By Michael Heilman

The Lehigh Valley Phantoms headed to the Giant Center to take on the Hershey Bears in the “home and home” finale. The Phantoms defeated the Bears 3-2 Saturday night at the PPL Center and were looking to finish the weekend on a positive note.

The Phantoms struck first fourteen minutes and thirty-two seconds into the first period as Greg Carey made a crossing pass to Kyle Criscuolo, who then shot the puck to the top of the right corner for the goal to put the Phantoms up 1-0. Greg Carey (5) assisted with Criscuolo’s goal. Kyle Criscuolo’s latest goal gives him four goals for the season. The Phantoms headed to the locker room with a 1-0 lead at the end of the first period.

The Bears answered back three minutes and forty-two seconds into the second period as Philippe Maillet (2) rebounded the puck and scored to tie the game at 1-1. Matt Moulson (6), and Martin Fehervary (6) assisted with Marillet’s goal. With seven minutes and thirty-six seconds left in the second period, the Phantoms would retake the lead as Maksim Sushko passed the puck to Morgan Frost, who then shot the puck under the legs of Bears goalie Vitek Vanecek for the goal to give the Phantoms a 2-1 lead. Morgan Frost now has five goals for the season. Maksim Sushko (3), and David Kase (1) assisted in Frost’s goal. The Phantoms headed to the locker room with a 2-1 lead at the end of the second period.

With under three minutes left to play in the third period, the Bears tied the game up once again 2-2, as Steve Whitney (2) scored. Chris McCarthy (2) and Liam O’Brien (1) assisted with Whitney’s goal. Both teams headed to overtime tied 2-2.

There were no goals scored in overtime, which meant they were headed to a shootout. The Bears Mike Sgarbossa scored the game-winning goal to give the Hershey Bears a 3-2 win over the Lehigh Valley Phantoms.

The Phantoms had a total of twenty-seven shots on goals while the Bears had thirty-eight. The Phantoms were zero for three on the power play while the Bears were one for five. Phantoms goalie Jean-Francois Berube saved thirty-five shots out of thirty-eight, allowing two goals while Bears goalie Vitek Vanecek made twenty-five saves out of twenty-seven shots allowing two goals.

The three stars of the game were Phantoms goalie Jean-Francois Berube, who made thirty-five saves. Bears right-winger Steve Whitney scored one goal, and Bears center Philippe Maillet who had one goal.

The Phantoms return to action Wednesday morning at 10:35 am against the Springfield Thunderbirds at MassMutual Center.