Game Recap from HersheyBears.com
The Hershey Bears’ (12-6) line of Joe Snively (1g, 1a), Hendrix Lapierre (1g, 2a), and Ethen Frank (1g, 2a) carried the offense on Thursday night in Hershey’s 3-2 victory over the Coachella Valley Firebirds (12-5) in Game 4 of the 2024 Calder Cup Finals at Acrisure Arena. Hershey became the first team in the 2024 playoffs to deal Coachella Valley a loss on its home ice (7-1). The best-of-seven series is now tied 2-2, and will shift back to Hershey following Game 5 on Saturday night in Palm Desert.
Frank opened the scoring for the Bears late in the first period when Hardy Häman Aktell found Lapierre on a breakout and moved it along to Frank, who skated up the right side and slipped it through the legs of Chris Driedger at 18:37 for his 10th of the playoffs. At 10 goals in the current postseason, Frank is now in a seven-way tie for the 10th-most goals in a playoff year in franchise history, joining Willie Marshall (1958), Robin Burns (1974), Harvie Pocza (1980), David Gans (1986), David Steckel (2006), and Scott Barney (2007).
Shane Wright tied the game at 9:40 of the second period during a 4-on-4 sequence as he drove up the left flank and cut across the crease before stuffing the puck past Hunter Shepard to make it 1-1.
Lapierre put Hershey ahead 2-1 at the 18-minute mark of the frame when he carried the puck out of the defensive zone, nudged it ahead to Frank, who sent it across to Snively, who threaded back over to a streaking Lapierre at the right circle. The forward swept it underneath the pads of Driedger for his sixth of the postseason. Snively’s assist on the goal was his 26th career playoff helper for the Chocolate and White, moving him into a three-way tie with Gordon Bruce and Larry Zeidel for the 10th-most playoff assists in club history.
Ryker Evans pulled the Firebirds level at 2-2 just 32 seconds into the third period during another 4-on-4 sequence of play as the defender found himself in the slot and got to his feet before snapping it past Shepard.
Hershey quickly responded with a power-play goal at 4:21 when Snively knocked in a rebound at the front of the net, with Frank and Lapierre assisting, to push the Bears ahead 3-2.
Shepard and the Bears then shut down the final 10 shots on goal from the Firebirds to secure the win.
Shots finished 25-24 in favor of the Bears. Shepard earned the victory for Hershey with a 22-for-24 performance; Driedger took the loss for Coachella Valley by going 22-for-25. The Bears went 1-for- 6 on the power play; the Firebirds went 0-for-4 with the man advantage.
The Bears continue the 2024 Calder Cup Playoffs when they face the Coachella Valley Firebirds in Game 5 of the Calder Cup Finals on Saturday, June 22, at 9 p.m. (ET) at Acrisure Arena. Hershey will then host the Firebirds in Game 6 on Monday, June 24 at 7 p.m. at GIANT Center. CLICK HERE to purchase tickets for this game.
