AHL Syracuse Crunch

Crunch Extinguish Comets, 7-3

April 3, 2016 - American Hockey League (AHL)
Syracuse Crunch News Release


UTICA, N.Y. - After going down by two, the Syracuse Crunch scored a shorthanded, even-strength and power-play goal in three minutes in the second period to build momentum for an eventual 7-3 victory over the Utica Comets this afternoon at the Utica Memorial Auditorium.

Joel Vermin put the Crunch on the board with a shorthanded goal, then gave the team the lead with the man-up marker during the three-goal run. Cameron Darcy added the other even-strength tally. Utica came back to tie the game at three, but the Crunch couldn't be stopped. Adam Erne and Henri Ikonen opened the third period with one goal each and Jeff Tambellini closed the game out with two of his own to extinguish the Comets and end their four-game win streak.

Five Crunch players recorded multi-point games as the team moves to 31-27-10-3 on the season. In addition to Vermin and Tambellini with two-goal games, Matthew Peca contributed three assists, while Matt Taormina and Ben Thomas added two helpers each. Crunch goaltender Kristers Gudlevskis earned his sixth win in his last seven starts with 25 saves. Joe Cannata turned aside 24 of 31. Syracuse converted on their one power play opportunity and stopped 2-of-4 Utica man-advantages.

The Comets were first to light the lamp halfway through the first period. With the man-advantage, Joseph LaBate pulled the trigger from the right circle off assists from T.J. Hensick and Jon Landry.

Utica built up a two-goal lead 5:11 into the middle period. Hensick sent a cross-slot feed for Carter Bancks to score backdoor from a sharp angle.

Syracuse finally solved Cannata at the 7:04 mark and proceeded to go on a three-goal run in three minutes to take control of the game. With Luke Witkowski in the box for roughing, Vermin received a pass from Peca and netted a shorthanded tally to put the Crunch on the board. Two minutes later, Cannata went behind the cage to play the puck, but mishandled it and left the net open for Darcy to chip in the turnover. Taormina and Jake Dotchin grabbed points for the helpers. At 10:04, Vermin potted his second of the game for the first time this season. After a cross-slot feed from Peca, Vermin sent home a quick wrist shot from the left circle. Taormina made it a two-point game with the secondary assist.

The Crunch lead only lasted a few minutes before the Comets came back to knot the score, 3-3, while on the power play. Gudlevskis stopped Alexandre Grenier's left wing shot, but left the rebound out for Alex Friesen to clean up from the crease.

Less than four minutes into the final period, the Crunch added two more to build a 5-3 lead. Erne notched his 13th goal of the season from the slot off a centering pass from Daniel Walcott. Henri Ikonen then jammed one in while crashing the net from the left side. Tanner Richard and Thomas helped on the goal.

As Cannata left to add an extra attacker, Tambellini sent one down the ice and into the open net with two minutes remaining in the third to tack on to the Crunch lead. He scored another from the left side off assists from Thomas and Tye McGinn in the final seconds of the game to take down the Comets for the fourth time this season and even the 10-game season series, 4-4, with two contests remaining.

Syracuse returns home to host the Albany Devils on Friday at 7 p.m.

Syracuse Crunch single game and season tickets are on sale now and can be purchased either in person at the Crunch Box Office located in the War Memorial at 800 South State Street in Syracuse or by calling the office at 315-473-4444. For the latest Crunch news, visit www.syracusecrunch.com or follow the club on Facebook (www.facebook.com/syracusecrunch), Twitter (@SyracuseCrunch) and Instagram (@officialsyracusecrunch) using #SyrCrunch and #BelieveInBlue.

Crunchables: Joel Vermin has four multi-point games this season...With two assists, Ben Thomas recorded his first professional multi-point game...Matthew Peca earned his first career three-point game with three assists today.

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American Hockey League Stories from April 3, 2016


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