Ivan Miroshnichenko netted his third game-winner in the last 13 games, leading the Hershey Bears’ 3-2 victory over the Charlotte Checkers, Monday.
Miroshnichenko scored the overtime game-winner 45 seconds into OT, taking a pass from Ilya Protas, curling to the middle of the ice, and firing a shot past Checkers goaltender Cooper Black. The goal was Miro’s 12th of the season and his second OTGWG of the 2025-26 campaign.
Ivan Miroshnichenko OTGWG
“It’s huge for the locker room, just for keeping the momentum going, just for our confidence, knowing we can come back and we stuck to the program for the most part,” Bears head coach Derek King said. “And just played our game, and it paid off.”
The Bears needed another comeback to get the job done despite the emerging Alex Suzdalev opening the game’s scoring with his fourth goal of the season.
Alex Suzdalev goal
After some great patience in the neutral zone, Suzdalev hit David Gucciardi in stride with a pass. The Bears defenseman then carried the puck into the offensive zone where he dropped it to Sonny Milano. Milano then hit Suzdalev, who hustled back into the play, with a pass at the right circle, and the Russian winger fired a one-timer into the net.
The Checkers would score the next two goals, getting tallies from Wilmer Skoog and Nathan Foote to take a 2-1 lead into the first intermission. After a scoreless second frame, Suzdalev tied the game 1:52 into the third period, notching his second goal of the night.
Alex Suzdalev’s second goal of the night
After some nice work by Milano and Brett Leason down low, Suzdalev took a centering pass in the slot and ripped another shot past Black.
Miroshnichenko then won it in the first minute of overtime. Suzdalev was named 1st Star of the Game.
“I love playing with Leas,” Milano said postgame of playing with Leason and Suzdalev. “He’s big, he holds onto pucks, he can skate, he’s a really good player. And Suzy was pretty dominant today as well, he finished his shots, and it was a good combination there.”
“It was great,” added Suzdalev. “Two good players with NHL games under their belts, it was easy for me, because they’re such good players – I was just trying to find the right spots and they found me.”
Inside the locker room, Ilya Protas enthusiastically greeted Suzdalev as he walked in.
Hershey postgame locker room video
“What are we?” King said to his players. “Way too dumb to quit, but I love it. You guys stuck with it. You battled and found a way.”
Suzdalev was then given the player of the game award from the team, a Hershey firefighter uniform.
