Red-Hot Wilson Has Scored 10 Goals in Last 11 Games
March 15, 2023
Lehigh Valley, PA – Garrett Wilson racked up his second hat trick of the season and Cooper Marody earned three helpers, but the Lehigh Valley Phantoms’ five-game winning streak came to a close on Wednesday Night at the hands of the Hershey Bears by a 6-3 count.
Lehigh Valley (31-23-6) will rematch Hershey at PPL Center on Friday night at 7:05 p.m. Join us for a St. Patrick’s Day celebration featuring Whiteout Night and $1 Hot Dogs!
Wilson also recorded a hat trick on February 20 against Hartford and thus becomes only the second Lehigh Valley Phantom to notch two hat tricks in the same season joining Nick Cousins who accomplished the feat in 2014-15. Wilson became the first player ever to record a pair of hat tricks at PPL Center in the same season. Danick Martel is the only Lehigh Valley player with multiple hat tricks in his career having scored three of them with the Phantoms, but never in the same season.
The Phantoms’ opposition started the scoring only 1:54 into the contest on Connor McMichael’s 13th goal of the season. After a shot ricocheted off the iron behind Sam Ersson, McMichael was first to a loose puck in the blue paint to open the scoring.
Similar to Hershey’s first goal of the evening, Garrett Wilson drew even for Lehigh Valley by also winning a race to a loose puck. Adam Ginning sent a shot wide of the Bears’ net, but the rebound came to the side of the cage and Wilson’s stick beat the glove of Hershey goaltender Zach Fucale to the puck for the equalizer at 7:59.
Wilson struck again for Lehigh Valley at 7:28 of the second stanza to provide the Orange and Black a 2-1 advantage. Left open between the face-off circles, Wilson received a Marody pass and buried the high-quality scoring chance.
But later in the second period, Hershey roared back to regain a 3-2 advantage. Former Lehigh Valley forward Matt Strome scored low to the ice on Ersson at 12:01 only moments after a breakaway stop on Jake Massie. It was Strome’s first goal of the season and the first goal he had scored in over a calendar year since a two-goal performance for Lehigh Valley against Charlotte on March 4, 2022.
Hershey jumped in front by a 3-2 margin only 36 seconds later on Julian Napravnik’s second goal of the campaign from Shane Gersich and Henrik Rybinski.
Gersich extended the Bears’ lead to 4-2 at 5:38 of the third period on a drive from the slot that beat Ersson five-hole.
Wilson pulled the Phantoms back to within a goal when he successfully completed his second hat trick of the season. Transitioning into the offensive zone, Marody flicked a pass behind his back for an onrushing Wilson making a bee-line towards the net. Wilson blew past the Hershey defense and finished a forehand-backhand shot past Fucale’s glove to complete his trifecta at 9:31 into the final frame.
But Hershey responded quickly with another goal by Napravnik barely more than a minute later at 10:58 when he slipped across and away from the defense during a 4-on-4 stretch finding himself open in the right circle and beating Ersson for a 5-3 lead. Bobby Nardella finished the win with a long empty-netter with 2:50 remaining.
The Phantoms franchise record for hat tricks in a career is three by Mike Maneluk of the Philadelphia Phantoms and Danick Martel of the Lehigh Valley Phantoms. Wilson ties a franchise record with two hat tricks in the same season joining Mike Maneluk (1999-00), Kirby Law (2002-03), Tony Voce (2005-06), Pat Maroon (2008-09), Rob Sirianni (2008-09), Michael Ryan (2010-11), Denis Hamel (2010-11) and Nick Cousins (2014-15)
The Lehigh Valley Phantoms and Hershey Bears rematch on Friday night at PPL Center and the Phantoms will wrap up the five-game homestand on Sunday at 4:05 p.m. against the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins.
SCORING SUMMARY
1st 1:54 – HER, C. McMichael (13) (J. Massie, G. Pilon) 0-1
1st 7:59 – LV, G. Wilson (13) (A. Ginning, C. Marody) 1-1
2nd 7:28 – LV, G. Wilson (14) (C. Marody, L. Belpedio) 2-1
2nd 12:01 – HER, M. Strong (1) (B. Malenstyn) 2-2
2nd 12:37 – HER, J. Napravnik (2) (S. Gersich, H. Rybinski) 2-3
3rd 5:38 – HER, S. Gersich (5) (B. Nardella) 2-4
3rd 9:31 – LV, G. Wilson (15) (C. Marody, W. Wylie) 3-4
3rd 10:58 – HER, J. Napravnik (3) (H. Ryinski, L. Johansen) 3-5
3rd 17:10 – HER, B. Nardella (5) (M. Morelli, D. McIlrath) (EN) 3-6
Shots:
LV 21 – HER 30
PP:
LV 0/2, HER 0/3
Goalies:
LV – S. Ersson (L) (19-12-1) (24/29)
HER – Z. Fucale (W) (19-10-2) (18/21)
Records:
Lehigh Valley (31-23-6)
Hershey (35-16-7)
Phantoms Tickets are available HERE
UPCOMING SCHEDULE
Friday, March 17 (7:05) vs. HERSHEY BEARS
Sunday, March 19 (4:05) vs. WILKES-BARRE/SCRANTON PENGUINS
Saturday, March 25 (7:05) at Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins
Sunday, March 26 (5:00) at Hershey Bears
UPCOMING AT PPL CENTER
Friday, March 17 (7:05) vs. Hershey Bears – St. Patrick’s Day! Whiteout Night. $1 Hot Dogs
Sunday, March 19 (4:05) vs. Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins – Prospect Pack Trading Card Sets for First 5,000 Fans
Friday, March 24 – NCAA Tournament Hockey Allentown Regional Doubleheader Hosted by Penn State
Sunday, March 26 – NCAA Tournament Hockey Allentown Regional Final playing for Berth in the Frozen Four
