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AHL Syracuse Crunch

Crunch Downed by Hershey

March 31, 2010 - American Hockey League (AHL)
Syracuse Crunch News Release


Syracuse, NY (March 31, 2010) - Two tallies from AHL-leading goal scoring leader Alexandre Giroux and two helpers from overall AHL-leading scorer Keith Aucoin helped propel Hershey to a 5-2 win over the Syracuse Crunch tonight at the War Memorial at Oncneter. The win ties Hershey with the 1992-93 Binghamton Rangers for most wins in a single AHL season (57).

Giroux got the scoring started for Hershey just 30 seconds into the game when he found a loose puck at the top of the crease and popped a backhand over the shoulder of Kevin Lalande to make it 1-0.

Just over nine minutes later, Cody Eakin tallied his first professional goal in his first professional game when he shuffled the puck on goal off a face-off win from Jay Beagle and the disk found its way past Lalande for the 2-0 Hershey lead.

The first period ended with Hershey holding a 12-7 shots advantage over the Crunch.

Hershey extended its lead to 3-0 at the 11:46 mark of the second period when Giroux took a pass from Aucoin, lowered his and head steamed his way to the net, faking out Lalande with a forehand move for his second of the game and 44th marker of the season.

The Crunch finally got on the board just over seven minutes later with a little over a minute to play in the period. Mike Ratchuk gained the offensive zone and flipped a backhand pass over to Chad Kolarik, who knuckled a shot from the left wing that went through the five-hole of Hershey starter Jason Bacashihua to cut it to 3-1.

The Crunch carried the momentum from their late second period goal into the game's final 20 minutes, making it a one-goal contest just 1:45 into the third.

Jordan LaVallee-Smotherman found the puck in the right corner, charged his way to the front of the cage and ripped a wrister over the right shoulder of Bacashihua to make it 3-2.

That was as close as the game would get, as Boyd Kane added his 23rd of the year at the 10:53 mark and Steve Pinizzotto iced the game for Hershey with an empty-netter with 46 seconds left for the 5-2 final.

CRUNCHABLES: The Crunch have not allowed a power play goal in three games and have killed off 14 straight penalties over that span...Chad Kolarik now has 48 points on the season and is two points shy of matching his career-high...The Crunch face Hershey two more times in the next six days...Kevin Lalande has started 26 of the Crunch's last 31 games.

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