The Hershey Bears won in thrilling fashion on Friday, and it was all because of Mike Vecchione, the 2023 Calder Cup championship hero.
With the Bears down 3-2, Vecchione scored with nine seconds remaining in regulation to tie. He then won the game in overtime on a breakaway, sending Bears players over the boards to celebrate.
Veccs’ game-tying goal came with Hershey on the power play and goaltender Clay Stevenson pulled for an extra attacker, giving the team two extra skaters.
Vecchione scored on a one-timer from the slot after taking a slick backhanded feed from Mike Sgarbossa, who was behind the net. The Saugus, Massachusetts native clapped the puck to the far side, beating Rochester Americans goalie Devon Levi to force overtime
It was there Vecchione sent Hershey home happy after again being set up by a brilliant pass from Sgarbossa.
From behind Hershey’s red line, Sgarbossa banked a pass off the sideboards right onto Vecchione’s blade. The Bears forward then raced in all alone on Levi, where he teased a shot, deked to his backhand, and then shot on his forehand. Levi, in the splits and sliding out of the net, had no chance as Vecchione lobbed the puck over him with 1:22 remaining in OT.
For Vecchione, the two goals marked his third and fourth tallies of the season and his first multi-goal game since last season — January 31 against the Lehigh Valley Phantoms.
“I just think he feels comfortable and he is so competitive as a person,” Bears head coach Todd Nelson said per the team. “He wants to be in those tough areas and situations to score goals. If you look at the goal that he scored to tie the game up, he was right in front of the net and there were a bunch of Rochester guys all around him, but he stood tall in there and got a nice pass by Sgarbossa to finish it off. It’s a product of just how much of a competitive guy he is.”
“It’s been tough to score,” Vecchione said. “I had a couple great, grade-A chances in Toronto that didn’t go for me, so I was a little down on myself, but the boys have been great just picking me up and saying, ‘Just stick to your game, it’s gonna come.’ It was really a nice play at the end of the game there for a high-to-low, [Sgarbossa] found me out front for a tap-in. And then on the other goal, I just saw Sgarbs had full possession in overtime and just started getting the wheels moving, and he gave me a great indirect [pass] and I was able to beat the goalie on the second breakaway. It feels really good; it wasn’t the best win for us, but we’ll take it.”
The Bears, struggling to put complete games together as other teams bring their best against the back-to-back champions, also saw goals from Alex Limoges and Chase Priskie (PPG).
The Americans got two goals from Kale Clague and another from Brett Murray. Clay Stevenson stopped 23 of 26 shots in the win.
Hershey plays again on Saturday night as they visit the Syracuse Crunch at Upstate Medical University Arena. The Bears return home to face the Laval Rocket on Wednesday, November 27 for Canteen Vending Turkey Shoot Night.
Unavailable for the Bears tonight:
• Day (upper body)
• Bear (lower body) https://t.co/ZXKVRK9j0A— Hershey Bears (@TheHersheyBears) November 22, 2024
