126714179_web1_126714179-ed50882d7c10415699b374dd3f7e8825

US men lose to Honduras, miss 3rd straight Olympic soccer

126714123_web1_126714123-28b79c1acbf6426986d6ed47afd51db0

Census data delay scrambles plans for state redistricting

The Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins had a change of venue after Friday night’s 3-1 loss to the Hershey Bears, traveling to the Hershey’s Giant Center in lieu of Mohegan Sun Arena.

Unfortunately for the Penguins, the results were the same – another 3-1 loss to the Bears decided by a late power-play goal.

The Bears wasted no time getting on the board, as Brian Pinho tipped a shot into the Penguins’ net 18 seconds into the game.

Wilkes-Barre/Scranton (5-7-3-1) settled in after the early setback, but could not solve Pheonix Copley in the first 20 minutes.

Eventually, the Penguins did break through. Midway through the second period, Nick Schilkey and Tim Schaller raced up ice on a two-on-one rush. Schilkey fed the puck to Schaller, who slammed it to the back of the net. Not only did Schaller’s goal tie the game at 1-1, it was also his 100<sup>th</sup> point in the AHL.

The Penguins and Bears proceeded to up the ante in terms of their physicality as the game wore on. Both teams punished one another with thundering hits along the boards and in open ice. Almost every whistle was followed by a scuffle and exchange of fisticuffs.

After laying out Pinho with an open-ice hit in the third period, Josh Currie dropped the gloves with Bears defenseman Martin Fehérváry.

By the time Currie was allowed to exit the penalty box for his fighting major, Jan Drozg stepped right in to serve a too many men on the ice bench minor. Hershey’s used this late-period power play to score the game’s winning goal. Max Lagacé denied a flurry of chances and then laid on his side in an attempt to cover the puck. Before the official blew the whistle, Matt Mouslon shoveled the puck out from underneath the Penguins’ goalie for the go-ahead goal with 3:07 left in regulation.

Shane Gersich wrapped things up for Hershey with an empty-net tally with 6.7 seconds left.

Lagacé notched 27 saves on 29 shots faced, while Copley deterred 26 bids for Hershey.

Wilkes-Barre/Scranton’s next game is at 7 p.m. Wednesday against the Binghamton Devils. at RWJBarnabas Health Hockey House in Newark, New Jersey. The Penguins next home game is April 10.

Penguins suffer 3-1 setback to Bears … again