Senators Drop First of Four in Utica, 5-3
Published on February 27, 2026 under American Hockey League (AHL)
Belleville Senators News Release
Belleville Senators goaltender Mads Søgaard vs. the Utica Comets
(Belleville Senators, Credit: Jeff Pexton / Utica Comets)
BELLEVILLE, ON - The Belleville Senators are back on the road to start the first of four straight games against the Utica Comets, coming up short in a 5-3 loss.
Despite a strong start by Belleville, Utica struck first. On a quick rush, Jack Malone cut in and split the defenders, going in alone and scoring five-hole to put the Comets up 1-0. Utica kept the pressure on with two quick goals to extend their lead. The first came on a quick pass from behind the net by Ryan Schmelzer to Shane Lachance, who scored his tenth of the year to make it 2-0. The second goal in the sequence was a point shot from Calen Addison that was deflected in tight by Kyle Criscuolo to put the Comets up 3-0.
The second period brought more of the same play, as the Comets added another to the scoresheet. A long-range shot was tipped by Angus Crookshank onto Mads Sogaard, as Xavier Parent poked it home to make it a 4-0 game. During the middle frame, the Senators were able to outshoot Utica 10-9, generating some chances to cut into the deficit.
The third and final period saw Utica open the scoring with a power-play tally. Off the faceoff, Matyas Melovsky corralled the puck and sent a pass to the side of the net for Angus Crookshank, who put it home to extend the game to 5-0. The Senators did push back, starting with two goals within fifty seconds. A shot from the blue line off the stick of Carter Yakemchuk created a rebound for Xavier Bourgault to pot home his fifteenth, cutting the gap to 5-1. Then, a pass from between the high circles by Scott Harrington set up a one-timer from Lassi Thomson, pulling the Senators within three at 5-2. Belleville added another late in the third. After a hard battle along the boards, Thomson moved the puck up to Landen Hookey for a quick shot, and Bourgault tipped it in for his second of the night to make it 5-3, which stood as the final score.
It will be a quick turnaround for the Senators, as these same Comets head to CAA Arena tomorrow for game two of the four-game set, with puck drop at 7:00 p.m.
Fast Facts:
#13 Xavier Bourgault scored twice and now has sixteen goals on the year
#14 Scott Harrington added an assist
#15 Olle Lycksell recorded his ninth assist of the season
#26 Carter Yakemchuk nabbed an assist tonight
#33 Lassi Thomson registered two points, with one goal and one assist
#39 Landen Hookey now has eight points on the year with an assist in this game
#48 Dennis Gilbert had one assist, totalling twelve so far
The full 2025-26 Belleville Senators schedule can be found here.
Single-game tickets for the second 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.
Images from this story
 Belleville Senators defenceman Dennis Gilbert vs. the Utica Comets (Utica Comets - Jeff Pexton) |
 Belleville Senators defenceman Djibril Touré vs. the Utica Comets (Jeff Pexton / Utica Comets) |
 Belleville Senators goaltender Mads Søgaard vs. the Utica Comets (Jeff Pexton / Utica Comets) |
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