Hershey Bears win 12th Calder Cup in thrilling overtime Game 7 victory over Coachella Valley Firebirds
PALM DESERT, Calif. (WHTM) — The 13 year title drought is over as the Hershey Bears defeat Coachella Valley 3-2 in overtime of Game 7 of the 2023 Calder Cup Finals. Hershey wins its 12th Calder Cup, its first since the team went back to back in 2009 and 2010.
The assistant captain Mike Vecchione scores the game winning goal 16:19 into overtime. It is the third overtime win for the Bears in the 2023 Calder Cup Finals.
Things didn’t look promising for Hershey after the Firebirds quickly took the lead less than five minutes into the game. Rookie Ryker Evans scores through traffic just 4:40 into the first period.
Coachella Valley outshot Hershey 17-12 in the first period dominating the chances.
Hershey never had a chance to get their legs in the second period, before Coachella Valley scores again just 24 seconds in. The goal from Max McCormick immediately shifted the mentality in the period coming out of the locker room.
The Bears wouldn’t attempt a shot for the middle eight minutes of the second period. Hershey awarded a power play where Connor McMichael shows the first signs of life in the period, scoring to pull within a goal 2-1 with 6:08 to play in the second.
Time winding down in the period before the Washington Capitals top prospect Hendrix Lapierre ties the game up at 2-2 just before the second intermission.
In the third period, Hershey appeared to dominate the chances. Bears would be awarded two power plays in the third, but can’t score on either chance. The Bears were 1-for-4 overall in Game 7 on power play chances. Hershey outshot the Firebirds 9-4 in the frame, but neither team scores.
So Game 7 of the Calder Cup Finals went to overtime, where assistant captain Mike Vecchione scores the game winning goal.
When a team trails 0-2 in the Calder Cup Finals, that is 3-44 in winning the overall title. Hershey did it once in 2010 to win the team’s 11th Cup, storming back against Texas with four straight wins after trailing 0-2. The Bears did it a second time 13 years later to win their 12th title.
The Firebirds took an early 2-0 series lead after Games 1 and 2 by outscoring the Bears 9-0 combined on CV’s home ice. The Bears roared back with three straight wins in Hershey to take the Finals series lead 3-2.
With the Calder Cup Finals returning to Palm Desert, Coachella Valley faced elimination in Game 6. The Firebirds dominated 5-2 in the blowout win over the Bears to force a Game 7.
These are live updates from the abc27 Sports team from Game 7 of the 2023 Calder Cup Finals.
In the AHL’s Calder Cup history, if a team goes up 2-0, that team is 44-3 in going on to win the Calder Cup. Hershey came back from down 0-2 to win the team’s 2010 Calder Cup title.
That was the last time Hershey has won the league championship, and will look to break a 13-year title drought in Game 7.
Puck drops in Game 7 at 10 p.m. EST inside Acrisure Arena in Palm Desert, California.
Source: ABC27
