Bears Wallop Wolfpack

Buoyed by second period strikes from Zach Sill and Mason Mitchell, and a spectacular 27-save effort in net from Vitek Vanecek, the Hershey Bears bounced the Hartford Wolfpack on Saturday night at XL Center, 4-1 , reaching the .500 mark (9-9-0-2) for the second time this season with the victory.

Mathias Bau started the scoring for the Bears, beating Wolfpack starting netminder Chris Nell with a long range wrist shot at 3:18 of the first period. Hampus Gustafsson picked up the primary assist on the Bau goal, his first helper of the season, and defenseman Hubert Labrie picked up the secondary assist.

Riley Barber gave the visitors a 2-0 lead with 1:33 left in the stanza, potting his 5th of the season with assists going to Lucas Johansen and Dustin Gazley.

Sill struck with the Bears in shorthanded mode 7:08 in the second, with Labrie registering the lone helper. Sill’s strike was the 50th of his AHL career.

Mitchell managed his first red light of the season at 15:04 of the session, streaking down the left wing and launching a laser of a shot that eluded Nell, and ended his night as well.

Vanecek, who surrendered four goals on only twelve shots in his season debut on November 12, at Giant Center against the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins, was stellar all night, making several spectacular stops before Adam Tambellini spoiled his shutout bid with only 2:47 left in regulation time.

Notes- Labrie, who played in his 300th AHL contest in the Bears’ game Wednesday against Springfield, and skated in his 90th as a Bear in this encounter, posted his first multi-point effort in a Hershey uniform with his two assist effort...Sill’s shorty was the Bears’ third of the season, third struck on the road, and the clubs’ first since October 27…Barber’s GWG was his first of the season...The Bears were 0-for-3 on the power play, yet won for the first time on the road this season when not registering an extra strength tally.