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AHL Syracuse Crunch

Crunch Can't Top Bears

January 25, 2014 - American Hockey League (AHL)
Syracuse Crunch News Release


Syracuse, NY - The Syracuse Crunch dropped their second consecutive game to the Hershey Bears falling 3-2 tonight at the Giant Center in Hershey, PA.

After falling to the Bears 4-1 on Friday at the War Memorial tonight's loss brings the season series against the Bears to 2-2-0-1 and the Crunch's overall record to 17-17-2-4. The Crunch remain in fifth place in the East Division with 40 points.

The game was a penalty filled affair with 128 total penalty minutes assessed. The Crunch were awarded six power-play chances, capitalizing on one, while the Bears were not able to convert on five man-advantage opportunities. Crunch netminder Cedrick Desjardins saved 23 of 26 shots in defeat while his Bears counterpart David Leggio stopped 17 of 19 shots.

Hershey defenseman Julien Brouillette opened the scoring with 3:17 remaining in the opening frame. Brouillette's one-timer snuck past a screened Desjardins under the crossbar on the blocker side to give the Bears a 1-0 lead.

Hershey's lead lasted only 39 seconds before Cedric Paquette evened the score on the Crunch's second shot of the game. Richard Panik's backhand pass found Paquette at the top of the crease where Paquette pushed the puck past Leggio for his 12th goal of the season. Witkowski was credited with the secondary assist.

Tanner Richard gave the Crunch a 2-1 lead with a power-play goal 6:13 into the middle stanza. With Paquette and Richard on a two-on-one rush, Richard took a feed from Paquette at the top of the left circle before beating Leggio. The go-ahead goal was Richard's first professional goal.

Bears center Michael Latta scored two unanswered goals for the final margin of 3-2. Latta scored his first of the night on a long wrist shot assisted by Cameron Schilling and Steve Oleksy with 2:51 to play in the second period. Latta's second score came 12:28 into the final frame when he intercepted a Crunch breakout pass, faked his way around a Crunch defenseman and beat Desjardins.

The Crunch travel to Bridgeport on Sunday to face the Sound Tigers in the final game of a three-in-three weekend.

Crunchables: Richard Panik rejoined the Crunch lineup after being reassigned by the Tampa Bay Lightning on January 24...Tanner Richard's second period power-play tally was the first man-advantage goal by either team during this season's series...Cedric Paquette recorded his seventh multi-point game with a goal and an assist tonight

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