SYRACUSE, N.Y. – The Syracuse Crunch were downed by the Utica Comets, 3-1, tonight at the Adirondack Bank Center.
The loss puts the Crunch at 29-23-6-2 on the season and 3-8-1-0 in the 14-game season series against the Comets.
Crunch goaltender Max Lagace stopped 21-of-23 shots. Mareks Mitens turned aside 19-of-20 in net for the Comets. The Syracuse power play went 0-for-2, but the penalty kill was a perfect 4-for-4.
After a scoreless first period, the Crunch broke the stalemate 55 seconds into the middle frame. Anthony Richard skated down the left wing and fired a shot on net that was stopped by Mitens, but Gage Goncalves was there to chip in the rebound.
The Comets quickly evened the score at the 3:55 mark when Luke Stevens set up a backdoor feed for Fabian Zetterlund. Zetterlund potted his second of the game less than four minutes later with a shot from the bottom of the right circle to put Utica on top.
With just 45 seconds remaining in the game, Brian Flynn hit the empty net to secure a Comets win.
The Crunch return home to host the Rochester Americans tomorrow.
Single game tickets and ticket packages for the 2021-22 season are on sale now and can be purchased in person at the Crunch office located inside the Upstate Medical University Arena at Onondaga County War Memorial at 800 S. State St. in Syracuse, by calling the office at 315-473-4444 or online through Ticketmaster. For the latest Crunch news, visit www.syracusecrunch.com or follow the club on Facebook (www.facebook.com/syracusecrunch), Twitter (@SyracuseCrunch) and Instagram (@syracusecrunch).
Crunchables: Gage Goncalves has goals in back-to-back games and four of his last five games.
