It only took 17 seconds for the Crunch to score their first goal of the game. Jeff Tambellini sped past the Binghamton defense and beat Matt O'Conner glove side to put the home team up early. The rest of the first period was rather quiet, both teams played fast and furious but didn't have success finding a goal. In the last minutes of the period, Ty McGinn dropped the gloves with Colin Greening, in which the two traded hay makers back and forth to the delight of the crowd.
The second period became both rougher and, for the Crunch, sloppier. Syracuse struggled to get up ice and create chances in the offensive zone. They also had flashes of last season when they went on the power play but let Cole Schneider put one past Gudlevskis to even the game at one. After the tying goal, the two team traded chances and penalties, but the period would end with the score still tied.
The final period would see both teams frantically trying to find a winning goal. Gudlevskis would stand on his head multiple times and make up for a lack of Crunch defense. Finally, the Crunch found the light by way of Tambellini. As a Binghamton penalty expired, Tambellini took a pass from DeAngelo and fired a shot from the left face-off dot. Like in the first, O'Conner would be fooled and the puck would land in the back of the net. Tambellini's second marker would be the difference maker along with a stone wall performance from Gudlevskis as the Crunch would hold on for the win. The Lativan net-minder would finish with 27 saves on the night and pick up his second win.
Tonight would be much different for the boys in blue. On the road once again, they would struggle on both sides of the puck, falling to the Hartford Wolf Pack 5-2. Paradis and Peca would score the only Crunch goals while Adam Wilcox made 28 saves in his first start of the season. With the loss, the Crunch are now 2-1 on the season with a rematch against Hartford coming on Friday.
Thanks/Credits:
http://theahl.com/stats/game-summary.php?game_id=1014735
http://theahl.com/stats/game-summary.php?game_id=1014739