Syracuse Crunch lose low scoring affair for third loss in four games

The Syracuse Crunch returned home from a four game road trip Friday night to welcome the Hershey Bears into Upstate Medical University Arena. The two teams previously met back on opening weekend, when Syracuse took both games of a doubleheader at the Giant Center in Hershey.

Friday night in Syracuse was a different story though, as the Crunch fell 2-1 on home ice for their third loss in their last four games. 

Things looked somewhat promising for the hosts immediately after the opening puck drop, when they went on the man advantage just 30 seconds into the game. But it would turn out to be one of two power power plays that Syracuse failed to convert on, in the first period. 

After controlling the majority of the first ten minutes of play, the Crunch found themselves stuck in their own zone by the end of the first period, managing just five shots on goal in the first twenty minutes. Syracuse Goaltender Brandon Halverson was forced to make a fantastic flurry of back to back saves to keep the Bears off the board. 

The second period began with power plays for each team, both of which were killed. It was scoreless, scrappy hockey until Hershey went on the powerplay once again around halfway through the period. This time, the Bears capitalized. Ilya Protas snuck one by Halverson into the far side of the net to give the visitors a 1-0 lead.

Syracuse responded to going down a goal by peppering Bears goaltender Clay Stevenson with an array of shots towards the end of the period. Stevenson stood tall for the Bears and pushed the visitors into the second intermission with a 1-0 lead. 

The Crunch began the third period with another powerplay. Conor Geekie had a couple of nice looks at goal, but ultimately rifled his shots off frame — a nightlong trend. 

With less than eight minutes to go, Hershey appeared to put the low scoring affair to bed, when Andrew Cristall found himself wide open in front of the crease. Halverson shut down the Hershey winger’s first attempt, but Cristall followed up on the rebound and slotted the puck home to give his team a commanding 2-0 lead. 

As time winded down, all hope looked to be lost inside Upstate Medical University Arena for the Crunch. But with 2:43 to go, the hosts were handed a powerplay that presented their final chance to get back in the game.

Halverson was pulled to create a 6 on 4, two man advantage for Syracuse. With just under a minute gone on the powerplay, first-line defenseman Declan Carlile stepped up and scored a one-timer from the right wing circle to finally get the Crunch on the board. Now, the hosts had about one hundred seconds to find another one and send the game to overtime. 

After a scoreless minute or so of play, Hershey gave up another costly penalty, putting the Crunch on the powerplay once again with 34.1 seconds to play. Syracuse used an empty net to create another 6 versus 4 advantage, but it wasn’t enough. The Bears held strong and closed out the game on the penalty kill, securing a 2-1 victory. 

Following Tuesday’s 6-2 beatdown of the Comets, the Crunch’s offense was stagnant Friday night. Their Eastern Conference leading powerplay went just 1 for 6, while their top goalscorer Dylan Duke had a ghost game following his first career hattrick in Utica. Syracuse have now been held to two or less goals in three of their last four games. 

Still, the Crunch maintain their spot atop the North Division. They can return to winning ways Saturday night, when they’re back on home ice for a big matchup against the Belleville Senators, who currently sit fourth in the same division. Puck drop is set for 7:00 in downtown Syracuse.