AHL Syracuse Crunch

Crunch Find a Pot O' Gold

March 17, 2010 - American Hockey League (AHL)
Syracuse Crunch News Release


Syracuse, NY (March 17, 2010) - The luck o' the Irish was on Kevin Lalande's side tonight, as he made 33 saves and picked up his second shutout of the season, backstopping the Syracuse Crunch to a 2-0 win over the Manchester Monarchs in a St. Patrick's Day match-up at the War Memorial at Oncenter.

Manchester controlled the majority of play in the game's first 20 minutes, but Lalande was there to deny all 16 first period shots they threw at him.

The Crunch finally broke the scoreless tie at the 5:11 mark of the second period on a pretty passing play from Dan Fritsche to Jordan LaVallee-Smotherman.

Fritsche took a pass from Brent Regner and swooped in down the right side in behind the goal line. The Parma, Ohio native then fed LaValllee-Smotherman positioned at the hash marks, who flicked a shot just inside the right post past the glove on Jonathan Bernier to make it 1-0.

Irish eyes were smiling on the Crunch, as Manchester rang two shots off the post throughout the course of the game.

Syracuse made it a 2-0 contest with less than five minutes to play in regulation on the power play when Manchester's David Kolomatis was whistled off for holding at the 15:22 mark.

It took the Crunch all of 15 seconds to cash in with the man-advantage when Chad Kolarik found a loose puck in front of the net and chipped it past Bernier for the late two-tally advantage.

The Monarchs pulled Bernier with just over two minutes left in regulation, but Lalande shut the door for his 22nd win of the season and 31st of his Crunch career, leaving him one behind Corey Hirsch and Tomas Popperle for sixth on the club's all-time list.

The Crunch are home again on Friday, March 19, as they take on the Bridgeport Sound Tigers at the War Memorial at Oncenter at 7:30 p.m.

CRUNCHABLES: Chad Kolarik now has eight points (5g, 3a) in seven games with the Crunch...Kevin Lalande has started 19 of the Crunch's last 22 games....In the two games against Manchester this year, Lalande stopped 55 of 56 shots, good for a .982 save percentage...The Crunch are now 18-0-1-1 when leading after two periods.

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American Hockey League Stories from March 17, 2010


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