Phantoms Make it 3-Point Weekend

Hershey Takes 4-3 Shootout Win in Finale

October 25, 2025

Hershey, PA – The Lehigh Valley Phantoms earned another standings point and made it a three-point weekend in a 4-3 shootout loss at the Hershey Bears on Saturday night in the finale of the home-and-home set against our Chocolatetown rivals.

Carl Grundstrom (1st), Helge Grans (2nd) and Garrett Wilson (1st) all scored for the Phantoms while Tucker Robertson contributed a pair of assists in his second consecutive multi-point effort. But Hershey rallied for a tying goal in the third and Ilya Protas scored in the second round of the shootout for the additional point.

Lehigh Valley (4-2-1) tied its best seven-game mark also achieved by the 2014-15 Phantoms team in the inaugural season in Allentown. That team also began at 4-2-1.

The Phantoms scored their fastest goal of the season when Carl Grundstrom stayed it on the left of the cage to muscle it in past and behind and outstretched goaltender Garin Bjorkland just 62 seconds into the game. It was Grundstrom’s first goal with the Phantoms in his 398th career pro game with Dennis Gilbert and Denver Barkey contributing assists.

Garrett Wilson agreed to drop the gloves with young, newcomer Justin Nachbauer and successfully landed several rights in his first bout of the season. Tensions continued throughout the second game of the weekend with several big hits and collisions as part of a feisty pair of games befitting the fierce rivalry.

Hershey surged back with a 2-on-1 goal by Bogdan Trineyev from Matt Strome at 6:32 and then a power-play crank by Andrew Cristal for his first as a pro at 14:17 as the Bears took a 2-1 lead into the first intermission.

Tucker Robetson connected across the ice with an open Helge Grans who stepped into a powerful blast from the top of the right circle to the upper-left corner at 3:14 to tie the game at 2-2. Emil Andrae also picked up his fourth assist of the season on the play.

The Phantoms regained the lead at 12:25 once again thanks to Robertson. Moments after the newly acquired forward was robbed at the doorstep by Bjorkland, it was Robertson who created another chance with his perfect setup into Garrett Wilson’s wheelhouse in the high slot allowing him to blast home the go-ahead tally with his first of the season and his 59th all-time with Lehigh Valley in what was also his team-record 293rd game with the team and 891st game as a pro.

Hershey was buzzing partway through the third and finally found a tying goal on a frenetic sequence that had the Phantoms scrambling. Bears’ captain Aaron Ness connected on an open-seam pass across the ice to Spencer Smallman in the right circle who scored his second goal of the campaign at 7:56 into the final frame to forge a 3-3 tie.

Lehigh Valley had a power play with five minutes remaining in the third and developed several strong chances but Hershey and the Bears’ penalty killers battled through. The Phantoms also put the fourth-line trio back out there with two different shifts in the last two minutes in hopes of repeating the magic of 24 hours earlier when Zayde Wisdom scored a winning goal with 43.6 seconds left. Wisdom actually almost pulled it off with his shot from the left point with 10 seconds left that appeared to catch Bjorkland not fully ready but the Bears goaltender still kept the puck out to get the game to overtime.

Carson Bjarnason stood on his head with several clutch denials in the extra period to keep the Phantoms alive but ultimately, the teenage Protas would score in Round 2 of the shootout to snag the victory for the Chocolate and White

Lehigh Valley’s road trip continues on Wednesday night at the Laval Rocket and then the Phantoms have a pair of games over Halloween Weekend at the Hartford Wolf Pack.

The Phantoms retun to PPL Center in two weeks facing the Toronto Marlies on Saturday, November 8 on Phantoms Ballcap Night from Service Electric Network. Fans can also participate in a Postgame Skate with the Phantoms players presented by NJM Insurance.

Final AWAY