After an incredibly fun and exciting Sunday night win on Teddy Bear Toss night 2025, the Bears returned to the ice for the rare Tuesday night battle with the Lehigh Valley Phantoms. Hershey is coming off their best weekend in a couple weeks, sweeping their weekend set with the Providence Bruins.

In some pre-game news, the Bears sent down winger Zac Funk to ECHL South Carolina this afternoon, prompting some discussion from Bears nation on which forwards may now be healthy and if one of Sonny Milano or Ivan Miroshnichenko could be on their way down from Washington.

Henrik Rybinski returned to the lineup for the Bears, replacing Spencer Smallman who was added to the injured list with an upper body injury. Hunter Shepard got the start in goal for the Bears.

First Period

The Bears would start well, getting the first four shots of the game, but it would be the Phantoms who struck first. A floater from the point from Hunter McDonald would get past Hunter Shepard to give the Phantoms a 1-0 lead.

It could have gone from bad to worse for the Bears after Hunter Shepard got called for a trip in front of his own net, but Grant Cruikshank would get a breakaway opportunity shorthanded and roofed it past Cal Petersen and tie the game at one.

The Phantoms would take the lead and expand it in quick fashion though. First, Elliot Desnoyers would put home a rebound on a wide open net to make it 2-1 Lehigh Valley and then 39 seconds later, Ethan Samson would snipe one past Shepard to make it 3-1 Phantoms.

That’s how the first would end, with Lehigh Valley holding a 12-10 advantage in shots over the Bears after one.

Second Period

The second would start just as poorly for the Bears as the first did. Emil Andrae would dance through three Bears and then beat Shepard glove side on the back hand to make it 4-1 Phantoms just 65 seconds into the period.

The Bears would have a quick answer to this goal though, as Ethan Bear found space at the top of the point and ripped one glove side past Petersen to cut the Phantoms lead to 4-2. The game would stay that way for much of the period, with each team killing a penalty.

Some weirdness then occurred with three minutes left to go in the period. The Phantoms scored on a wrap around chance that was immediately waved off by the referee for perceived goalie interference. But, after a coming together of the officials, the goal was given and Lehigh Valley took a 5-2 lead.

The Bears would get some life back late, as Mike Sgarbossa tipped a shot home in front of the Phantoms net with just seconds remaining to cut the deficit back to two for Hershey. The period would end 5-3 in favor of the Phantoms.

Fun fact: Ethan Bear got his 100th career assist on the Sgarbossa goal. Congrats Ethan!

Third Period

Before the period started, Head Coach Todd Nelson made a goalie change, pulling Hunter Shepard in favor of Clay Stevenson. Nelson said post game he made the decision because- “I didn’t like some of the goals and also to spark the team.”

This time, the Bears would start hot and get that spark. Mike Sgarbossa, just minutes into the third, would bury his second goal of the night and made it 5-4 Phantoms, bringing the Bears back in it.

However, the Bears would not be able to fully climb comeback mountain. Even with a 4 minute power play opportunity due to a double minor high sticking call against the Phantoms, the Bears failed to get that 5th goal. The Phantoms would hold on for the win. Hershey returns to action on the road this Friday against Charlotte at Bojangles Coliseum in North Carolina.

Post Game Quotables

“Our compete is the biggest thing. The compete factor, that has to get to a playoff style mentality. You look at the two games against Providence, they were pretty chippy, so we were engaged. We weren’t engaged tonight.” – Todd Nelson on what his team needs to improve on in the second half of the season.

“At the end of the day it’s about passion. How much do you care to win? How much pride do you have on your shoulders when you lose a battle, does it sting? Are you going to win that next one. I think that’s what we really have to show, that pride, passion.” – Ethan Bear on how the team can improve their compete level.