Lehigh Valley Phantoms’ season ends after falling to Hershey Bears in Game 5 of Atlantic Division semifinals

The Lehigh Valley Phantoms’ season has come to an end — and with it their hopes of winning the Calder Cup championship — with a 4-2 loss Sunday to the Hershey Bears at the Giant Center in Game 5 of the Atlantic Division Semifinals.

With the win, Hershey moves on to the Atlantic Division Finals, where the Bears face the Charlotte Checkers. The Bears are the two-time defending Calder Cup champions.

The Bears scored early and often Sunday, and were able to hold off a late Phantoms rally.

Spencer Smallman led off the scoring for the Bears, knocking in a goal just five minutes into the game. The Bears doubled their lead to 2-0 just before the end of the first period on a Riley Sutter goal.

Sutter scored again in the second period to pad the Bears’ lead to 3-0.

The Phantoms struck back in the third period with an Anthony Richard goal. They made it a rally with just over 6 minutes left to play when Hunter McDonald scored. But the Bears dashed their hopes just over the 2-minute mark when Bogdan Trineyev scored an empty-net goal.

The winner-take-all game Sunday between the Phantoms and Bears brought back memories of the 2017 Atlantic Division Semifinals. In that series, Lehigh Valley tied the series 2-2, setting up a Game 5 that the Bears won 3-2.

This time, it was the Phantoms that were in a prime position to advance, leading the series 2-1 heading into Game 4 Friday at PPL Center in Allentown. However, the Bears got off to a fast 3-0 lead, before holding off two rallies by the Phantoms to win 6-4.

After falling in the semifinal opener at Hershey, the Phantoms came back to take Game 2 at Hershey. Their momentum continued before a home crowd in Game 3, taking the lead in the series.

The Phantoms went 5-4-1 against Hershey during the regular season and are now 7-7-1 against the Bears in the regular season and postseason combined. Lehigh Valley entered the Calder Cup Playoffs as the fifth seed, while the Bears again won the Atlantic Division.

The loss ends the Phantoms’ latest quest for a Calder Cup title. While the team did win it twice as the Philadelphia Phantoms — in 1998 and 2005 — it has yet to do so since moving to the Lehigh Valley.

Charlotte, Hershey’s opponent in the Atlantic Division Finals, also won a decisive Game 5 on Sunday, defeating the Providence Bruins 5-2 to advance.

This story will be updated.

Lehigh Valley Phantoms 2, Hershey Bears 4

Sunday, May 11, 2025: Giant Center, Hershey

Lehigh Valley 0 0 2 – 2

Hershey 2 1 1 – 4

1st Period: 1, Hershey, Smallman 2 (Limoges, Lapierre), 5:19. 2, Hershey, Sutter 1 (Strome, Philp), 16:13. Penalties-Philp, Her (cross-checking), 2:58; Sutter, Her (tripping), 7:13

2nd Period: 3, Hershey, Sutter 2 (Roe, Massie), 13:09. Penalties-Wilson, LV (high-sticking), 2:29; Richard, LV (high-sticking), 14:00

3rd Period: 4, Lehigh Valley, Richard 4 (Andrae), 2:08 (PP). 5, Lehigh Valley, McDonald 1 (Luchanko, Belpedio), 14:03. 6, Hershey, Trineyev 3 (Strome, Iorio), 18:20 (EN). Penalties-Trineyev, Her (high-sticking), 1:00; Belpedio, LV (roughing), 2:29; Smith, LV (roughing), 2:29; Andrae, LV (cross-checking), 4:26; Richard, LV (misconduct – unsportsmanlike conduct), 20:00

Shots on Goal: Lehigh Valley 9-3-9-21. Hershey 8-9-5-22

Power Play Opportunities: Lehigh Valley 1 / 3; Hershey 0 / 5

Goalies: Lehigh Valley, Petersen 1-2 (21 shots-18 saves). Hershey, Shepard 2-2 (21 shots-19 saves)

Attendance: 10,421

Referees: Graedy Hamilton (41), Liam Maaskant (45)

Linespersons: Brandon Grillo (75), Ryan Jackson (84)