Friday, February 2, 7:05 p.m.
PPL Center, Allentown, PA
Lehigh Valley (17-17-7) vs. Hershey (35-7-2)
TONIGHT
The Lehigh Valley Phantoms and Hershey Bears continue their rivalry series with the second game of a back-to-back at PPL Center. The I-78 rivals also played on Wednesday in Allentown as Hershey rallied from a 2-1 deficit to secure a 4-2 win. Tonight is Game 4 of six consecutive home games for the Phantoms. It is also Game 9 out of 12 in the season series against the crew from Chocolatetown.
This weekend represents our celebration of “10 Years in the Valley” for the Phantoms who arrived in Allentown and played their first game at PPL Center in 2014. Tonight is Phantoms Premier Member Appreciation Night and Saturday’s game against the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins will feature an alumni reunion including the return of Colin McDonald, Sam Morin and more!
LAST TIME
Adam Ginning had two nice assists on back-to-back 4-on-4 goals in the second period for Cooper Marody (10th) and Ronnie Attard (9th) but the Hershey Bears rallied with three goals in the third period for a 4-2 win at PPL Center on Wednesday. Former Phantoms forward Mike Vecchione scored two goals for Hershey including the game-winner with 6:19 remaining. Jimmy Huntington tied the game early in the third period and Pierrick Dube (23rd) put the game away with a length-of-the-ice empty-netter with 2:04 remaining.
KILE JOINS
Forward Alex Kile has joined the Lehigh Valley Phantoms for the first time since the preseason. The 29-year-old forward from the University of Michigan is leading the ECHL with 23 goals and is second in points with 48 in just 39 games. Kile has played in 46 career games with the Phantoms over the last two seasons scoring 6-5-11. One of his most recent games with the Phantoms was February 18, 2023 when he earned first Star of the Game honors with two go-ahead goals in the third period in a see-saw 4-3 victory over Wilkes-Barre/Scranton.
RONNIE IN THE CLUTCH
Attard has had a knack for goals in big moments of recent.
The last four goals he has scored have all been tying or winning goals. 3 of his last 4 goals have come in the 3rd period or overtime:
- Dec 13 vs. Charlotte – Overtime winner
- Jan 6 at W-B/Scranton – Tying goal with 10:26 left in 3rd period (LV won in OT)
- Jan 13 vs. Hershey – Tying goal with 10:38 left in 3rd period (LV won in SO)
- Jan 20 at Cleveland – Tying goal 2-2 in 2nd period (LV won 4-3)
- Jan 31 vs. Hershey – Go ahead goal 2-1 in 2nd period
PHANTASTIC!
- Cooper Marody (10-26-36) became the third Phantom to reach double digits in goals. Lehigh Valley’s leading point producer is fourth in the conference in assists. On the power play, Marody has scored 3-15-18 and rates third in the AHL in PP assists.
- Samu Tuomaala (12-22-34) is second among AHL rookies in points and third in assists.
- Tuomaala had a four-game point streak (1-4-5) snapped on Wednesday. He also has points in six of the last eight games (2-5-7)
- The Phantoms went 4-for-7 on the power play last weekend but then had an 0-for-5 night on Wednesday. The Phantoms are sixth in the league at 21.1%.
- The Phantoms are tied for second in the league with 12 overtime games trailing only Rochester who has played in 13 overtime contests. The Phantoms went to overtime on 4 occasions in January in 10 total games
- The Phantoms record when:
– Score 4 or more goals: 12-0-2
– Allow 3 or fewer goals: 13-3-3
– Lead After 1st period: 7-1-2
– Lead After 2nd period: 11-2-1
– One-Goal Games: 11-3-7
– Overtime: 4-5 / Shootout: 1-2
RIVALRY SERIES CONTINUES
Hershey (35-7-2) is rolling again on a six-game win streak and nine-game point streak (7-0-2). Hershey won in Allentown on Wednesday 4-2 but the Phantoms got the better of the Bears in the previous encounter on January 13 via J.R. Avon’s winning goal in the fourth round of the shootout after Ronnie Attard tied the game with 10:28 remaining.
