AHL Syracuse Crunch

Crunch Comeback Falls Short

Published on December 11, 2010 under American Hockey League (AHL)
Syracuse Crunch News Release


Syracuse, NY (December 11, 2010) - The Syracuse Crunch came back from a two-goal deficit to tie the game in the third period, but Wes O'Neill's goal with 6:27 left in regulation proved to be the difference as the Crunch were edged by the Bridgeport Sound Tigers by a 4-3 score tonight at The Oncenter War Memorial Arena.

Rookie Rhett Rakhshani had three points (1g, 2a), while center Josh Bailey added three assists for Bridgeport. Matt Beleskey scored his fifth of the season and rookies Mat Clark and John Mitchell each tallied their first professional goals in the losing effort for the Crunch.

After a scoreless first period that saw Bridgeport outshoot the Crunch by a 10-6 margin, the visiting team jumped out to a 1-0 lead just 40 seconds into the second period when Jeremy Colliton snapped a cross-ice feed from Bailey past Timo Pielmeier to give his club a 1-0 lead.

The Crunch answered back with a power play goal to tie the game at 1-1 about four and a half minutes later when Trevor Smith fed Josh Green, and Green quickly slid the disk over to Beleskey, who took the puck from his skate to his stick and lifted a wrister over an outstretched Mikko Koskinen.

Bridgeport regained the lead just two minutes later, when Rakhshani scored the Sound Tigers' only power play goal of the game to make it 2-1. Bridgeport would go up 3-1 before the second period was through when Brandon Svendsen found the puck in front of the net after it took a flukey bouce and deposited it into the open left side of the net.

The Crunch came out flying in the third period and took it right to the visiting squad. Syracuse started buzzing around the offensive zone and it finally paid off when Clark pinched in and stuffed home a shot from the top of the crease to cut the deficit to 3-2.

The Crunch did not relent, and picked up the equalizer just 1:23 later when Matt Kennedy fed John Mitchell in front and the Neenah, Wisconsin native beat Koskinen over the shoulder knot the contest at 3-3.

The score stayed that way until O'Neill fired home the game-winner a perfect cross-ice feed from Bailey past Pielmeier at the 13:33 mark.

The Crunch were awarded a late power play when O'Neill was called for holding at the 17:17 mark, but only came close enough to hit a post in the game's final minute.

CRUNCHABLES: The Crunch outshot their opponents tonight for just the fifth time in 27 games this season and fell to 1-2-1-1 when doing so.Over the last 11 games, the Crunch's penalty killing unit is 35-for-50 (70.)%).With an assist tonight, Josh Green now has eight points (4g, 4a), over his last nine games.

Check out the Syracuse Crunch Statistics

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American Hockey League Stories from December 11, 2010


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