The following night, the Crunch's old I-90 rival in the Rochester Amerks came to the Old Barn for a match with the Crunch. In recent years, I have become disappointed with this rivalry. It's not like it was in the 90's and early 2000's where games were played with great passion and rough play defined every game. However, the game Saturday seemed to be a revival for the rivalry. Both J.P. Cote and David Broll scrapped for the Crunch, but that was the only thing fans could really get excited for. The Amerks, behind the solid goaltending of
This weekend saw many highs and lows for the Syracuse Crunch. On Friday, the Crunch hosted the Bridgeport Sound Tigers in a battle within the Northeast Division. I have to say the crowd was a little bit light, probably because of the NCAA Tournament being played in the Carrier Dome. The match was both tightly contested and full of fights. Even Yanni Gourde and Ashton Carter got into major scraps during the second period. The bigger surprise might have been that Eric Neilson, who did play in the game for the Crunch, did not get into a fight. The Crunch really dominated on offense for the first two periods. They managed to score three goals out of the 32 shots they put on net in two frames. The goals were scored by Mike Angelidis, who returned fresh off the birth of his son, Ryan Martindale, and Jake Dotchin. However, the third period saw the Sound Tigers become veracious on offense. Even after Joel Vermin scored the Crunch's fourth goal, Bridgeport did not let up on the attack. Within the last minute of the third period, the Sound Tigers nearly tied the game on a shot that most everyone in the War Memorial thought made it past Gudlevskis. However, the puck somehow ended up in the corner of the Crunch's defensive end and play continued until a whistle. However, the shot did warrant a review from the referee, who confirmed the puck did not go in the net. Thus, the Crunch hung on for a 4-3 victory and inched closer to a playoff birth.
The following night, the Crunch's old I-90 rival in the Rochester Amerks came to the Old Barn for a match with the Crunch. In recent years, I have become disappointed with this rivalry. It's not like it was in the 90's and early 2000's where games were played with great passion and rough play defined every game. However, the game Saturday seemed to be a revival for the rivalry. Both J.P. Cote and David Broll scrapped for the Crunch, but that was the only thing fans could really get excited for. The Amerks, behind the solid goaltending of
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After having a perfect record in group play, Brasil found themselves in the quarterfinals of the Indoor World Cup Thursday night. They would keep their perfect tournament record intact with a 7-3 victory over a very tough Czech Republic. In the win, Syracuse Silver Knight's striker Neto scored another goal while Knight's defender Marcos Chantel recorded a block. In the tournament, Neto has a total of six points with four goals and two assists. For Marcos Chantel, he has two blocks in his World Cup campaign. Brasil now moves on to play Mexico in the semi-finals of the World Cup this Saturday in Chicago, Illinois.
Last night, the Crunch traveled down to Leigh Valley to take on the Phantoms. However, like many of their recent games, they came in with a weakened roster. Mike Angelidis did not travel with the team because of the birth of his new child while Dalton Smith was scratched because of injury. The team is still without Henri Ikonen and Philippe Paradis, who remain injured, while Namestnikov is up in Tampa with the Lightning. Even with the roster issues, the Crunch took it to the Phantoms with a 6-1 victory. The Crunch got goals from Mormina, Koekkoek, Martindale, Courtnall, and two from Marchessault. Mormina and Marchessault had shorthanded goals in the win while Richard and Kunyk both got in fights with Brandon Manning. The Crunch were able to chase Rob Zepp from the Phantom's net early in the third period, for Stolarz to come in for relief. Kristers had a great game, making 27 saves and getting lots of help from the Crunch defense. With the win, the Crunch's magic number to clinch a playoff spot is just ten and they are nine points ahead of Hartford for the Northeast Division lead.
