Bears Survive to Force Game 5

Comeback Effort Doesn’t Make it as Phantoms Fall 6-4

May 9, 2025

Allentown, PA – The Hershey Bears raced out to an early 3-0 lead in the first period and then held off the Phantoms enough the rest of the way in a 6-4 final at PPL Center on Friday night in Game 4 of the Atlantic Division Semifinals of the Calder Cup Playoffs. With the series now tied at 2-2, the I-78 rivalry will head back to Chocolatetown for a decisive Game 5 on Sunday evening at 5:00 p.m.

Zayde Wisdom (3rd) and Rodrigo Abols (2nd) scored back-to-back in the second period to cut the margin to 3-2 and bring the Orange Out contingent at PPL Center to a raucous, fever pitch. But the first of the two come-from-behind efforts for the Phantoms fell short and Lehigh Valley was not able to obtain the equalizer.

Pierrick Dube’s pair of goals late in the second period restored Hershey’s 5-2 margin. And the Bears held off Lehigh Valley’s late charge with a pulled goaltender as the Orange and Black ran out of time.

Bogdan Trineyev scored the first of the night taking advantage of a neutral-zone pickoff. Speeding right up the middle, Trineyev’s shot from between the circles went to the left post past Petersen for a 1-0 lead at 5:46.

Lehigh Valley almost turned the tables on the Hershey Bears with back-to-back strong chances that both found the iron. Alex Bump neatly connected with Garrett Wilson from the right boards whose shot was blasted off the left post and then off the back of Hershey goaltender Clay Stevenson. Jett Luchanko tried to get there while the puck was still in the crease but Stevenson’s right pad was too strong, despite the red light and goal horn, Hershey held the Phantoms out of the net.

Just one minute later it was Emil Andrae cruising across the high slot to his left to rock a drive off the right post on the glove-side of Stevenson. Again, the Phantoms just missed putting it in.

That opened the door for Hershey to surge back. Chase Priskie’s one-timer from above the left circle came just as a Phantoms’ power play had ended to make it 2-0 at 11:51. And former Phantom Mike Vecchione would zoom up the middle and connect perfectly on the move to the upper-left corner for a 3-0 lead at 14:15.

The Phantoms put it together to regain momentum early in the second period. Jacob Gaucher won the puck in the left corner and smoothly connected with Zayde Wisdom who carried back in front of the line and drove to the net to fling a backhander across Stevenson and in to get the Phantoms on the board at 3:56.

Just 35 seconds later, Rodrigo Abols jabbed the puck away from defenseman Vincent Iorio and blasted one through from the right circle to make it 3-2. Suddenly, the Phantoms were right back in it. Hershey head coach Todd Nelson used his timeout to settle his team down.

After both teams traded chances through the second period, Hershey would once again zoom out to a three-goal margin. Pierrick Dube scored on the power play of a Brad Hunt point-shot at 13:18 and then Dube scored again barely more than three minutes later from in tight after a chance from Alex Limoges from the right of the cage was saved by Petersen.

Hershey led 5-2 at the second break and would make it 6-2 exactly 10:00 into the third on Ivan Miroshnichenko’s wrap-around to the left-wing side of the cage after Petersen had made a save on the opposite side.

Trailing 6-2, Oscar Eklind connected from inside the left dot at 13:47 of the third with assists for Adam Ginning and Nikita Grebenkin. And Jacob Gaucher scored a 6-on-5 goal with 4:26 left from Lycksell and Andrae. The Phantoms had various opportunities with a pulled goalie through the remaining minutes of the game while the two teams traded penalties back-and-forth. Lehigh Valley even had a 6-on-3 in the final minute but the Bears picked up some valuable interceptions and clears to kill the rest of the clock and preserve the win.

The Phantoms and Bears will meet in the decisive Game 5 of the series on Sunday at 5:00 p.m. at GIANT Center in Hershey.

SCORING SUMMARY
1st 5:46 – HER, B. Trineyev (2) (R. Sutter) (0-1)
1st 11:51 – HER, C. Priskie (2) (L. Philp, S. Smallman) (0-2)
1st 14:15 – HER, M. Vecchione (1) (S. Smallman, J. Massie) (PP) (0-3)

2nd 3:56 – LV, Z. Wisdom (3) (J. Gaucher, O. Lycksell) (1-3)
2nd 4:31 – LV, R. Abols (2) (Unassisted) (2-3)
2nd 13:18 – HER, P. Dune (1) (B. Hunt, H. Lapierre) (PP) (2-4)
2nd 16:32 – HER, P. Dube (2) (A. Limoges, H. Lapierre) (2-5)

3rd 10:00 – HER, I. Miroshnichenko (2) (B. Trineyev, C. Priskie) (2-6)
3rd 13:47 – LV, O. Eklind (1) (A. Ginning, N. Greenkin) (3-6)
3rd 15:34 – LV, J. Gaucher (3) (O. Lycksell, E. Andrae) (6×5) (4-6)

Shots:
LV 32 – HER 27

PP:
LV 0/7, HER 2/8

Goaltenders:
LV – C. Petersen (L) (1-1) (21/27)
HER – C. Stevenson (W) (1-0) (28/32

Series: 
Lehigh Valley and Hershey tied 2-2

 

 

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