CRUNCH CELEBRATE 30TH HOME OPENER
 
The Crunch mark their 30th home opener in franchise history tonight as they host the Bridgeport Islanders at Upstate Medical University Arena.
 
The teams will meet twice this season, with the Crunch traveling to Bridgeport for a morning faceoff on Nov. 14.
 
LAST TIME OUT
 
The Crunch edged the Utica Comets, 4-3, in overtime last night to grab a win in their season opener.
 
The Crunch used a strong first period to grab a 2-1 lead heading into the first period. Ilya Usau scored the season's opening goal off the rush with a rip from the left circle at 2:20 of the first period. After the Comets tied the game less than five minutes later, another Crunch power-play goal made it 2-1. Usua's left circle shot was stopped, but Lucas Edmonds spun home the rebound at 16:33.
 
Syracuse doubled its lead 9:44 into the third period when Cole Koepke forced a steal and wired home a shot for his first goal of the season. The Comets rallied for two goals, including the equalizer with under a minute to play, to force overtime. Felix Robert provided the winner with 15 seconds remaining to give the Crunch the win.
 
ROBERT READY TO GO AGAIN
 
Crunch forward Felix Robert delivered the overtime game-winning goal last night at Utica. It marks the third straight season that Robert has scored a goal in his first game; the 24-year-old began his Crunch career last season with five points (2g, 3a) in their season-opening series in Cleveland.
 
The Lambton, Quebec native also made quite an impression in his Crunch home debut last season. Robert netted a hat trick as part of a four-point night (3g, 1a) to lead the team to a 6-2 home-opening win against Rochester on Oct. 22, 2022.
 
SCOUTING THE CRUNCH
 
The Crunch began their 30th season last night with an opening night win. The team is now 13-10-2-2 (with three ties) all-time in season openers. Now, they aim to begin a season with back-to-back wins for the first time since 2016-17.
 
Nine players chipped in with a point last night, led by Ilya Usua's multi-point game (1g, 1a). Lucas Edmonds, Cole Koepke and Felix Robert added the last three goals for the Crunch. It's the second straight campaign in which Koepke has scored a goal in his first game of the season with the Crunch; he ended last year with seven goals and 19 points in 52 games.
 
ILYA IGNITES
 
Forward Ilya Usau opened the season with a strong showing last night in Utica. The 22-year-old had a hand in the Crunch's first two goals of the night to help build a 2-1 first period lead. He fired home a power-play goal to get credit for the first goal scored across the American Hockey League this season just 2:20 into the game. He then earned an assist on Lucas Edmonds' power-play goal later in the frame.
 
Usau's multi-point performance was his first since Nov. 26, 2022 vs. Providence. That was his lone multi-point game as an AHL rookie last season. He has also already matched his power-play production with his two points last night. 
 
Usau finished the 2022-23 campaign with 16 points (4g, 12a) in 57 games.
 
30TH SEASON
 
The Crunch are celebrating their 30th season in the American Hockey League in 2023-24. Beginning play in 1994, the Crunch are the fourth-oldest franchise that has been continually operating in the AHL; only the Hershey Bears, Rochester Americans and Providence Bruins have been in operation in their city longer than the Crunch.
 
SCOUTING THE ISLANDERS
 
The Islanders, like the Crunch, spoiled an opposition home opener last night with an overtime win. They defeated Rochester, 4-3, on Ruslan Iskhakov's first career overtime goal. He finished the night with three points (2g, 1a) to give Rick Kowalsky a win in his debut as Islanders head coach.
 
Brian Pinho had a hand in all four Bridgeport goals last night in his Islanders debut. After spending last season in Utica, Pinho returns to the Atlantic Division, where he began his career with the Hershey Bears from 2018 to 2022. His four assists set a career high, and also marked a franchise record for most points in a Bridgeport debut.
 
The Islanders missed the playoffs last season for the first time since 2017-18. Last night's win was their first in a season opener since 2016.
 
THE CAPTAIN'S BACK
 
Crunch captain Gabriel Dumont is back for his sixth season in the Salt City. It's his fourth season (2018-19; 2021-present) as the Crunch's captain. Dumont becomes just the third player in team history to serve as captain over four seasons, joining Mark Wotton (1995-99) and Mike Angelidis (2012-16). Dumont is 15 games away from 700 career AHL games.
 
The Crunch begin with only one alternate captain - Daniel Walcott. The 29-year-old enters his ninth season with the Crunch, and he holds the franchise record for games played (379).
 
HOME OPENER HISTORY
 
Tonight marks the 30th home opener in Crunch history. The Crunch are 14-9-1-1 all-time in home openers, posting four ties along the way. That includes their first game in franchise history, a 7-7 tie against Albany on September 30, 1994. 
 
Since affiliating with the Tampa Bay Lightning ahead of the 2012-13 season, the Crunch own a 6-4-1-0 record in home openers at Upstate Medical University Arena.
 
The Crunch have face Bridgeport once in a home opener and that game ended in a 4-4 tie on Oct. 6, 2001. It was the then Bridgeport Sound Tigers second ever regular season game.