Describing the Hershey Bears return from the All-Star break is anything but dazzling. 

“An embarrassing effort,” is one way to put it. “Unacceptable,” is another. 

Head Coach Todd Nelson said those adjectives to describe his team’s effort and also this gem: “we were dead from the butthole out.”

Nelson calls it as he sees and never holds anything back. These comments came as players were back on the bench awaiting a jersey auction for fans.  As some of those players waited, Nelson’s words were played on the screen overhead at the Giant Center.  

“Bottom line is that the guys that we count uponto go out there and do a job to provide offense for us,were not even in the building tonight.” This is the second time in four games Hershey has been shut-out, the last coming in an even more dreadful manner, a 9-0 defeat to WB/S. 
Asked by The Chocolate Roar if this performance coupled with that 9-0 defeat, just days ago is concerning? Nelson didn’t hold back.

“Yeah, it is very concerning because that was an embarrassment out there.The fans should get their money back. You know, they come out and support us on a night where, you know, I heard the roads are icy and that, but still want to come support us and we put forth an effort like that and it wasn’t just the score.

“It has to come from within the room. I can go in there and yell and scream all I want, okay? You know, I did it last game,to get their attention.It has to come from the leadership group.It has to come from every individual.”Make no mistake about it, Nelson’s message was delivered over the big screen to a gaggle of Bears on the bench and what was said will be passed through the locker room and. hard conversations will take place

The only thing more treacherous than the roads and weather of snow and freezing rain outside the Giant Center, was the disposition of the fans who decides to head to the exits early. after watching this one. go down. 

HOW IT HAPPENEDThe Bears took to. their home ice with a bevy of scratches and skated with just 16 skaters and were down one forward  due to illnesses that have hit the roster. Nelson is not using that as an excuse for the effort that was put forth on this Saturday night. 

Syracuse got the upper hand in the first as a turnover lead in. the neutral ice. lead to a goal.

From this point on I’ll allow coach Nelson to take us through the scoring summary.

“Second goal, Sgarbossa scores on ourselves. Third goal, Ethan Bear, scores on ourselves. Almost identical plays. Fourth goal, we try to get the puck out.  We go to snap it up, we break a stick. Now we’re hemmed in our zone.Unfortunate bounce but all these thingsare happening right now.  Fifth goal goes off the guy in front of the net. These are very unlucky balances, but we could have controlled that by outworking the opponent.That was a team that bused in from Syracuse last night andwe’re sitting at home. There’s no excuse for it.”

SHOTS: HER 16, SYR 32

GOALTENDING: HER – Clay Stevenson, 27-for-32; SYR – Matt Tomkins, 16-for-16

POWER PLAY: HER – 0-for-4; SYR – 1-for-3