This was another awesome win for Syracuse. I thought Rob Zepp, who has spent time with the Flyers this season, was going to be a bigger problem for the Crunch. However, they exposed his weaknesses and eventually forced him to the bench. Marchessault continues to be an all-star scoring threat while the rest of the team stepped up to provide constant offense. It's good to know more guys are ready to step up when teammates are unable to play for various lengths of time, which seems to be a continuing problem. This weekend, the Crunch face-off with Bridgeport on Friday and Rochester on Saturday. Thanks/Credit: http://syracusecrunch.com/news/2015/3/25/Crunch_0325154240.aspx http://theahl.com/stats/game-summary.php?game_id=1014430 http://theahl.com/playoff-primer-2015-p196322 http://www.syracuse.com/crunch/index.ssf/2015/03/syracuse_crunch_vs_lehigh_valley_phantoms_1.html#incart_related_stories https://twitter.com/syrhockey/status/580881162073149441 The Indoor World Cup acts for a chance for indoor soccer players from across the globe to show off their skills and make a name for themselves. That is just what Syracuse Silver Knight's striker Neto is doing. As reported earlier this week, he had a goal and an assist for Brasil in their 9-4 win over Russia Monday. The very next night, Brasil took down Canada 7-4. In the game, Neto tallied two goals and an assist. Clearly, Neto is carrying his scoring efforts over from this past season with the Silver Knights and doesn't look to be stopping anytime soon. Brasil is back in action tonight at 7pm when they take on Serbia.
Thanks/Credit: http://wmf_2015.stats.pointstreak.com/leagueschedule.html?leagueid=1912 http://wmf_2015.stats.pointstreak.com/boxscore.html?gameid=2633281 After a big overtime win against Scranton on Friday, the Crunch put up their four game win streak up against their fiercest rival, the Utica Comets. With both teams at the top of their divisions and conferences, the Saturday night match promised to be exciting and competitive. Unfortunately, the Comets were able to trip up the Crunch with a 4-2 victory at the War Memorial. The first period was all about Allen York, who made 12 saves for the Crunch. However, the Crunch could not muster any offense to support him. Richard had the opening goal in the second period, but it was wiped out by a Comets' goal under a minute later. After the second ended in a one all tie, the Comets tore apart the Crunch defense with two more goals in the third. Marchessault was able to stop the bleeding late in the third and cut the score to 3-2. However, the Comets scored on an empty net to ice the game and win 4-2.
I listened to the game at work and was disappointed overall. ESPN Radio in Syracuse has a significant delay, so I had to listen to the KROCK Utica feed. Brendan Burke is a good at play-by-play. However, his bias for the Comets showed a lot with some slams on the Crunch. Believe me, I am bias Both teams played very sluggishly and made it seem like the game meant nothing. It was definitely the rivals' worst game in their history. For the Crunch, their defense was strong for the first two periods. However, they seemed to run out of gas in the end and it cost them. Blame can not be put on York, who had a decent game in net but got no support from his teammates. The AHL regular season is coming to a close and the Crunch are towards the top of the league. As of today, the Crunch sit at the top of the Northeast Division and third in the Eastern Conference with 80 points. Last weekend, the Crunch won all three of their games, which gave them some breathing room between themselves and their tough divisional foes. But, this weekend may act as the measuring stick concerning where the Crunch really stand in the AHL and what chances they have within the playoffs. Let's break it down.
Tonight (3/20): Home vs. WB/Scranton Penguins Have a glance at the Eastern Conference standings. The Crunch hold the third spot as a divisional leader with 80 points. Right behind them lies the Baby Pens, who have 78 points and stand second in the East Division. This is the fourth meeting between the two teams with the Crunch winning the last two matches over Penguins. However, when you look at the final scores, each game has been decided by only one goal, including Scranton winning the first game in overtime fashion. The Penguins have always been fierce competition for the Crunch. They will be looking to not only even the season series, but gain ground in the playoff chase within the East Division and the Eastern Conference. This team reminds me more of the Penguins who gave the Crunch their first loss in the 2012-13 playoffs, pesky and skilled. On the other hand, the Crunch may use their momentum from last weekend and try to embarrass the Baby Pens like they did in the rest of the 2012-13 Eastern Conference Finals. It is Star Wars Night for the Crunch. Hopefully the force will be with them. Saturday (3/21): Home vs. Utica Comets The hottest rivalry in hockey ignites again in the Old Barn. Like the Crunch in the Eastern Conference, the Comets are first in the North Division and third in the Western Conference. The last time these teams met, the Crunch handled the