Gaucher Scores Winner at Hershey

Petersen 29 Saves Backstops Hard-Fought 2-1 Rivalry Win

October 30, 2024

Hershey, PA – Jacob Gaucher (3rd) sniped from a sharp-angle at the bottom of the right circle with 11:04 remaining in the third period to break a 1-1 tie and the Lehigh Valley Phantoms hung on from there to post an exciting 2-1 victory at the defending champion Hershey Bears on Wednesday night.

Lehigh Valley (2-3-2) picked up the victory in the first of ten meetings between the Pennsylvania foes also receiving a goal from defenseman Helge Grans (1st) early in the contest. The Phantoms won for the first time since Opening Night on October 12 against Hartford while also ending Hershey’s four-game win streak and six-game point streak. It was also the first meeting between the two teams since Hershey ended Lehigh Valley’s postseason run on May 11 in Game 4 of the Division Semifinals in Allentown.

Gaucher’s a hockey player by day, but an artist by night 🎨🖌️#LVvsHER | #LVPhantoms pic.twitter.com/l55QoDIdex

— Lehigh Valley Phantoms (@LVPhantoms) October 31, 2024

Petersen and the Phantoms’ defense and penalty kill came up with several big stops and blocks in the gritty and hard-fought effort in which the Phantoms were outshot for only the second time this season. When their backs were to the wall that’s when the Phantoms came through with some of their biggest plays. In so doing, the Phantoms pinned the first loss of the season on reigning AHL Goaltender of the Year Hunter Shepard who had started the season with a 5-0-0 mark.

Grans opened the scoring off some nifty work by Anthony Richard and Olle Lycksell. The defenseman muscled his way to the slot from the left point while holding off Bogdan Trineyev on his left hip. When Richard retrieved a missed shot at the end-boards who smartly connected with the onrushing defenseman whose right-handed shot was open to bury just his second goal as a Lehigh Valley Phantom in two years.

Hershey (6-2-1) picked up its only goal of the night on a weird looking floater or knuckler offered from the left point by defenseman Jake Massie (1st) whose awkward shot somehow tumbled over the right shoulder of a partially screened Petersen while forward Garrett Roe was trying to get a piece in front. Massie’s equalizer at 16:05 evened the count at 1-1.

Early in the second period came one of several chances for Hershey to take the lead but Grans was there to save the day. After rotating to his right to make a big save, Petersen was…