SYRACUSE, N.Y. – The Syracuse Crunch took down the Hershey Bears, 4-1, tonight at the Upstate Medical University Arena.
The Crunch snapped the Bear’s nine-game winning streak and extended a five-game streak of their own. Syracuse is now 13-5-0-2 on the season.
Goaltender Matt Tomkins recorded the win stopping 21-of-22 shots in net for the Crunch. Hunter Shepard turned aside 18-of-21 between the pipes for the Bears. The Syracuse power play converted on 2-of-4 opportunities, while the penalty kill was a perfect 3-for-3.
The Crunch opened scoring 5:17 into the game with a power-play goal. Sean Day fired a shot from the blue line that was tipped past Shepard by Waltteri Merelä. Hershey quickly responded and Ryan Hofer tied the game four minutes later with a wrister from between the circles. Syracuse then potted another power-play marker to go back on top at 13:01. Gage Goncalves ripped a one-timer from the right circle that rang off the goal post and out for Mitchell Chaffee to send in from the left circle.
Syracuse continued to build on their lead with Tristan Allard’s first professional goal late in the second period. Emil Lilleberg’s shot from the high slot got caught in traffic, but Allard was down low to shove it across the goal line.
The Crunch held the Bears off through the third period and Daniel Walcott potted the final goal of the game into an empty net to lock in a Crunch win.
The Crunch host the Utica Comets tomorrow night.