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AHL Belleville Senators

Sexton Scores Hat-Trick in Loss to Utica

February 19, 2018 - American Hockey League (AHL)
Belleville Senators News Release


The Utica Comets used a three-goal first period to help power them to a 6-3 win over the Belleville Senators on Family Day at the Yardmen Arena.

Ben Sexton scored the second hat-trick in Senators history while Nick Paul also scored for Belleville while Danny Taylor made 10 first period saves before being pulled in favour of Marcus Hogberg who stopped 23 shots. Utica had goals from Tony Cameranesi, Zach MacEwen, Reid Boucher, Wacey Hamilton and David Dziurzynski while Richard Bachman turned aside 30 shots.

The Comets exploded to a 3-0 lead in the first period despite at times being outplayed by Belleville who were only kept off the scoreboard by a couple of Bachman saves, most notably on Nick Paul and Max Reinhart.

Cameranesi made it 1-0 Utica at 9:08 as he found a loose puck in the left faceoff circle and wired his second goal of the year past Taylor. It was 2-0 at 14:49 as MacEwen used a screen to fire his ninth of the year past Taylor.

Boucher made it 3-0 with 1:22 left in the first as he deposited a loose puck into a gaping net after Taylor had been run over and bodies lay around the crease.

Belleville came roaring back to start the second as they scored two power play goals in a 44 second span. Sexton grabbed his fifth of the year after taking a Ville Pokka pass down low and beating Bachman 29 seconds in on a 5-on-3 power play before Paul's seventh of the year made it 4-2 on the man advantage.

But the Comets restored a two-goal lead through Hamilton who found loose puck after it hit a stick, bounced over Hogberg's head onto Hamilton's stick for his fourth of the season at 2:31. Dziurzynski made it 5-2 as his backhander beat Hogberg after the puck had bounced off the end boards.

The Senators cut the Utica lead to 5-3 on its third short-handed goal of the season as Sexton benefited from some hard work from captain Mike Blunden to poke the puck through to Sexton who beat Bachman glove side on a breakaway.

Defenceman Andreas Englund thought he had his first of the year at 8:24 of the third but the goal was waved off after it his skate and went in despite there being no clear kicking motion, keeping the Utica lead at 5-3.

Sexton completed his hat-trick with 2:30 left in regulation as he let a wicked wrister go from the slot for his first career hat-trick.

Belleville piled on more shots in the final two minutes - and had a power play - but couldn't get one more past Bachman to the force the game to overtime.

Pokka registered his first Sens point after his assist on Sexton's goal.

Belleville is back in action Friday night against the Binghamton Devils but return home Saturday to host the Laval Rocket on History of Hockey night at the Yardmen Arena. Tickets are available.

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American Hockey League Stories from February 19, 2018


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