Bridgeport Season Ends in Game Two Loss to Hershey Bears
Apr 23, 2026Hershey, PA— The Bridgeport Islanders were down in a best of three series heading into game two inside the Giant Center in Hershey, Pennsylvania on Thursday night. It was a must-win game for the team to push the series to a final game three on Saturday in Bridgeport.
Despite tying the game in the middle frame, Hershey answered with two goals in the second period and ultimately skated away with the victory and the series with a 5-2 win.
In the opening period, Hershey struck first to make it 1-0 after Andrew Cristall found the back of the net on goaltender Marcus Hogberg. In the second period, Matt Luff tied the game on the powerplay after his wrist shot went off the post and in past Clay Stevenson at 1:07 assisted by Marshall Warren and Pierrick Dube. With the game at 1-1, the Bears scored to make it 2-1 after Marcus Hogberg was run into, he was unable to make a save when the rebound was put in by Sam Bitten at 10:55. Hershey forward, Cristall scored his second of the game, this time on a breakaway, at 12:44 putting the Isles down 3-1.
In the third period, Cal Ritchie got on the board at 9:57 with a wrist shot that beat Stevenson bringing the game to a 3-2 affair. The Bears added an empty net goal at 17:57 and again at 18:26 to seal the victory and end the season of the Bridgeport Islanders.
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