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Calder Cup: Firebirds force Game 7 with a 5-2 win at home

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June 19, 2023 11:39 PM
Published 11:06 AM

We're going 7! The Coachella Valley Firebirds beat the Hershey Bears 4-2 in Game 6 of the Calder Cup Finals.

The win means we're going to a Game 7 on Wednesday at Acrisure Arena. This will be a winner-take-all to end the Calder Cup Finals.

Blake Arthur and Bailey Arredondo will have highlights and post-game reaction coming up at 10 and 11 p.m.

You'll be able to watch Game 7 live on Fox 11!

Stay with News Channel 3 for full coverage on the Firebirds Quest for the Calder Cup.

Third Period

Kole Lind scored his second goal of the night to put the Firebirds up 5-2.

Second Period

The Hershey Bears scored early in the second period to make it a one-score game. The Firebirds lead 3-2.

The Firebirds regained a two-goal lead thanks to a goal by Kole Lind with an assist by goalkeeper Joey Daccord. The Firebirds are up 4-2.

First Period

The Bears scored within the first two minutes of the first period.

The Firebirds came back swinging, scoring two goals within a few minutes of each other to take the lead.

Max McCormick tied the game up 1-1. It's McCormick's 13th goal of the playoffs.

John Hayden put the Firebirds up 2-1 with his first goal of the playoffs.

Cameron Hughes put the birds up 3-1 as the first period was wrapping up.

The quest for the Calder Cup has returned to the desert for Game 6. A Coachella Valley Firebirds win would keep the championship push alive; a loss would end the historic inaugural season.

On Monday morning, the Firebirds held practice back on home ice at Acrisure Arena.

Coachella Valley Firebirds Jimmy Schuldt talked with News Channel 3 after practice. As the team returns to the arena, he said, “We’re looking forward to really loud crowds.” A loud crowd will be there. Monday night's game is sold out at Acrisure Arena.

MORE: 'Gonna bring our best;' Firebirds look to bounce back in Calder Cup series with return home

Fans can still watch live on FOX 11. Coverage starts at 6:30 p.m. Puck drop is set for 7 p.m.

"I think we've just kind of learned how to deal with it throughout the playoffs," Schuldt said as he shared how the team is coping with the pressure of Monday's game. "We've done a lot of really high-pressure situations."

"I think we're focused and ready to go," Coachella Valley Firebirds Coach Dan Bylsma told News Channel 3. "In our journey in playoffs, we've had similar circumstances, similar challenges. Facing elimination game in round one and round two and games four and five. And again in the next round and game five against Calgary."

This game calls for all-out desperation and urgency and having your back against the wall kind of brings that out in our team.

Coachella Valley Firebirds Coach Dan Bylsma

Bylsma plans to use the power of the packed arena as part of the home-ice advantage. "It's been an extra person on the ice for us all year long," Bylsma said. "Our fans have been great, the energy in the building's been great. We're going to have 10,000 here on the ice with us urging us on and use that energy, use that excitement, and put it into put into the game plan."

News Channel 3's family of stations are broadcast partners of the Coachella Valley Firebirds. The stations have brought you live games and exclusive coverage throughout the season. Through this partnership, viewers in Coachella Valley have been able to watch every game in the Calder Cup series live on local broadcast stations.

News Channel 3 Sports Director Blake Arthur traveled to Hershey, Pennslyvania to cover Game 3, Game 4, and Game 5 of the series.

https://youtu.be/Uphi6t_ibho

The team returned to the Coachella Valley on Sunday, greeted by fans who waited for hours to show their appreciation for their favorite players.

https://youtu.be/cZK6aszqKlg

As the team battles the Hershey Bears, the Firebirds are calling for a boycott of chocolate through the end of the Calder Cup Finals. If you bring a Hershey bar to any of the Calder Cup Finals games at Acrisure Arena, you can trade it for a free pack of two-ounce Brandini toffee. The Hershey bars will be donated to FIND Food Bank. 

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