Comets in the War Memorial with a 4-1 win. On the other hand, I think it can be agreed upon that Utica was not at their best. Pat Nagle, a former member of the Crunch, made his first start in net for Utica in the loss. This time, the Comets have either Joe Cannata or Joicam Eriksson in the goal, who have more experience starting against tough AHL competition. Utica is looking to claw back and get another win against their I-90 rival. As usual, I think the Old Barn will have more Comet Crazies in the stands and make it feel like an away game for the Crunch. Syracuse has to use home ice to their advantage and clinch the series against the Comets. Sunday (3/22): Away vs. Springfield Earlier in the season, the Crunch struggled against the Falcons and found themselves trying to chase them down in the division. Eventually, the Crunch not only caught Springfield, but jumped them for first. Now, the Falcons are in a dog fight with Hartford to take back first place from the Crunch. More importantly, the Falcons are sitting in eighth place of the Eastern Conference, which is the final spot in the playoffs. As of today, Springfield has 72 points, just eight behind the Crunch and one point behind the Wolf Pack. On the other hand, the Crunch have only beaten the Falcons once this season in five games. If anyone is going to beat the Crunch this weekend, the odds lie in favor of the Falcons. The Crunch need this win to keep the Falcons down in both the division and conference. It would also stand as a statement win heading to the postseason. You never know, the Crunch may end up facing the Falcons in the playoffs, just like in 2012-13. Keys to the Weekend: Who starts in net and when? Last weekend, both Guddy and York had great performances between the pipes. Both are basically unbeatable at their best. However, looking at experience and consistency, it is going to be a difficult call on which goalie starts in each game this weekend. York is good, but I would not trust him enough to go against Utica or Springfield. On the flip side, I don't think Guddy can go all three games this weekend. That would drain him and leave him questionable for the Wednesday match in Leigh Valley along with two home matches next weekend. It'll be interesting to see which games Guddy will play in and if York does get some playing time this weekend. The Return of the Captain: This morning, reports came in stating Tampa Bay has reassigned Captain Mike Angelidis back to the Crunch. This is a great move for the Crunch. They not only get their captain back, but they get a scoring threat plus some muscle back into a lineup in need of motivation and force. I wouldn't be surprise if Mike gets a couple of goals and racks up some penalty minutes for Syracuse. Spread Offense: Last weekend, the Crunch saw a variety of players produce goals on offense. They need to keep this trend going. Though having Gourde and Marchessault score plenty of goals isn't a bad thing, having more goal scorers keeps defenses on their toes and gives them fits trying to isolate and stop only a couple of offensive threats. Late Season Push: If you know the Crunch like I do, they always seem to pull out a late season run that propels them into the post season. Last weekend may stand as a sign of that habit rearing its head again. Believe me, wins are wins, no matter how or when the Crunch get them. Unlike in the past, the Crunch have the advantage of having a great first half of the season. Because of this, the Crunch are fighting for top seed positioning instead of fighting just to make the playoffs. Hopefully, the Crunch have their late season push and it turns into a lengthy playoff run. Conclusion: This is a must win weekend for the Crunch. Any loss this weekend can spell disaster for the Crunch concerning the rest of the season and possibly the playoffs. They need to not only win these games, but they need to learn from them in order to make improvements and prepare for the upcoming postseason. This is a weekend where fans need to flood to the War Memorial and cheer on the boys in white and blue (especially Saturday, DO NOT let Comet Crazies dominate attendance.) Let's Go Crunch! Thanks/Credits: http://syracusecrunch.com/news/2015/3/20/Crunch_0320155240.aspx http://theahl.com/playoff-primer-2015-p196322 http://syracusecrunch.com/schedule.aspx?path=mhockey&schedule=4&&tab=2 http://www.uticacomets.com/roster/ http://syracusecrunch.com/news/2015/2/28/Crunch_0228153810.aspx?path=mhockey Last week, the American Hockey League made it clear that more changes will be coming for the 2015-16 season. In a blockbuster announcement, the league announced the purchase of the Hamilton Bulldogs by the Montreal Canadians. The Canadians will be moving the Bulldogs to St. John's, who currently are the home of the Ice Caps. However, the Ice Caps were purchased by the Winnipeg Jets, who are going to move the Ice Caps to Winnipeg. Hamilton, who was left without an AHL franchise, will see the Bulldogs be reborn as a team within the Ontario Hockey League.
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Nicholas Episcopo
Broadcasting Graduate Archives
November 2018
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