HERSHEY, Pa. — The Hershey Bears defeated the Laval Rocket 5-3 in Wednesday night's Thanksgiving Eve traditional game at the GIANT Center.
Backed by a strong offensive showing and timely goaltending, the Bears improved their season standing in front of a packed crowd of 9,428 fans.
The game opened with Hershey taking an early lead, scoring twice in the first period. Spencer Smallman struck first just 2:14 into the game, notching his third goal of the season with help from Henrik Rybinski.
Later in the period, Alex Limoges capitalized on a power-play opportunity at 12:26, extending the Bears’ lead to 2-0.
Laval responded late in the first period when Rafaël Harvey-Pinard netted his first goal of the season at 18:48, assisted by Tyler Wotherspoon.
The Rocket carried that momentum into the second period, tying the game 2-2 just 1:21 into the frame with a goal from Alex Barré-Boulet, who was set up by Louie Dauphin and Jack Davidson.
The tie didn’t last long though. Hershey reclaimed the lead late in the second period with another power-play goal. Defenseman Chase Priskie fired one past Laval’s netminder Jakub Dobeš at 17:49, with assists from Rybinski and Mike Vecchione, giving Hershey a 3-2 advantage heading into the final period.
The third period saw both teams trade goals in a spirited back-and-forth.
Laval’s Logan Mailloux tied the game 3-3 at 7:32 with a power-play goal assisted by Davidson and Owen Beck. Hershey responded swiftly when Vincent Iorio scored his second goal of the season at 10:24, assisted by Aaron Ness and Smallman.
Ethan Frank sealed the win with an empty-net goal at 18:44, bringing his season tally to 13 goals.
The Bears’ disciplined penalty-killing unit was key, holding Laval to just one goal on four power-play opportunities. In contrast, Hershey capitalized on their man-advantage chances, converting two of six power plays.
Goaltender Hunter Shepard delivered a strong performance in net for Hershey, stopping 22 of 25 shots. Laval’s Dobeš faced 22 shots, saving 17.
The Bears managed to outscore Laval despite being outshot 25-22. Hershey's balanced offensive effort saw contributions from multiple players, with five different skaters scoring goals and seven logging assists. Smallman, in particular, was instrumental with both a goal and an assist, earning a +2 rating.
Penalty trouble plagued both teams throughout the game, with a total of 11 infractions resulting in 22 minutes served. Hershey's penalty kill unit neutralized key Laval opportunities, while the Bears' power play provided the offensive spark needed for the win.
Hershey is back in action Friday at Lehigh Valley and then Saturday night back at Giant Center for Hockey Fights Cancer night. You can see that game on FOX43.2 Antenna TV.
