Hershey Bears advance to Calder Cup Finals
For the first time since 2016 the Hershey Bears have advanced to the Calder Cup Finals. They did so with a 1-0 win in Game 6 in Rochester against the Americans, taking the best of seven Eastern Conference Finals four games to two.
The first and third periods were scoreless.All it took was one goal in the second period and that goal came from Shane Gersich for his first goal of the playoffs. It came at 12:40 and was assisted by Beck Malenstyn and Gabriel Carlsson.
Hunter Shepard made some huge saves especially in the second half of the third period to preserve the 1-0 win and ensure no Game 7.
The players opted not to touch the trophy after the game, instead posing for a photo op.
Shepard made saves on all 24 shots he faced. The Bears were outshot 24-19 overall.
“I can’t say enough good things about this team. We stick with it, we battle as a group, a 1-0 victory on the road to send us to the finals I think it says it all,” Beck Malenstyn told John Walton on the ice after the game.
“We just gotta keep playing our game, we’re comfortable with where we are. We know our system, we know our style, we stick to it, it’s proven to be effective so we’re happy to take it to the final.”
“Huge effort from everybody. Unbelievable. Now it’s the final battle so we have to be ready,” added Aliaksei Protas to Walton.
“Just keep the energy on the bench together, be a family, compete for each other… we create our own energy and stay together.”
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We don’t know when and who the Bears will play in the Calder Cup Finals but we do know the first two games will be at Giant Center.