CRUNCH BEGIN FINAL HOMESTAND OF 2023
The Crunch kick off a three-game homestand – their final three home games of the calendar year – with a mid-week match against the Laval Rocket at Upstate Medical University Arena.
It’s one of three Wednesday home games all season for the Crunch, with the other two coming in March. Tonight is the third of eight head-to-head meetings after the Crunch secured a pair of home wins over the first two months of the season.
LAST TIME OUT
Gabriel Dumont scored twice and the Crunch netted the final four goals to defeat the Providence Bruins, 4-1, Sunday at Amica Mutual Pavilion.
The Bruins scored first with a power-play goal in the first period. Fabian Lysell fired a shot into the top corner at 11:12 for a 1-0 Providence lead.
It remained 1-0 until the just past the halfway point of regulation when Dumont converted on a give-and-go with Waltteri Merelä to tie the game at one. Cole Koepke put the Crunch in front by depositing a power-play goal less than three minutes later.
Syracuse pulled away in the third period. Felix Robert made it 3-1 at 6:06 by finishing off a pass from Jack Thompson. Dumont iced the game with an empty-net goal for a 4-1 win.
Matt Tomkins made 22 saves as the Crunch earned their first win this season when surrendering the first goal.
SCOUTING THE CRUNCH
The Crunch won their final two games last weekend to salvage a split (2-2-0-0) of a stretch of four straight road games. Syracuse is in second place in the North Division with 32 points and a 15-8-0-2 record.
Cole Koepke had a strong two games to help the Crunch get back on track last weekend. He set up Tristan Allard’s eventual game-winning goal Saturday at Utica. Koepke then notched his first multi-point game of the season Sunday in Providence. He scored a power-play goal – which became the game-winner – and added an assist later in the game.
The Minnesota native has nine points (4g, 5a) in 14 games this season with the Crunch; he also played in eight games with Tampa Bay. It was his first game-winning goal in over a calendar year (Dec. 10, 2022), and gives him four career winning goals.
SCOUTING THE ROCKET
The Rocket are trying to turn their season around as the new year approaches. Laval is last in the North Division with 19 points and a 7-13-3-2 record….
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