Bears Burst By T-Birds

By: John Sparenberg

For 37-plus minutes, the Springfield Thunderbirds dodged a storm from the Hershey Bears on Wednesday night at Giant Center in Chocolatetown, but the Bears then struck for four unanswered goals in just under 12 minutes and then hung on for a 5-3 win.

After T-Bird goals from Sebastian Repo and Jean-Sebastien Dea, Repo on an open net turnover by goaltender Ilya Samsonov and Dea on a breakaway, Hershey started their four  goal run on a goal by Ryan Sproul at 17:18. Sproul's strike was assisted by Nathan Walker, and Jayson Megna, who won three successive offensive zone draws on the shift to allow for the goal.

Just over a minute later, Devante Smith-Pelly tied the game at 2-2 when from the doorstep, he guided a Mike Sgarbossa pass behind Springfield netminder Chris Driedger. Smith-Pelly, in his second game on home ice for the Bears, collected his first marker at the venue, and now has four goals in his last two games.

Sgarbossa himself lit the lamp exactly seven minutes into the third frame, adding another goal to his career high, which reached 25 with his tally. Sgarbossa's goal came on a nifty pass from "nimble" Aaron Ness, the Bears' leading point producer from the blueline. Ness, after taking a cross-point pass from his partner Tyler Lewington, swiftly skated down the left wing side and in the process drew Driedger out of his net to play the potential shot, but the crafty Minnesotan passed on the opportunity before passing to Sgarbossa sneaking in undetected through the back door.

Riley Barber had a frustrating evening in the shooting department on this evening, missing numerous quality scoring chances, that were either wide of the target, stopped by Driedger, or rang off the iron, but he contributed in a mighty way on what turned out to be the game-winning goal by Jayson Megna at 9:10. Barber, with dogged determination on the fore-check, stole the puck away from a Springfield defender and then found Megna who received the pass in full flight. Megna then proceeded to cruise into the slot and dented the twin by buzzing a wrist shot by the blocker of Driedger for his 16th goal of the season, and his third in three games.

Bobby Farnham's breakaway goal then got the visitors within a goal, but the Bears survived a late Springfield power play, and Sgarbossa scored into an empty net at 19:53 to finish off the T-Birds.






 ,.  ata nHershey Bears Springfield Thunderbirds at Giant Center.

Ryan Sproull, Mike Sgarbossa, Devante Smith-Pelly and and former Jayson Megna.