WBS Penguins Win Fifth Straight; Shutout Hershey
By: Mike O'Brien
Updated: November 5, 2011
The Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins made it five wins in a row, blanking the Hershey Bears, 4-0, on Friday night at the Mohegan Sun Arena at Casey Plaza. Joey Mormina tallied a pair of goals and goaltender Brad Thiessen stopped 19 shots to help Wilkes-Barre Scranton gather its first home win of the year.
For the sixth straight game, the Penguins picked up the first goal and struck early in doing so. Colin McDonald's redirect of Alex Grant's pass banked off the skate of Hershey defenseman Patrick McNeill and inside the near post at 2:47 of the period.
Mormina then put Wilkes-Barre/Scranton up, 2-0, with 1:45 left in the first when the blueliner worked in behind the net and was able to knock in the rebound from his initial wraparound attempt.
Wilkes-Barre/Scranton made the score 3-0 just 46 seconds in the middle period after some good offensive pressure from Hershey. The Penguins would counterattack and McDonald quickly led Jason Williams for a breakaway and a backhand shot over the shoulder of Dany Sabourin. Braden Holtby would come into the game in relief of Sabourin, who finished with 10 saves on 13 shots.
With the Bears trying to get on the board on a late power play, Thiessen gave a loose puck to Mormina at his goal line, where he sent a shot the length of the ice into the empty net.
Thiessen's victory was also the fifth straight for the goaltender and his second shutout of the season.
The Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins head to Binghamton to face the Senators on Saturday, November 5 at 7:05 PM.
