SYRACUSE, N.Y. - The Syracuse Crunch (4-4-1-0) defeated I-81 rivals the Binghamton Senators (3-5-2-0) 6-3 tonight at the Floyd L. Maines Veterans Memorial Arena.

Six different Crunch players found the back of the net and goaltender Kristers Gudlevskis stopped 25 of 28 shots to improve the Crunch's season record against the Senators to 2-0-0-0. 

After a scoreless first period Syracuse right wing Jonathan Marchessault opened the scoring with his third goal of the season 1:38 into the second period. Defenseman Jake Dotchin set up Marchessault, who beat BSens netminder Andrew Hammond with the one-timer. Cedric Paquette had the second assist on the play.

Defenseman Slater Koekkoek doubled the Crunch lead with a power-play goal, his first as a professional, 9:05 into the period. Assisted by Dylan Blujus and Tanner Richard, Koekkoek's shot from the point beat Hammond glove side.

The Senators responded with two goals of their own to end the second period in a 2-2 tie. Halfway through the second Jean-Gabriel Pageau scored to cut the Crunch lead to 2-1, assisted by Chris Wideman and Buddy Robinson. Matt Puempel added his second goal of the season with 7:34 to play in the period, assisted by Ryan Dzingel.

Syracuse added four goals in the final frame to put away the Senators. Cody Kunyk put the Crunch up 3-2 with his second goal of the season 3:06 into the period. Assists on Kunyk's goal went to Philippe Paradis, his first point of the season, and Yanni Gourde. Joel Vermin made it 4-2, capitalizing on a Senators defensive zone turnover 4:39 into the period.

Binghamton responded by converting a Nikita Nesterov elbowing penalty into a power-play goal from Wideman, assisted by Patrick Mullen at the 6:48 mark.

Crunch left wing Dalton Smith extended the Crunch lead to 5-3 by converting on an odd-man rush with 7:47 to go in the third period. Dotchin picked up his second point of the game with the only assist. Paquette gave the Crunch a three-goal lead, their largest of the game, with less than three minutes to play on blast from the left wing circle, assisted by Vermin.


The Crunch host the Norfolk Admirals in back-to-back contests at the War Memorial on Nov. 7 and 8.