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AHL Rochester Americans

Amerks Get Doubled up by Comets

January 29, 2022 - American Hockey League (AHL)
Rochester Americans News Release


(Rochester, NY) - The Rochester Americans (21-13-2-1) opened the scoring seven minutes into the first period, but the first-place Utica Comets (24-5-5-0) scored four of the next five goals to come away with a 4-2 victory Saturday at The Blue Cross Arena.

SCORING SUMMARY 1 2 3 OT SO FINAL

Utica 2 1 1 -- -- 4

Rochester 1 1 0 -- -- 2

The regulation loss was Rochester's first on home ice since Jan. 5 as the club entered the matchup 3-0-2-1 in its last six home games. The Amerks have earned points in 16 of their last 24 games dating back to Nov. 19 while also showing a 3-4-0-0 mark through the first seven of 12 games with Utica this season.

With his second multi-point game, Ethan Prow tallied a pair of assists while Brandon Biro and Michael Mersch recorded their sixth and team-leading 19th goals of the season, respectively. Biro has 20 points (6+14) over his last 19 games dating back to Nov. 27 and two goals and eight assists over his last eight games. Mersch, meanwhile, extended his point streak to a career-long eight games and has totaled 25 points (12+13) and four multi-point efforts over his last 33 games dating back to Nov. 24. He's been held scoreless just five times over that span to move into a fifth-place tie in the AHL in scoring with 38 points (19+19) on the season.

Goaltender Mat Robson made 23 saves in his second straight start and third in the last four games but took the loss. In nine games this season with Rochester, Robson shows a 5-2-2 record.

Fabian Zetterlund helped the Comets snap their three-game losing skid against Rochester as he produced his first career AHL hat trick. Robbie Russo, A.J. Greer and Kevin Bahl all logged a two-assist game while Aarne Talvitie rounded out the scoring as he netted his seventh in the second stanza.

Six minutes into the first period, after stripping a Comet of the puck inside the Rochester zone, Biro began a transition play with JJ Peterka, Josh Teves, Prow and Linus Weissbach. While Peterka carried the puck through the center of the ice and inside the far blueline, he slid a cross-ice pass to Teves, who joined the rush. Teves left the puck for Prow before one-touching it back to Peterka and the 19-year-old tapped to Biro, who then neatly tucked a backhanded shot overtop the glove-hand of Daws with 13:31 left in the frame.

Utica responded to Biro's sixth of the season with a pair of goals seven seconds apart to take a 2-1 lead into the intermission break as both Zetterlund and Talvitie scored.

After trailing to start the second period, the Amerks countered as Mersch scooped up a loose puck in the center of the offensive zone before snapping in a shot between the face-off dots at the 6:36 mark.

Prow earned the secondary assist on the play while Teves, who forced a turnover to start the play, also was credited with a helper.

Later in the second period while on a third power-play of the night, Zetterlund blasted a one-timer just inside the left post and Robson's right leg to regain the Utica lead.

In the final 20 minutes of regulation, the two clubs combined for 23 shots but as Robson was pulled for an extra attacker inside the last two minutes, Zetterlund completed his three-goal night to seal the 4-2 victory.

The Amerks usher in the second month of the calendar year as they host the Charlotte Checkers on Wednesday, Feb. 2 for a 7:05 p.m. matchup at The Blue Cross Arena. The matchup will be the first of two-game set between the two teams. All the action will be carried live on The Sports Leader 95.7 FM/950 AM The Fan Rochester as well as AHLTV.

UTICA GAMECENTER ROCHESTER

F. Zetterlund (14, 15, 16),

A. Talvitie (7) GOAL-SCORERS

Biro (6), M. Mersch (19)

Daws - 28/30 (L) GOALTENDERS M. Robson - 23/26 (L)

2-6 POWER-PLAY 0-1

1-1 PENALTY KILL 4-6

27 SHOTS ON GOAL 30

VIDEO CENTER

GAME HIGHLIGHTS: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v7r4bf5JK3A

SETH APPERT POST-GAME: https://youtu.be/r52qBBFA6OU

ETHAN PROW POST-GAME: https://youtu.be/UMDbcV_GipI

BRANDON BIRO POST-GAME: https://youtu.be/WBeTYxhh63A

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