Four goals from blue-line gives Hershey second straight Calder Cup title

HERSHEY, Pa. - Defenceman Patrick McNeill scored a pair of goals and the Hershey Bears defended their American Hockey League championship with a 4-0 win over the Texas Stars on Monday.

Hershey won the Calder Cup final 4-2. Game 6 was the only game in the series won by the home team.

The Bears, the AHL affiliate of the Washington Capitals, are the first team to repeat as Calder Cup champions since 1991. They have won three of the last five titles and a league-best 11 overall.

All four of Hershey's goals came from its defence corps.

John Carlson opened the scoring with a power-play goal at 12:29 of the first period. Karl Alzner made it 2-0 just under two minutes later.

McNeill made it 3-0 14:47 into the second period, then put the game away with a power-play goal at 14:52 of the third.

Michal Neuvirth stopped 22 shots for the shutout.

Brent Krahn stopped 31 shots for Texas.

Bears forward Chris Bourque won the Jack A. Butterfield Trophy as the most valuable player of the Calder Cup playoffs, finishing with a league-leading 27 points (seven goals, 20 assists) in 21 games.

The 24-year-old Boston native and son of Hockey Hall of Famer Ray Bourque turned pro in 2005 and has played five seasons in Hershey, winning three Calder Cups.