By: Stingrays Media
The American Hockey League's Hershey Bears announced Wednesday that goaltender Hunter Shepard and defender Macoy Erkamps have been re-assigned to the South Carolina Stingrays.
Shepard, 25, turned heads with the Bears, going 3-0-0 in three starts including a 28-save shutout in his AHL debut on May 2nd. The netminder had a 1.00 goals-against average and a 0.969 save percentage in the three victories.
In 14 appearances with South Carolina during his rookie professional season, Shepard has a 6-5-2 record with a 2.84 goals-against average and a 0.915 save percentage.
The Coleraine, Minn. native was previously named the ECHL's Goaltender of the Month in December after posting a 2-0-1 record in three outings with a 1.89 goals-against average and a save percentage of 0.935.
Prior to turning pro, the 6-foot-1, 210-pound netminder appeared in 119 career NCAA games at the University of Minnesota-Duluth where he went 76-37-5 with 17 shutouts, a 1.94 goals-against average and a save percentage of .922. Shepard helped guide the Bulldogs to back-to-back NCAA National Championships in 2018 and 2019 and was a three-time Mike Richter Award Finalist.
Erkamps, 26, saw action in seven contests during his second stint with the Bears this season and posted a +4 rating. During the 2020-21 season, he has suited up for nine AHL games with Hershey and 23 ECHL contests for the Stingrays, collecting four points on two goals and two assists.
The native of Richmond, B.C. was previously with the AHL's Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins during the past two campaigns. In the shortened 2019-20 year, 6-foot, 196-pound defender skated in 36 AHL games as well as three contests with the ECHL's Wheeling Nailers. Erkamps has appeared in 126 career AHL games with Hershey, Binghamton, Belleville, and Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, collecting 14 points (one goal, 13 assists).
The Stingrays return to action this week when they travel to Orlando for a 3-in-3 series against the Solar Bears beginning Friday night at 7 pm.
