Andrew Kalista

Bears Net 9th Straight Point But Fall to Penguins 4-3 in SO as Sixth Straight Contest to Head to Extra Time



Hershey, PA – The second half of the season is kicking into high gear and for the streaky Hershey Bears who sit on the bubble of the AHL standings there is no better time than right now to sharpen the blades towards a run. Let’s add in the fact that this is the sixth straight skate that went to extra time which by the way is a franchise record.

Tonight represented an opportunity. Coming into tonight’s game against WB/S Penguins the Chocolate & White carried an eight game point streak. A point would equal a franchise mark set in 22-23 and then 23-24. A win against the Baby Pens would change the momentum in the season series which WB/S has. controlled 4-1-0-0 as Hershey’s lone win was back in late November.

As I said, the time is now. Thirty five games left, rivalry in town and you are on a point streak.

Like a Dickens story the start of this one was titillating for the home crowd in the Den. Forty three seconds into this one, Illya Protas netted his 16th of the season from the doorstep. From that point WB/s Scranton controlled the ice, the pace, the environment and everything in the GC except the plumbing during the first 20 on their way to a 2-1 lead.

Bears Center Grant Cruikshank scored a shorty tonight against WB/S in defeat. Spoke about progress going forward.#HBH pic.twitter.com/0LecYGR02R— The Chocolate Roar (@ChocolateRoar) January 24, 2026

The drop of the second started the same way as the first with a big roar. First from the crowd as the Bears went on the penalty kill. Then from the squad itself as Grant Cruikshank used a breakaway to even the score at 2-2. As soon as made the comment to a fellow reporter about the Bears not being physical. The hits began to come, the chipiness picked up and Andrew Cristall picked up a. loose puck in front, found the tape and banged it home for a 3-2 lead and fist pump at the 8:30 mark of the second.

The young guys finding their names on the score sheet is nothing new as Cristall (second) and Protas (third) both rank in the top five in the league for rookie scoring.


Andrew Cristall with a tally tonight, he talks about the Chemistry with Protas, the celly, and what it will take for a second half push.#HersheyBears #HBH @HBHNationBlog pic.twitter.com/6ZzPmp1RPv— The Chocolate Roar (@ChocolateRoar) January 24, 2026


Unfortunately that is where the red light flashing stopped.

With 5:59 left Ivan Miroshnichenko, who played an excellent game was stoned by Sergei Murashov with a big kick of the pad.

With a chance to close it out the Pens found away. With an extra attacker on Avery Hayes sent it to OT.

An exciting OT session featured the Bears on the attack but came up empty.

The shootout wasn’t much better. Three chances against Murashov. Three x’s from Miro, Protas and Leason against the best the league has to offer.

The winner from Ville Koivunen on the opener.

So what lies ahead for the Bears? Coach King talked about that after the contest.

Bears head coach Derek King after the Bears fall to WB/S 4-3 in SO#HBH pic.twitter.com/2Q5dvjkVuS— The Chocolate Roar (@ChocolateRoar) January 24, 2026



Heartbreak for Hershey but progress made for the young club.

Reminder WB/S has never won a cup, as they hang their protest bear in front of Zack Fisch every game up in WB.

Unknown's avatar

Published by Andrew Kalista

As a young kid that played virtually every sport that his town and school offered, he never really thought that sports would end up being his career. Sports has always been in Andrew's blood. He attended his first college football game at 10 months old, and attended almost every home game of Nittany Lions for the next 20 years so it is no wonder that he always wanted to cover Penn State. If you have to work for this thing called "adulting" you might as well try and have fun. Andrew attended Syracuse University and graduated from the Newhouse School. After teaching in his local area for just over a year, Andrew moved to Charlottesville, VA to work at the Newsplex. Wide eyed and filled with excitement, he walked into his first television job as morning production assistant. The sports director at the Newsplex was a fellow, "Skook" (Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania native) and put Andrew to work in the sports department, shooting highlightes and some writing. After 10 months, Andrew made his way to State College, PA and WHVL-TV. Over the course of five years, Andrew some firsts in Happy Valley, some great, some not so great (cough, names on the uniforms). Andrew's experience at WHVL including calling play by play, side line reporting, color analyst, hosting his own political talk show, launching the first Penn State hockey television show and co-hosting, along with Jeff Byers the Penn State Football post game show on ESPN radio. Andrew, hates to be in the office, in fact we like it when he is out of the office as well, so if you have a story that you want to be told contact Andrew. You can reach him by email email at akalista@fox43.com, find his page on facebook, or hit him up on twitter @KalistaAndrew. He is really excited to be here and add to his list of sports memories, to which there are already many (seriously, you should ask him). Just don't mention that he is 5'9" 139 pounds living in his "prime" as a washed up athlete.

Leave a comment