Senators Battle Back to Edge Comets, 4-3, in Shootout
AHL Belleville Senators

Senators Battle Back to Edge Comets, 4-3, in Shootout

Published on November 14, 2025 under American Hockey League (AHL)
Belleville Senators News Release


Belleville Senators on game night
Belleville Senators on game night
(Belleville Senators, Credit: Jeff Pexton | Utica Comets)

BELLEVILLE, ON - The Belleville Senators made their second stop on the road in Utica to face the Comets, battling hard to a 4-3 shootout win.

Period one saw both sides get their fair share of chances, with Hunter Shepard making a couple of solid saves to keep the score at 0-0.

The next twenty minutes saw the deadlock broken almost midway through the period. Austin Strand fresh out of the penalty box tapped in a cross-crease pass set up by Jonathan Gruden and Jack Malone to make it 1-0. Utica didn't stop there, as they capitalized on another chance, this time short-handed. Lenni Hämeenaho picked off a pass and used his speed to charge into the Senators' zone, beating Shepard on his left side to increase the lead to 2-0.

The third period saw the momentum shift early as the Senators got on the board. Xavier Bourgault's fifth goal of the season cut the lead, with Philippe Daoust and Scott Harrington adding assists on the 2-1 marker. This energy shift continued as a point shot from Jorian Donovan was tipped in by rookie Landen Hookey, who scored the first professional goal of his career to knot the game at 2-2. Belleville's scoring touch persisted with just under five minutes to play. Tomas Hamara's pass found Arthur Kaliyev, who muscled his way through the Utica defence and beat Comets goaltender Nico Daws to extend his scoring streak and give the Senators a 3-2 lead. The advantage was short-lived, as Utica struck back forty-one seconds later. Quick feet by the Comets, Topias Vilen and Angus Crookshank set up Brian Halonen, who levelled the game at 3-3, sending it to overtime.

The extra frame saw plenty of action but solved nothing, taking the game to a shootout.

Utica's Hämeenaho struck first to give the home side the early advantage, though the Senators converted on their first attempt as well, courtesy of Stephen Halliday. The shootout went scoreless all the way to round five, where Wyatt Bongiovanni scored to seal a 4-3 victory for Belleville and secure their second win of the road trip.

Belleville will meet back up with Utica just before the new year on December 28th back at CAA Arena for a 3:00 p.m. puck drop.

The Senators will wrap up their three-game New York swing against the Syracuse Crunch (AHL affiliate of the Tampa Bay Lightning) this Saturday for a 7:00 p.m. start at Upstate Medical University Arena.

Fast Facts:

#5 Wyatt Bongiovanni had the game winner in round five of the shootout

#10 Philippe Daoust increased his point total with an assist

#11 Jorian Donovan now has assists in back-to-back games

#29 Tomas Hamara notched his first point in the AHL

#30 Hunter Shepard saved 25 of 28

#34 Stephen Halliday ended the game with four shots on goal

#39 Landen Hookey scored his first goal in the AHL

#43 Arthur Kaliyev scored, extending his goal streak to four games

The full 2025-26 Belleville Senators schedule can be found here.

Single-game tickets for the first half of the 2025-26 season are now on sale via Ticketmaster or at the Belleville Sens Box Office located inside the Quinte Sports & Wellness Centre. Details on season seat memberships, flex packs, premium seating, the Business Edge program, and more can be found by visiting the Belleville Sens Website.

Check out the Belleville Senators Statistics

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Images from this story

Belleville Senators on game night
Belleville Senators on game night
(Jeff Pexton | Utica Comets)		   



American Hockey League Stories from November 14, 2025


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