CRUNCH FINISH ROAD TRIP WITH A WIN
The Crunch picked up their first road victory of the season to close out a 1-2-0-0 road trip in Week 4.
Syracuse began the week of the road with a 7-2 loss to the Rochester Americans. Despite the lopsided score, players and coaches alike felt the team made positive steps. The trip continued in Charlotte Friday, and the Crunch battled back in the third period, but lost 3-2. It all came together in the rematch Saturday, when the Crunch won, 4-0.
The win snapped a five-game losing streak and gives the team momentum heading into a three-game homestand in Week 5.
TOP PERFORMERS
Goaltender Hugo Alnefelt collected his first win of the season, and did so in shutout fashion Saturday at Charlotte. The 21-year-old turned aside all 28 Checkers shots to earn his first career shutout. Alnefelt did combine for a team shutout with Max Lagace in Game 4 of the North Division Semifinals against Laval (May 17).
The Swedish-born netminder improved to 1-1-1 on the season, boasting a 2.71 goals-against average and a .918 save percentage. Last season, Alnefelt saw action in 23 regular season games for the Crunch, logging a 10-7-4 record.
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Darren Raddysh racked up points in all three games in Week 4 to extend his scoring streak to four games (3g, 2a). Raddysh has collected at least one point in nine of the Crunch’s 10 games this season. He leads AHL defensemen and is tied for fifth overall in the league with 13 points (5g, 8a).
Raddysh, who is set to play in his 300th career AHL game Wednesday, has 133 career points (34g, 99a). He already has more than half of his total points from last season (7-18—25) in 10 games versus 61 games.
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Rookie forward Lucas Edmonds collected his first two career points—both assists—over the weekend in Charlotte. He picked up what was—at the time—his first career assist Saturday on the second of two goals from Declan Carlile. An AHL scoring correction, however, retroactively awarded him an assist in Friday’s game, making that tally his first official point.
Edmonds, a third round pick by the Lightning in 2022, has skated in seven games for the Crunch this season, logging two assists with a +4 rating.
A CRUNCH FIRST
The Crunch’s 4-0 shutout win over the Charlotte Checkers was their first ever shutout win against Charlotte. The teams have played 22 times since the Checkers joined the AHL in 2010-11; the Crunch are 10-12-0-0 in those games.
Charlotte becomes the 33rd different AHL city to host a team shut out in a game by the Crunch since 1994.
CARLILE’S BIG DAY
Rookie defenseman Declan Carlile helped power the Crunch to victory on Saturday with his first two goals of the season. He now has two goals in nine games this season for the Crunch.
Last year, Carlile joined the Crunch following the conclusion of his college career at Merrimack and he potted one goal in 10 games; his first career goal came in his second game April 2, 2022 at Hartford.
UPCOMING: ROCHESTER|BELLEVILLE|UTICA
The Crunch play three home games against three different opponents in Week 5.
The Rochester Americans come to town on Wednesday in the fourth head-to-head match of the season. The Amerks defeated the Crunch, 7-2, last Wednesday in Rochester; the home team has won each of the first three games of the season series.
The Belleville Senators make their first trip to Syracuse Friday for Military Appreciation Night presented by Visions Federal Credit Union. The Senators carry a 4-5-1-0 record this season, including a 2-2-1-0 mark on the road.
Saturday sets up the Crunch versus Comets for the first of 14 regular season matches. The Comets (3-4-0-1) have yet to win a road game this season (0-3-0-0) after posting a 20-12-4-0 road mark last season.
WEEK 4 RESULTS
Wednesday, November 2 | Game 8 at Rochester | L, 7-2
Syracuse 0 2 0 – 2 Shots: 9-10-7-26 PP: 0/3
Rochester 2 3 2 – 7 Shots: 7-10-4-21 PP: 1/5
2nd Period-Walcott 3 (Raddysh), 3:22 (SH). Thompson 1 (Carrick, Robert), 17:13. . . . Lagace 1-3-2 (21 shots-14 saves) A-2,482
Friday, November 4 | Game 9 at Charlotte | L, 3-2
Syracuse 0 0 2 – 2 Shots: 7-9-11-27 PP: 0/3
Charlotte 0 2 1 – 3 Shots: 9-10-12-31 PP: 2/4
3rd Period-Raddysh 4 (Edmonds), 9:35. Ryfors 6 (Day, Jones), 9:47. . . . Lagace 1-4-2 (31 shots-28 saves) A-6,490
Saturday, November 5 | Game 10 at Charlotte | W, 4-0
Syracuse 0 2 2 – 4 Shots: 9-10-9-28 PP: 0/3
Charlotte 0 0 0 – 0 Shots: 8-10-10-28 PP: 0/3
2nd Period-Carlile 1 (Barré-Boulet, Day), 6:48. Carlile 2 (Goncalves, Edmonds), 10:48. 3rd Period-Raddysh 5 (Unassisted), 18:10 (EN). Ryfors 7 (Unassisted), 19:02 (EN). . . . Alnefelt 1-1-1 (28 shots-28 saves) A-7,228