The first-place Bears have gone 6-1-1 overall against the Phantoms this season and Lehigh Valley is 2-4-2 against Hershey. Three of the eight meetings have gone to overtime. Since November 15, the Bears have gone an incredible 26-3-2. Hershey is on pace to break the AHL record for most wins in a 72-game season (51 by Calgary Wranglers) and the Bears’ .818 points percentage has them ahead of the AHL record .775 season of the Binghamton Rangers in 1992-93.
Clay Stevenson (16-5-1, 1.69, .938) is the runaway favorite for Baz Bastien Memorial Award honors for the AHL’s top goaltender as the first-year AHL’er easily paces the circuit in GAA and save percentage along with his league-leading six shutouts. Veteran Mike Sgarbossa (7-34-41) leads the AHL in assists and Pierrck Dube (23-7-30) is second in goals.
Phantoms Scoring Leaders
Cooper Marody 10-26-36
Samu Tuomaala 12-22-34
x – Olle Lycksell 16-12-28
Tanner Laczynski 8-18-26
Ronnie Attard 9-13-22
Emil Andrae 4-18-22
Bears Scoring Leaders
Mike Sgarbossa 7-34-41
Ethen Frank 20-14-34
Joe Snively 9-25-34
Pierrick Dube 23-9-32
Alex Limgoes 10-18-28
SPECIAL TEAMS
Lehigh Valley PP, 21.1% (6th) / Lehigh Valley PK 80.0% (23rd)
Hershey PP 22.4% (4th) / Hershey PK 87.3% (1st)
Lehigh Valley vs. HER PP – 3/31, 9.7%
Hershey PP vs. LV – 3/30, 10.0%
HEAD-TO-HEAD LEADERS
Lehigh Valley
Cooper Marody 2-3-5
Olle Lycksell 2-2-4
Adam Ginning 1-3-4
Garrett Wilson 1-3-4
Ronnie Attard 2-1-3
Emil Andrae 0-3-3
Hershey
Pierrick Dube 5-2-7
Ivan Miroshnichenko 1-5-6
Bogdan Trineyev 2-3-5
Mike Sgarbossa 1-4-5
Mike vecchione 4-0-4
Logan Day 1-3-4
Clay Stevenson 4-1-0, 1.20, .957
SEASON SERIES
Oct. 28 – L – Lehigh Valley 0 at Hershey 4
Nov. 1 – OTL – Lehigh Valley 3 at Hershey 4 OT
Nov. 11 – L – Hershey 2 at Lehigh Valley 0
Nov. 12 – W – Lehigh Valley 4 at Hershey 1
Dec. 30 – L – Hershey 4 at Lehigh Valley 0
Jan. 7 – OTL – Lehigh Valley 2 at Hershey 3 OT
Jan. 13 – SOW – Hershey 3 at Lehigh Valley 4 SO
Jan. 31 – L – Hershey 4 at Lehigh Valley 2
Feb. 2 Hershey at Lehigh Valley
Mar. 3 Hershey at Lehigh Valley 3:05 pm
Apr. 2 Lehigh Valley at Hershey
Apr. 12 Lehigh Valley at Hershey
UP NEXT
The celebration continues on our “10 Years in the Valley Weekend” as the Phantoms take on the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins including an alumni reunion featuring the return of popular Phantoms such as Colin McDonald, Sam Morin and more!
Phantoms Tickets are available HERE
UPCOMING
Friday, February 2 (7:05) – Hershey at Lehigh Valley – 10th Anniversary Celebration Weekend
Saturday, February 3 (7:05) – Wilkes-Barre/Scranton at Lehigh Valley – 10th Anniversary Celebration Weekend – Alumni Reunion with Colin McDonald, Sam Morin and More!
Sunday, February 4 and Monday, February 5 – AHL All-Star Classic in San Jose, Cal. Samu Tuomaala will represent the Phantoms on the Atlantic Division All-Stars.
Friday, February 9 (7:05) – Wilkes-Barre/Scranton at Lehigh Valley
