SYRACUSE, N.Y. – The Syracuse Crunch powered past the Belleville Senators, 5-3, tonight at the Upstate Medical University Arena.
Ethan Gauthier had a two-goal game to lead the Crunch, while Jakob Pelleteier contributed two helpers. Max Groshev, Lucas Mercuri and Mitchell Chaffee each contributed one goal to help advance the team to 25-16-3-1 on the season and 2-2-0-0 in the eight-game season series against the Senators.
Crunch goaltender Jon Gillies turned aside 29-of-32 shots in victory. Leevi Meriläinen stopped 22-of-26 shots in net for the Senators. The Syracuse power play converted on 1-of-4 opportunities. Belleville went 2-for-4.
The Crunch opened scoring just 1:56 into the game when Brendan Furry set up Groshev for a wrister from the left face off dot. Belleville evened the score, 1-1, halfway through the frame off a long point shot from Carter Yakemchuk through traffic. Syracuse regained their lead with 2:31 remaining in the period. Matteo Pietroniro fed the puck down low for Mercuri to score with a close-range shot.
The Crunch extended their lead with another goal 12 minutes into the middle frame. Milo Roelens dug the puck out from the left-wing boards and centered it for Gauthier to grab and send bar down.
Belleville stole one back with a power-play goal early in the third period. Yakemchuk got the puck at the point, stick handled down the slot and scored his second goal of the game at the 5:50 mark. Syracuse responded with a power-play goal of their own at 12:58 to regain their two-goal lead. Gauthier fired a shot from the bottom of the left circle that deflected of a defender and in for his second goal of the night. Three minutes later the Senators capitalized on another man-advantage. Xavier Bourgault threw a cross-zone feed for Arthur Kaliyev to one-time from the right circle and pull back within one, but Mitchell Chaffee hit the empty net to shut down a late comeback effort and secure a Crunch victory.
The Crunch and Senators travel to Belleville to complete the weekend’s home-and-home series tomorrow night.
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