Hershey evens its season series with win over Syracuse

The Syracuse Crunch lost 4-3 at Upstate Medical University Arena Friday against the Hershey Bears, evening the season series to 2-2.

Despite Jakob Pelletier extending his point streak (0+2) to 14 games and Matthew Peca notching his 10th of the season (1+1) and scoring goals in four straight, it wasn’t enough in the end. 

The Crunch came into the game with the 5th-best Power Play in the league, but despite that success, the Bears held the Crunch to 1-6 on the man advantage. 

Hershey was able to score a shorthanded goal, with Brett Leason put the Bears up 3-0 in the second period.

“It comes down to one play here, one play there,” Syracuse Crunch head coach Joel Bouchard said. “It’s controlled chaos—and right now, I don’t think we’re controlling that chaos as well as we need to.” 

Syracuse battled back in the later stages of the second with Dylan Duke scoring his 31st goal of the season. He tipped in a point shot from Peca on a power play for the team’s lone goal with the extra skater in hand.

Only 61 seconds later, Pelletier made one of the best plays you’ll see all season in dancing his way into and through the slot, finding Conor Geekie on a beautiful, backhanded saucer for the goal.  

In the third, Alex Suzdalev beat Syracuse goalie Brandon Halverson (20 SVS on 24 SOG) to extend the Bears’ lead back up two. 

Towards the end of the third, Peca beat Hershey goalie Mitch Gibson (32 SVS on 35 SOG) to get Syracuse back within one, but it wasn’t enough.

The Crunch’s three-game win streak is snapped, as the Bears win their first game after four consecutive losses. 

Syracuse moves to 38-20-3-2 already having a playoff spot locked up. The team moves its focus to the Rochester Americans tomorrow at 7 p.m. for a North Division matchup.