SYRACUSE, N.Y. – The Syracuse Crunch were defeated by the Laval Rocket, 3-2, in overtime tonight at the Upstate Medical University Arena.
Derrick Pouliot led the Crunch with two goals, while Conor Sheary contributed a multi-point game with two assists as the team earned one point in the overtime loss. Syracuse is now 8-7-2-3 on the season and 0-2-1-1 in the eight-game season series against the Rocket.
Crunch goaltender Brandon Halverson stopped 38-of-41 shots, while Jakub Dobes earned the win turning aside 28-of-30 in net for the Rocket. Both teams scored two power-play goals on the night with Syracuse going 2-for-3 and Laval 2-for-5.
After a scoreless first period, the Rocket broke the stalemate 8:41 into the middle frame while on the man-advantage. Halverson caught a piece of Joshua Roy’s shot from the left circle, but the puck jumped over his glove and across the goal line. Six minutes later, the Crunch responded with a power-play goal of their own as Sheary set up Pouliot for a one-timer from the point.
Syracuse stole the lead off Pouliot’s second power-play goal of the game halfway through the third period. For the second time, Sheary fed Pouliot for a one-timer from the top of the right circle. The Laval power play came through again and tied the game, 2-2, at the 11:27 mark. Laurent Dauphin passed the puck down to Xavier Simoneau along the goal line. He quickly centered it for Rafaël Harvey-Pinard to score.
The teams remained tied through regulation and the game went to overtime where Owen Beck scored the game-winner.
The Crunch travel to face the Cleveland Monsters for a weekend series starting on Friday.