The Belleville Senators wrapped up their long-weekend swing by welcoming back the Hershey Bears, winning a hard-fought 3-1 battle.
The game started with plenty of chances, but a late goal by the Bears with 16 seconds left in the period set the tone. Driving into the zone on the far side, Ivan Miroshnichenko fed Louie Belpedio, whose shot deflected off a skate and in for a 1-0 lead.
The second period had a similar finish, with the Senators knotting the contest late. A faceoff win by Philippe Daoust allowed Lassi Thomson to create space for a shot that produced a rebound right to Olle Lycksell for his ninth goal of the season, tying the game 1-1. In the period, Belleville outshot Hershey 10-9, carrying strong momentum into the third and final frame.
Just over eight minutes into the third, the Senators took the lead. Wyatt Bongiovanni scored his twelfth goal of the season on a perfect shot off a pass from Lassi Thomson to put Belleville ahead 2-1. It remained a close game until the end, but Philippe Daoust buried an empty-net tally to seal the 3-1 victory.
Belleville will have some time away from Hershey until March 14th for the first of a back-to-back on the road at the Giant Center with the puck coming down at 7:00 p.m.
The Senators will take tomorrow off and reset before hosting the Syracuse Crunch (AHL affiliate of the Tampa Bay Lightning) on Wednesday night inside CAA Arena. The puck drops at 6:00 p.m. for another Winning Wednesday.