SYRACUSE, N.Y. – The Syracuse Crunch fell to the Utica Comets, 5-4, in overtime tonight at the Upstate Medical University Arena.
 
Despite the loss, the Crunch finish in second place in the North Division and have clinched home ice in the North Division Semifinals. Syracuse completes the 2022-23 regular season with a 35-26-7-4 record and 81 points. They won the 14-game season against the Comets, 8-3-2-1.
 
Crunch goaltender Max Lagace turned aside 27-of-32 shots. Isaac Poulter recorded the win turning aside 30-of-34 between the pipes for the Comets.
 
The Syracuse power play went 1-for-4, while Utica was 1-for-5.
 
The Crunch opened scoring just 1:13 into the game. Phil Myers skated the puck down the right side and centered it for Simon Ryfors to poke across the goal line.
 
Utica evened the score early in the second period. Robbie Russo sent the puck along the blue line to Zack Hayes who scored with a long wrist shot from the left point. Syracuse regained their lead with a power-play goal four minutes later. Gabriel Dumont won the face off in the right circle and sent the puck back to Alex Barre-Boulet. He quickly dished the puck over for Gage Goncalves to send in with a wrister. The Crunch built up a two-goal lead at 11:20 during 4-on-4 play when Barre-Boulet fired in a one-timer from the right circle off a feed from Ryfors.
 
The Comets stole one back with a power-play goal of their own 3:40 into the final frame. Max Lagace made the save on Ryan Schmelzer's shot but Nolan Stevens found the rebound and shoved it into the net. At 7:48, Rudolfs Balcers delayed on a shot and lifted the puck over Poulter to put Syracuse back up by two.
 
Utica had late third-period rally to tie the game and force overtime. Simon Nemec scored during a scramble out front at the 16:51 mark, then Graeme Clarke knotted the score with a left circle shot just over a minute later. The Comets completed the comeback when Reilly Walsh potted the game-winner 3:15 into the overtime frame.
 
Single game tickets and ticket packages for the 2023 Calder Cup Playoffs are on sale now and can be purchased in person at the Crunch office located inside the Upstate Medical University Arena at Onondaga County War Memorial at 800 S. State St. in Syracuse, by calling the office at 315-473-4444 or online through Ticketmaster. For the latest Crunch news, visit www.syracusecrunch.com or follow the club on Facebook (www.facebook.com/syracusecrunch), Twitter (@SyracuseCrunch) and Instagram (@syracusecrunch).
 
Crunchables: Simon Ryfors has six goals in the last four games against the Comets…Alex Barre-Boulet has set a new single-season franchise record with 84 points.