Gaucher Scores Winner at Hershey

Petersen 29 Saves Backstops Hard-Fought 2-1 Rivalry Win

October 30, 2024

Hershey, PA – Jacob Gaucher (3rd) sniped from a sharp-angle at the bottom of the right circle with 11:04 remaining in the third period to break a 1-1 tie and the Lehigh Valley Phantoms hung on from there to post an exciting 2-1 victory at the defending champion Hershey Bears on Wednesday night.

Lehigh Valley (2-3-2) picked up the victory in the first of ten meetings between the Pennsylvania foes also receiving a goal from defenseman Helge Grans (1st) early in the contest. The Phantoms won for the first time since Opening Night on October 12 against Hartford while also ending Hershey’s four-game win streak and six-game point streak. It was also the first meeting between the two teams since Hershey ended Lehigh Valley’s postseason run on May 11 in Game 4 of the Division Semifinals in Allentown.

Gaucher’s a hockey player by day, but an artist by night #LVvsHER | #LVPhantoms pic.twitter.com/l55QoDIdex

— Lehigh Valley Phantoms (@LVPhantoms) October 31, 2024

Petersen and the Phantoms’ defense and penalty kill came up with several big stops and blocks in the gritty and hard-fought effort in which the Phantoms were outshot for only the second time this season. When their backs were to the wall that’s when the Phantoms came through with some of their biggest plays. In so doing, the Phantoms pinned the first loss of the season on reigning AHL Goaltender of the Year Hunter Shepard who had started the season with a 5-0-0 mark.

Grans opened the scoring off some nifty work by Anthony Richard and Olle Lycksell. The defenseman muscled his way to the slot from the left point while holding off Bogdan Trineyev on his left hip. When Richard retrieved a missed shot at the end-boards who smartly connected with the onrushing defenseman whose right-handed shot was open to bury just his second goal as a Lehigh Valley Phantom in two years.

Hershey (6-2-1) picked up its only goal of the night on a weird looking floater or knuckler offered from the left point by defenseman Jake Massie (1st) whose awkward shot somehow tumbled over the right shoulder of a partially screened Petersen while forward Garrett Roe was trying to get a piece in front. Massie’s equalizer at 16:05 evened the count at 1-1.

Early in the second period came one of several chances for Hershey to take the lead but Grans was there to save the day. After rotating to his right to make a big save, Petersen was unable to reach a puck that had bounced behind him and was in the blue paint. But Grans dove across to get a stick on the potential go-ahead strike before Spencer Smallman could convert down low. Grans kept the game tied at 1-1.

Hershey had the Phantoms stuck in its own zone on more than one occasion but some big shot blocks throughout the night showed Lehigh Valley’s determination. Hunter McDonald, Zayde Wisdom, Rodrigo Abols and others all had big blocks to protect Petersen.

Oscar Eklind started the Phantoms back into the Hershey zone and Wisdom neatly connected with Gaucher who offered a sharp-angle strike from the very bottom of the right circle that beat Shepard past his right shoulder and found the back of the net. Gaucher moved into a tie with Anthony Richard for the team lead with his third goal of the season.

But Lehigh Valley’s work was far from over. Hershey was finding difficulties getting pucks through to Cal Petersen though. Even when the Bears blocked Lehigh Valley’s exit tries, the shots that actually made it on goal were limited. But with under three minutes left, the Phantoms were gassed. A long shift with several blocks, as well as failed clears, had Lehigh Valley in trouble. Hershey pulled its goalie after a Phantoms’ icing while Elliot Desnoyers and his teammates were trying to catch their breath and weren’t allowed to change. Hershey won the ensuing faceoff as well. But the Phantoms kept scrapping and eventually Petersen swallowed in a drive from first-rounder Ivan Miroshnichenko to let his players off the hook.

Mike Vecchione and Chase Priskie offered 6-on-5 shots at Petersen in the closing seconds but Lehigh Valley emerged with the hard-earned victory.

The Phantoms had a season-low 23 shots on goal and were outshot for just the second time this season.

Lehigh Valley scored the first goal in the game for the first time this season.

The Phantoms had allowed three or more goals in every game this season prior to holding Hershey to just the one goal in the seventh game of the year.

The Phantoms held Hershey to 0-for-5 on the power play representing their best night on the penalty kill this season.

The Phantoms next meet the Hershey Bears on Saturday, November 16 at PPL Center and also host the Chocolate and White on Black Friday, November 29.

Lehigh Valley’s three-game road swing continues on Saturday night at the Springfield Thunderbirds.

The next home games for the Phantoms are Friday, November 8 against the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins on a Berks’ Dollar Dog Night and Saturday, November 9 against the Utica Comets featuring a postgame skate with the Phantoms players presented by NJM Insurance.

SCORING SUMMARY

1st 6:18 – LV, H. Grans (1) (A. Richard, O. Lycksell) (1-0)
1st 16:05 – HER, J. Massie (1) (E. Frank, C. Priskie) (1-1)

3rd 8:56 – LV, J. Gaucher (3) (Z. Wisdom, O. Eklind) (2-1)

Shots:
LV 23 – HER 30

PP:
LV 0/3, HER 0/5

Goaltenders:
LV – C. Petersen (W) (1-1-0) (29/30)
HER – H. Shepard (L) (5-1-0) (21/23)

Records:
Lehigh Valley (2-3-2)
Hershey (6-2-1)

UPCOMING

Saturday, November 2 – Phantoms at Springfield Thunderbirds

Wednesday, November 6 – Phantoms at W-B/Scranton Penguins

Friday, November 8 – W-B/Scranton Penguins at Phantoms – Berks Dollar Dogs

Saturday, November 9 – Utica Comets at Phantoms – Postgame Skate with Players presented by NJM Insuranace.

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