Riley Barber held the puck behind the net. Undetected, Chandler Stephenson slid into the slot, stick cocked and ready to shoot. Barber’s pass hit the wheelhouse and then the back of the net. Suddenly, the Bears had life.
An early tripping penalty on Syracuse seemed to give Hershey exactly what they needed to tie the game. Instead, Paradis went up the ice and drew the one defender to him along the boards. His centering feed hit Jeff Tambellini, who caught Ellis low for a shorthanded goal. The comeback seemed unlikely. All goals for the Crunch came via special teams tonight with three on the power play and this one shorthanded.
However, Hershey did not go away. Continuous pressure gave the Bears numerous chances, but they wanted the one shot to bring the game back within one. Nathan Walker and Mike Moore worked the puck below the goal line and it last hit Sean Collins before tumbling over the goal line.
Within minutes, chances came from all angles and all players. Dustin Gazley slapped the puck low to Christian Djoos who then hit Stephenson at the goal line. With Djoos waiting on the point, Stephenson returned the puck for the one-timer. The sell-out crowd could finally cheer loud and proud when Djoos’s shot hit the net.
Overtime was needed to resolve the game, but resolution did not take long. 25 seconds in, Collins finished his wide drive at the net with a five-hole shot to finish the comeback.
Peters and Ellis each faced eight shots, with Ellis getting the win and seven saves. Wilcox faced at least one shot from every Bear except Liam O’Brien and Caleb Herbert and saved 39 of the 44 shots on goal.
