ALLENTOWN, Pa. — The Lehigh Valley Phantoms brought Halloween spirit to downtown Allentown on Friday night during their annual Haunted on Hamilton celebration at PPL Center.
Fans in costumes filled about half the arena for the spooky-themed matchup against the Hershey Bears, which featured pumpkin painting, trick-or-treating on the concourse and meLVin’s Halloween Costume Parade during the second intermission. The East Hills Middle School youth choir performed the national anthem, and Halloween decorations lined the entrances as families arrived for Dollar Dog Night, with $1 hot dogs served until the end of the first period.
The enthusiastic atmosphere carried into the game. Forward Zayde Wisdom scored the winning goal with just 43.6 seconds left in regulation, lifting the Phantoms to a 5-4 victory over rival Hershey in one of the team’s most dramatic finishes of the season.
“Wiz, Wilson and Robbie were probably our best line all night,” head coach John Snowden said. “They were just relentless. They worked hard, they got through guys, and they played a heavy, relentless game. That’s exactly what this young team needs to see.”
Wisdom, who finished with two goals and an assist, said the final play went just as planned.
“I knew Wilson was going to the net,” Wisdom said. “It was part of the set play to get him there, and he’s a big body, so he’ll get anybody out of his way. I was just thinking about getting it on net, and it squeaked through his five-hole. Getting it on net was the plan, and it went in, so I can’t complain.”
Teammates Tucker Robertson, Karsen Dorwart and Jacob Gaucher also scored for Lehigh Valley, which recorded its highest goal total of the season. The Bears twice rallied to tie the game, but the Phantoms’ fourth line — led by Wisdom — carried the momentum through the closing seconds.
The Phantoms, who have called PPL Center home since 2014, now embark on a five-game road trip before returning to Allentown on Nov. 8 for Ballcap Night and a postgame skate with players.
