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Ethen Frank healthy-scratched in Game One of Calder Cup Finals

By Ian Oland

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June 8, 2023 10:43 pm

The Hershey Bears will play without their top goal-scorer and their top-line center from the regular season in Game One of the 2023 Calder Cup Finals.

Head coach Todd Nelson opted to scratch Ethen Frank for the fourth time in the playoffs while Michael Sgarbossa and Vincent Iorio remain out due to injury.

Here’s Hershey’s lineup for Game One.

After posting a team-high 30 goals in the regular season, Frank has gone goalless in 10 postseason games as Hershey’s first line for much of the regular season (Mike Vecchione-Sgarbossa-Frank) has been broken up due to performance and injury. Frank has two assists total and has fired 18 shots on goal, far from his over three shots per game average during the regular season.

Frank missed all of April except for the final game of the season where he scored a hat trick due to an upper-body injury. During a recent television telecast, voice of the Bears, Zach Fisch, said Nelson was “hitting the reset button” on Frank, similar to what he did with Hendrix Lapierre late in the season, to jumpstart his game.

Mason Morelli has been promoted from the fourth line to Frank’s spot while Shane Gersich is now skating on the fourth line with Beck Malenstyn and Riley Sutter. Gersich scored the series-winning goal to make Hershey Eastern Conference champions.

Sgarbossa has not played since May 4 after absorbing an awkward hit against the Charlotte Checkers. He’s been replaced on the first line by Henrik Borgstrom.

Iorio has been out since Game Three of the Eastern Conference Finals. He was replaced by Jake Massie on the third pairing. Lucas Johansen flipped to right side to accommodate the change.

Hershey termed Iorio’s injury day-to-day in a tweet.

Iorio suited up in Tuesday’s practice with a non-contact jersey, suggesting he’s nearing a return.

Headline photo: Tori Hartman/Hershey Bears

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