The loss puts an end to the team’s three-game winning streak and moves the Crunch to 27-20-4-3 on the season. Syracuse still has a 6-2-1-0 lead in the 14-game season series against Utica.
Crunch goaltender Hugo Alnefelt turned aside 20-of-26 shots, while Isaac Poulter earned the win stopping 28-of-32 shots between the pipes for the Comets.
Syracuse was held scoreless on three power play opportunities with the penalty kill going a perfect 7-for-7.
The Comets opened scoring 5:25 into the game when Alexander Holtz fired in a wrister from the right face off dot. The Crunch responded with two goals just 56 seconds apart to take over the lead. The first one came at the 9:02 mark. Felix Robert won the face off in the left circle and sent the puck back for Alex Barre-Boulet to send into the net. Less than a minute later, Lucas Edmonds tipped Declan Carlile’s shot from the blue line. Edmonds then potted his second of the game late in the first period while on a breakaway to put the Crunch up, 3-1.
Brian Halonen stole one back for Utica just 1:25 into the second period with a shot from the high slot. Syracuse regained their two-goal lead halfway through the frame off a left-point shot from Trevor Carrick. The Comets proceeded to score two more goals in the second half of the middle frame to tie the game, 4-4. At the 14:14 mark, Xavier Parent scored from the left circle followed by a close-range goal from Timur Ibragimov at 17:21.
Utica added two more to start the third period to take back the lead. Just 1:24 into the frame, Filip Engaras came down the slot and found the back of the net. A minute later, the Comets scored while shorthanded. Alnefelt made the initial save on Nolan Foote’s shot, but he left the rebound out for Ryan Schmelzer to chip in. Utica held onto their lead through the remainder of the third period and took the win.
The Crunch host the Laval Rocket on Friday.
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