AMERKS COME UP SHORT TO BEARS IN WEEKEND FINALE
Komarov scores first pro goal, Metsa records two points in 5-4 loss to Hershey
Jan 19, 2025The Rochester Americans (23-11-3-1) nearly erased a two-goal deficit in the final period, but ultimately came up short in a 5-4 defeat to the two-time defending Calder Cup champion Hershey Bears (25-11-3-0) in the weekend finale Sunday at Giant Center.
Despite suffering just their fifth regulation loss on the road this season, the Amerks have won 15 of their last 20 contests while earning at least one point in 26 of their last 34 games dating back to Oct. 23. The contest was the 468th all-time meeting between the two league’s two cornerstone franchises.
Zachary Metsa added his third tally of the campaign in the middle frame while producing an assist for a multi-point performance while rookie defenseman Vsevolod Komarov scored his first pro goal in the first period. Aleksandr Kisakov scored his third before Noah Östlund capped the goal-scoring late in the contest.
Lukas Rousek, Isak Rosén, Kale Clague, and Brett Murray each turned in assist for Rochester, which earned three out of a possible six points over its first three-game weekend of the season.
Goaltender Michael Houser (4-3-1) made his first AHL appearance since Nov. 23 and 11th of the season. The veteran netminder, who began the week in the ECHL, stopped 25 of the 30 shots he faced, which included 14 in the middle period.
FIRST PERIOD
Four minutes after Murray nearly redirected a shot past Stevenson 23 seconds into the contest, Komarov joined the rush before steering in his first goal of the season to put the Amerks up 1-0 at the 4:31 mark.
After Rosén gained the Hershey blueline in transition, he left it for a trailing Clague at the top of the zone. Clague continued the rush along the left-wing boards, and as he reached the bottom of the near circle, he centered a pass for Komarov to redirect past Stevenson as he was stationed atop the goal crease.
The Amerks continued to search for a second goal as they were outshooting the Bears by a staggering 8-2 margin, but moments after a Rochester fanned on a one-timer atop the offensive zone, Hershey tied the score at one as Strome fired a shot past Houser.
SECOND PERIOD
Shortly after surviving an early push from the Bears to begin the second period in which the home club had the first seven shots, the Amerks restored their lead at the 5:20 mark.
With Hershey applying pressure in the offensive zone, Rousek tipped a puck before it trickled down the ice. Murray won the footrace to the loose puck and caught Metsa streaking down the slot. The second-year defenseman caught the pass in stride and wired a shot past the blocker of Stevenson for his third campaign.
Roughly 10 minutes after the goal, Rochester was whistled for a high-sticking infraction, the first penalty of the contest.
While with the extra skater, Hershey’s Garrett Roe carried the puck through the offensive zone before being stopped by Houser. The rebound was loose and picked up by Luke Philp behind Rochester’s net. As the Amerks netminder attempted to shuffle to his right, he got tangled amongst the bodies in the crease, allowing former Amerk Chase Priskie to tie the game with his seventh of the season.
THIRD PERIOD
Nearly a minute after Murray was denied twice on the doorstep, Jon McDonald stepped in front of an Amerks clearing attempt. The defenseman fired a shot that glanced off Houser’s right leg and the rebound found its way to Ivan Miroshnichenko to slip into the net 1:25 into the period.
Less than a minute after seeing his fellow countryman score, Kisakov intercepted a puck atop the Rochester zone. The Russian winger carried it down the right wing before backhanding a shot onto the Bears net. While Kisakov continued his path around the net, the puck somehow eluded Stevenson and snuck inside the post to even the game at 3-3.
The game remained tied at three for 2:24 before McDonald was set-up by Brennan Saulnier while in-transition. The second-year blueliner, who made it an odd-man rush to enter the Rochester zone, collected the pass and blasted his first AHL goal over Houser’s shoulder to give the Bears a 4-3 advantage with 14:02 left in regulation.
The Amerks tried to erase the one-goal deficit as they had a few chances inside the offensive zone, but after blocking a shot just inside the blueline, Grant Cruikshank seized control of the puck. The Hershey forward sped off on a breakaway from center ice, and as he reached the top of the circles, he snapped a shot past Houser to double the Bears’ lead.
Facing a 5-3 deficit with nine minutes left in regulation, the Ameks pulled within one shortly after Houser was summoned to the bench for the extra attacker as Östlund beat Stevenson on the short side with 3:10 to play.
Rochester continued to press to find the equalizer and push the contest beyond regulation for the second time in the last three games. With the face-off inside the Bears zone and Houser on the bench again, the visitors had several shots on the net, but the effort came up just short.
UP NEXT
The Amerks set out on the New England portion of their four-game swing through the Atlantic Division on Friday, Jan. 24 when they meet the Providence Bruins for the first time this season at Amica Mutual Pavilion. Game time is slated for a 7:05 p.m. start and will be carried live on The Sports Leader 95.7 FM/950 AM The Fan Rochester as well as AHLTV on FloHockey.
Goal Scorers
ROC: V. Komarov (1), Z. Metsa (3), A. Kisakov (3), N. Östlund (2)
HER: M. Strome (3), C. Priskie (7), I. Miroshnichenko (8), J. McDonald (1), G. Cruikshank (4)
Goaltenders
ROC: M. Houser – 25/30 (L)
HER: C. Stevenson – 29/33 (W)
Shots
ROC: 30
HER: 33
Special Teams
ROC: PP (0/0) | PK (0/1)
HER: PP (1/1) | PK (0/0)
Three Stars:
1. HER - J. McDonald
2. HER - B. Saulnier
3. HER - G. Cruikshank