The Hershey Bears beat the visiting Coachella Valley Firebirds 5-2 on Sunday to even their Calder Cup Finals series at a game apiece.
The teams will head to California for Game 3.
Coachella Valley’s Luke Henman scored his first of the postseason to get the Firebirds within a goal early in the second period, and teammate Marian Studenic did the same just 17 seconds into the third period to cut the Bears’ lead to 3-2. But Hershey restored the two-goal advantage nine minutes later and tacked on an empty netter.
Top Kraken prospect Shane Wright, who returned from a lower-body injury for Friday’s Game 1, had the primary assist on Studenic’s tally and once again tied for the team lead in shots on goal with four. Coachella Valley goaltender Chris Driedger made 16 saves. The Firebirds put 34 shots on Hershey’s Hunter Shepard.
The Firebirds, the Seattle Kraken’s top affiliate, will host the next three tilts of the best-of-seven American Hockey League championship series, starting with Game 3 on Tuesday night.
HIGH SCHOOLS
• The WIAA Executive Committee approved a format change for state wrestling and announced the Tacoma Dome will remain the host of Mat Classic for at least the next four years.
The regional round of the state tournament, typically held the weekend before Mat Classic at various sites, will no longer exist. The entire state tournament will now take place at the Tacoma Dome.
The number of wrestlers that will compete at the Tacoma Dome for each classification will double.
To accommodate the extra matches, Mat Classic will take place over three days instead of two.
MINORS
• Jason Vosler went 4 for 6 with a home run and five RBI to power the visiting Rainiers (39-30) past Round Rock 13-3.
• The AquaSox (31-31) slugged four home runs to beat Eugene 8-5.
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