Before The Black Bears vs Dashers H.C. 12/13 & 12/14

BINGHAMTON- This weekend, the Black Bears make their first trip to Illinois as they prepare for two games with the Dashers. The last time these two teams met in the Visions Veterans Memorial Arena, the Black Bears skated away with the 6-4 victory. The night was an offensive barrage capped off with a hat trick from Black Bears captain Tyson Kirkby. The game also had multi-point performances from C.J. Stubbs, Cam Clark, and Scott Ramaekers. The power plays were the highlight early as both teams connected twice on the man advantage. The Black Bears will be looking to grab six more points from a struggling Dashers team.

Binghamton is back on the road this week after a split last weekend against the Port Huron Prowlers. During the first night, The Black Bears could not find a way to stop the Prowler even-strength offense, surrendering five goals. Port Huron never trailed Binghamton and was able to propel themselves to a 5-3 victory. The next night proved to be a different story as the Black Bears seemed to come out with some extra gas in the tank. The season debut of Josh Fletcher provided the spark Coach Sherwood was looking for from his team. Cam Clark scored a hat trick with the first tally being the celebrated “teddy bear toss goal”. Binghamton would also get goals from Kyle Stephan and Don Olivieri cruising to a 5-3 victory. Black Bears enter this matchup 14-3-1, good for first in the Empire Division with 40 points.

The Dashers have had a rough go of it as of late, only securing one win during the season. The team spent last week hosting the Monroe Moccasin in which they dropped both games by a single score. The first night Brandon Stocevski scored two goals and the Dashers had a lead late in the third period. However, two late goals from the Moccasins proved too costly as the Dashers dropped the game 5-4. The next night was a tougher match in which the Dashers just couldn’t find the equalizing goal they desperately needed. They came close in the third, cutting the lead to one but Monroe would slam the door leading to a 4-3 defeat for the Dashers. The Dashers come into this matchup 1-13-2, last in the Empire Division, with 5 points.

Players To Watch

Black Bears - Gavin Yates (F) - Yates has been the backbone of this franchise since he arrived during the inaugural season. The veteran forward is second on the team in scoring with 18 points and tied for third in assists with 12. Yates has done nothing but produce for this team and it’s the reason he was named Playoff MVP last season.

Black Bears - Dan Wieber (D) -  The second-year defenseman has always brought a rock-solid, steady presence to the blueline and this season is no outlier. Wieber continues to provide shutdown defense but has also shown flashes of offensive poise in the way he controls the puck. While Wieber does not have as many points as the other defensemen he still finds a way to contribute to scoring night in and night out while maintaining a shutdown wall on the blue line.

Dashers - Brandon Stojcevski (F) - Stojcevski has been a nice find for the Dasher as he leads the team in points with twenty-one. The forward spent last season with the Danbury Hat Tricks and is only four goals away from matching the season total during that time. Stojcevski has been a bright spot for what has otherwise been a very tough season for the Dashers

Series Statistic

The Black Bears’ penalty kill will be the key to this series as the team only allowed one power play goal to the Prowlers last weekend. The last time these two squads met the power plays were off and running early leading to a close game through two periods. The Black Bears will look to limit the opportunity to allow the Dashers’ offense to get going and create chances. The team will look to its strong blue line with names such as Dakota Bohn, Dan Stone, and Dan Wieber leading the way.

December 13, 8:05 pm at the David S. Palmer Arena (Danville, IL.)

December 14, 8:05 pm at the David S. Palmer Arena (Danville, IL.)

You can watch both games on the Binghamton Black Bears YouTube channel.

Hockey season is back! Call the Black Bears office at 607-722-7367 or stop into the third-floor hockey offices of Visions Veterans Memorial Arena. Fans can secure their seat for all 28 home games next year and save up to 30% on tickets. Stay current with the latest team news by visiting www.binghamtonblackbears.com and by following the Black Bears all year long on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Tik Tok @BlackBearsFPHL.