GAME STORY 2023 Calder Cup Finals Game 5: Coachella Valley - 0 at Hershey - 1 (OT)

HERSHEY, Pa. - The 2023 Calder Cup Finals has been a war of attrition.

After dropping the first two games of the series in California, the Hershey Bears rallied on home ice - winning three straight games including Saturday night's Game Five to put the Coachella Valley Firebirds on the brink and draw themselves to one win away from the Bears' franchise's 12th league championship.

It was quite the goaltender's duel between Hunter Shepard (21-save shutout) and Joey Daccord (30 saves - 31 shots) in a game that needed overtime for the second time in the three contests in Hershey.

The first period was a good, back-and-forth and fairly evenly played 20 minutes of hockey.

The two teams traded power plays in the opening half of the period, but there wasn't much to be had in terms of scoring chances.

As the middle frame wore on, the Bears seemed to have the fresher legs and out-shot the Firebirds 13-7 in the period. But credit to Daccord for standing in and making several key saves to get the scoreless tie into the third period.

It felt almost inevitable that the Bears would eventually break through and get one as the two teams came back out onto the ice for the third period.

As the scoreless tie entered the final 10 minutes of regulation, the intensity began to ramp up with every passing shift.

It only continued when the teams headed to overtime, still in a scoreless tie.

In the overtime, the Bears willed their way to a big 1-0 win to take the series lead after an incredible keep in at the left point by Logan Day.

Day was tied up by a Firebirds' forward and fell, but Mason Morelli picked up the puck and got it to Pilon before heading to the net and screening Daccord just as Pilon lasered a wrist shot to the top shelf to give the Bears a 3-2 series lead.

Coachella Valley Firebirds Lineup Notes

Joey Daccord got the start in Game 2 for Coachella Valley, with Chris Driedger serving as the Firebirds' backup.

No changes to the lineup for the Firebirds again in Game 5.

Firebirds Scratches: Christopher Gibson, Jake McLaughlin, Peetro Seppala, Nick Pastujov, Luke Henman, Ian McKinnon, Ty Nelson, Ryan Winterton, Ville Ottavainen, Jeremy McKenna and Jacob Melanson

Lines/Pairings:

Max McCormick - Alex True - Kole Lind Tye Kartye - Andrew Poturalski - Jesper Froden Cameron Hughes - Ville Petman - John Hayden Carsen Twarynski - Shane Wright - Austin Poganski

Gustav Olofsson - Matt Tennyson Ryker Evans - Brogan Rafferty Eddie Wittchow - Jimmy Schuldt

Joey Daccord - Chris Driedger

Hershey Bears Lineup Notes

Hunter Shepard got the start in net for Hershey in Game 2 of the Calder Cup Finals. Zach Fucale served as Shepard's backup.

No lineup changes from Game 2 to Game 3 for Hershey.

Bears Scratches:  Garin Bjorklund, Clay Stevenson, Jake Massie, Shane Gersich, Alexander Suzdalev, Julian Napravnik, Bogdan Trineyev, Mike Sgarbossa, Benton Maass, Michael Kim, Ludwig Persson, Bobby Nardella, Henrik Rybinski and Matt Strome

Lines/Pairings:

Mike Vecchione - Henrik Borgstrom - Ethen Frank Joe Snively - Connor McMichael - Garrett Pilon Aliaksei Protas - Hendrix Lapierre - Sam Anas Beck Malenstyn - Riley Sutter - Mason Morelli

Aaron Ness - Logan Day Gabriel Carlsson - Dylan McIlrath Lucas Johansen - Vincent Iorio

Hunter Shepard - Zach Fucale

GAME SUMMARY

1st Period

5:54: CV - (PP) Evans, minor (interference) 9:34: HER - (PP) Johansen, minor (slashing)

2nd Period

9:21: CV - (PP) Lind, minor (cross-checking) 12:14: HER - (PP) Lapierre, minor (slashing) 14:22: CV - (PP) bench minor, too many men (served by Froden)

3rd Period

3:55: HER - (PP) McMichael, minor (interference)

Overtime

1:36: CV - (PP) Tennyson, minor (hooking) 7:54: CV - (PP) Olofsson, minor (hooking) 10:01: HER - Pilon (4) - Morelli, Day

BOXSCORE

Coachella Valley 0 - 0 - 0 - 0 = 0 Hershey Bears   0 - 0 - 0 - 1 = 1

Shots

Coachella Valley 6 - 7 - 7 - 1 = 21 Hershey Bears   8 - 13 - 3 - 7 = 31

Goalies

CV: Joey Daccord (30 saves - 31 shots) HER: Hunter Shepard (21 saves - 21 shots)

Power Play

CV: 0-for-3 HER: 0-for-5

Penalty Kill

CV: 5-for-5 HER: 3-for-3