The Hershey Bears took a commanding 2-0 series lead with a 5-1 win over the Lehigh Valley Phantoms at Giant Center on Saturday night.
The best-of-five Atlantic Division semifinal shifts to Allentown for Game 3 on Wednesday, with the Phantoms looking to stave off elimination.
Ethen Frank scored twice within the first 8:18 to give Hershey an early 2-0 lead, and Hunter Shepard made it stand up with a 30-save performance, including a stop of a Bobby Brink penalty shot in the third period. Shepard has allowed two goals or fewer in 15 of his last 16 starts going back to the beginning of February.
Henrik Rybinski scored for the second game in a row for the Bears, and Alex Limoges added a power-play marker with Frank picking up an assist for his third point of the night. Hendrix Lapierre finished the scoring with an empty-netter late in the third period.
Hunter McDonald, who joined the Phantoms from Northeastern University in March, netted his first goal as a pro for the only Lehigh Valley scoring.
After each team received a single coincidental minor penalty in Game 1, the Bears and Phantoms were assessed a total of 158 PIM in Game 2, including 13 misconducts handed out in the final three minutes.
(Hershey leads series, 2-0)
Game 1 – Wed., May 1 – HERSHEY 2, Lehigh Valley 1
Game 2 – Sat., May 4 – HERSHEY 5, Lehigh Valley 1
Game 3 – Wed., May 8 – Hershey at Lehigh Valley, 7:05
*Game 4 – Sat., May 11 – Hershey at Lehigh Valley, 7:05
*Game 5 – Sun., May 12 – Lehigh Valley at Hershey, 7:00
*if necessary… All times Eastern
