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AHL Syracuse Crunch

Crunch edge Moose in thriller

April 7, 2005 - American Hockey League (AHL)
Syracuse Crunch News Release


Four third-period goals in two minutes and four seconds resulted in Syracuse overcoming Manitoba Wednesday night by a score of 4-3. The Moose play again Saturday night versus the Hamilton Bulldogs. Game time is 7:30 p.m.

Former UND Fighting Sioux netminder Karl Goehring got the start for the Crunch, while Alex Auld made his six straight start and seventh consecutive appearance for Manitoba.

Syracuse got on the board early on a goal by Peter Ferraro at the 2:54 mark of the first. Prestin Ryan and Ferraro skated into the Moose zone while on a four-on-four situation. Ryan fired a shot that Auld kicked out but Ferraro was right there in front to put home the rebound.

Goehring helped preserve the Crunch lead just over a minute later when he stopped Peter Sarno, who came out from behind the net and tried to stuff it in.

The Moose had two more great chances to score in the next minute. Kesler had a wide open net but his shot ricocheted off a stick and went wide. Justin Morrison ripped a shot that hit the side of the net.

Eight minutes into the first, Sarno was checked awkwardly into the boards and had to be helped off the ice. He returned to the Moose bench just past the 14-minute mark.

Syracuse scored their second of the game late in the period. While on a powerplay, Joe Motzko danced around Kevin Bieksa as he tried to block a shot. He then fired it by Auld to make it 2-0.

The Crunch took that two-goal lead into the first intermission, despite Manitoba outshooting Syracuse 12-6.

Fireworks started early in the second. Rick Rypien and Ole-Kristian Tollefsen squared off in a marathon bout that lasted close to three minutes. Both combatants traded blows with Rypien getting the slight edge, busting Tollefsen open.

The bout seemed to have inspired the Moose, who scored on the next shift. Jason Jaffray centred a pass that bounced off a Crunch defender past Goehring.

Jaffray almost scored again after a neat drop pass from Jesse Schultz. However, his blast from the left faceoff circle was handled by Goehring.

At one point just past the halfway mark, the Moose had four players in the penalty box after Nolan Baumgartner took a tripping penalty.

Moose penalty killers almost netted a shorthanded goal on the ensuing powerplay, creating a turnover and a three-on-one situation. Jeff Heerema elected to shoot on the play and was stopped.

Manitoba had a late powerplay after Motzko was sent off for roughing. The team had several chances, cycling the puck well and peppering Goehring with shots but were unable to score.

The Moose outshot Syracuse 15-9 in the second and 27-15 overall but trailed 2-1 heading into the second intermission.

Neither team had many chances early on in the third, with two shots apiece five minutes in but a flurry of activity changed that in a hurry seven minutes into the period as the teams traded four goals within a span of 2:04.

Greg Mauldin hauled down Alexandre Burrows as he drove to the Crunch net to give Manitoba a powerplay.

17 seconds into the man advantage, Sarno fed Goren on a cross-ice pass and he one-timed it past Goehring from the left faceoff circle to tie the game at 2-2.

Syracuse regained the lead 58 seconds after that on a two-on-one with Joe Motzko and Joakim Lindstrom. Lindstrom fed Motzko at the top of the crease as he redirected it past Auld to regain the Crunch lead.

Manitoba stormed right back 22 seconds later. Jeff Heerema rushed up ice with Goren and fired one past Goehring to tie the game once again. After the goal, Joe DiPenta took a hooking penalty to put Syracuse on the powerplay.

The Crunch made no mistake with the man advantage as Lindstrom one-timed a blast by Auld for the fourth goal between the teams in 2:04. Syracuse regained the lead once again, this time 4-3.

The Moose looked to tie it up once again a minute after Syracuse's go-ahead goal. Kesler and Goren broke in on a two-on-one. Kesler fired it low glove side and was robbed by a Goehring glove save.

Goehring continued his stellar play with 1:45 to go in the game. He stopped a flurry of shots as Kesler, Goren and Heerema all buzzed around the Syracuse net.

Heerema had another great chance from the slot with 30 seconds remaining but his shot was tipped wide of the net.

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American Hockey League Stories from April 7, 2005


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