Syracuse Crunch

By Jeremy Houghtaling

Syracuse Crunch head coach Benoit Groulx believed his team deserved a better result.

The Crunch overcame a slow start and tied the score in the third after trailing by two, but the Hartford Wolf Pack prevailed in the shootout, 4-3, at the Onondaga County War Memorial Friday.

“The first period we weren’t doing many things right. I don’t think we had our legs and it seemed we were sluggish a little bit. Second, like I mentioned, you take two goals like that and it’s tough to recover right away. I thought we did that in the third,” Groulx said. “We had a very good third period, good overtime and we ended up losing in a shootout.”

Crunch comeback nets a point.

HFD-4
SYR-3 (SO)

Connor Ingram allowed 3 goals on 15 shots before being lifted for veteran Eddie Pasquale. Pasquale stopped all 6 shots he faced before allowing two of three to convert in the penalty shot session.

First Period
10:23 HFD Tambellini (10), (unassisted)

Second Period
1:04 SYR Volkov (14), (Archambault, Cirelli)
1:14 HFD Chytil (9), (Schneider)
7:03 HFD Gropp (10), (Chytil, Sproul)
19:43 SYR Stephens (17), (Verhaeghe, Joseph)(PP)

Third Period
8:00 SYR Joseph (9), (Verhaeghe, Thomas)

Overtime
NO SCORING

Shootout
HFD- Tambellini, Gropp
SYR- Verhaeghe

Carter Verhaeghe was the game's third star.

This was Pasquale's second appearance for Syracuse after making a brief 12 second appearance against Utica.

Box score from TheAHL.com.

By Jeremy Houghtaling

For Syracuse Crunch head coach Benoit Groulx, Mitchell Stephens may have been on the fourth line, but he wasn't a fourth-liner.

With a glut of healthy forwards and Tampa Bay not calling for reinforcements early this season, Groulx had the rookie center the team's fourth line. Once the inevitable injuries happened, Stephens earned more time on the Crunch's scoring lines.

With a point in 12 of the last 15 games, Stephens has become one of Syracuse's most consistent contributors offensively.

"I remember sitting down with him at one point and telling him that we had no injuries, no call-ups, and it's not because he was playing on the fourth line that we saw him as a fourth liner. ... We had four healthy lines and those lines were made in order to have the team balance," Groulx said. "We didn't see him as a defensive player. I think he needed those 10 games to get more confident and feel the water a little bit to see what it's like to play in this league. Then he started scoring and putting up points. He hasn't stopped since then."

Crunch lose a squeaker to Comets.

UTI-4
SYR-2

Connor Ingram allowed 3 goals on 23 shots for the loss.

First Period
17:14 SYR Archambault (4), (Yan, Condra)

Second Period
15:34 SYR Volkov (13), (McNeill, McBain)
18:39 UTI Holm (10), (Boucher, Chaput)
18:55 UTI Blujus (4), (Archibald, D'Aoust)

Third Period
9:12 UTI Holm (11), (Archibald, Goldobin)(PP)
18:44 UTI Hamilton (3), (Holm, D'Aoust)(EN)

Alexander Volkov was the game's second star.

The Crunch fell despite building a 2-0 lead with less than 15 minutes left to go in the game and ultimately outshooting Utica 36-24.

Box score from TheAHL.com.