SYRACUSE, N.Y. – Brandon Halverson and the Syracuse Crunch blanked the Utica Comets, 3-0, tonight at the Upstate Medical University Arena.
Halverson stopped all 19 shots he faced to earn his second straight shutout at home. The Crunch now advance to 4-1-0-0 on the season.
Comets goaltender Jakub Malek turned aside 31 of the 33 shots that the Crunch peppered on net. Syracuse converted on 1-of-3 power play opportunities and did not allow a Utica man-advantage.
After a scoreless first period, the Crunch broke the stalemate four minutes into the middle frame. Malek made the save on Dylan Duke’s right circle shot, but Lucas Mercuri crashed the net as the netminder gave up a rebound and poked the puck across the goal line.
Syracuse doubled their lead with a power-play goal at the 5:50 mark of the third period. Conor Geekie skated in fired a wrister from the top of the right circle. Jakob Pelletier was down low and tipped the shot into the back of the net. Boris Katchouk rounded out the scoring when he hit the empty net late in the game to secure a Crunch win.
The Crunch are back in action on Wednesday when they travel to face the Toronto Marlies.