CRUNCH FACE DEFENDING CHAMPION BEARS

The Crunch look to rebound from a loss last night as they host the two-time defending Calder Cup champion Hershey Bears at Upstate Medical University Arena.
 
It's the first of four head-to-head meetings this season after the teams split a two-game set last season.
 
BROADCAST COVERAGE

Countdown to Crunch Time at 6:45 p.m.
Streaming: Pay-to-watch video via AHLTV on FloHockey | www.syracusecrunch.com/watch
Radio: ESPN Radio Syracuse | www.espncny.com
 
SYRACUSE HOCKEY HALL OF FAME

The Crunch celebrate the inaugural class of the Syracuse Hockey Hall of Fame prior to tonight's contest with the Hershey Bears. The Syracuse Hockey Hall of Fame will honor those people who have made an impact on the game of hockey in Syracuse — both on and off the ice, at the pro and amateur levels.
 
The inaugural class features five inductees — Scott Walker, Howard Dolgon, Ed Kochian, Alan Taylor and Brian Elwell. 
 
Walker and Elwell both played professionally in Syracuse — Walker as a member of the Crunch from 1994 to 1996 and Elwell with the Blazers of the EHL from 1968 to 1972.
 
Crunch owner Dolgon, Deputy County Executive Kochian, General Partner Taylor and Elwell all played a significant role in bringing professional hockey back to Syracuse in the form of the Crunch in 1994. Their efforts have established Syracuse as one of the most stable and successful markets in the AHL over the last 30 years.
 
Fans can see the newly erected Hall of Fame wall in the Montgomery Street surge area on the second floor of the Upstate Medical University Arena. 
 
LAST TIME OUT

The Crunch overcame multiple deficits, but couldn't answer a late power-play goal in a 4-3 loss to the Utica Comets last night at Upstate Medical University Arena.
 
The Comets grabbed a 2-0 lead before the Crunch found their game. Ryan Schmelzer netted a power-play goal at 3:36 of the first period and Adam Beckman redirected a pass at 2:41 of the second to open the advantage. 
 
The Crunch scored the next two to pull level. Jesse Ylonen swiped home a rebound for a power-play goal at 10:13 of the second period to make it a 2-1 game. Niko Huuhtanen tied the game with a power-play goal of his own 6:04 into the third. 
 
Utica's Mike Hardman made it 3-2 four minutes later with a blast from the right circle, but the Crunch responded again when Dylan Duke set up Conor Sheary with 4:40 to go in regulation. The Comets reclaimed the lead with 1:13 left in regulation on Hardman's second goal on the period and they held on for the 4-3 win.
 
SCOUTING THE CRUNCH

Syracuse (7-6-1-1) currently sits in sixth place in the North Division with 16 points. The Crunch are 3-3-1-1 in November with wins against Hartford, Belleville, and Utica.
 
Three of the Crunch's top five scorers are rookies. Dylan Duke (9), Niko Huuhtanen (8), and Gabriel Szturc (7) have combined for 24 points. Duke has appeared in all fifteen games for the Crunch, notching five goals and four assists. His five goals are tied for the team lead and he has scored the game's first goal three times. Huuhtanen also has five goals after he recorded his second power-play goal of the season last night. Szturc has the second most assists on the team (7), but he is yet to score his first AHL goal.
 
Brandon Halverson has been a steady presence for the Crunch. The 6-foot-5 goaltender is currently first in the AHL for goals-against average (1.27) in seven games played this season. Last Friday against Laval, Halverson turned away 39 of 42 shots he faced against the Rocket in a shootout loss.
 
SCOUTING THE BEARS

It's business as usual for the Hershey Bears (12-4-2-0), who lead the Atlantic Division with 26 points after claiming a second straight Calder Cup in June. Coming off a comeback overtime 4-3 win against Rochester, the Bears have improved their road point streak to eight games to start the season (7-0-1-0) — one away from their franchise mark to open a season. Since 2022, Hershey has gone 52-17-4-7 (.719) over 80 games away from its barn, the Giant Center.
 
Hershey forward Mike Vecchione notched his second overtime goal of the season against Rochester, tying him with Cleveland's Denton Mateychuk for the league lead. That score marked his 15th career game-winning tally with the Bears, ranking him tied for 30th in franchise history.
 
Hunter Shepard has appeared in 12 of the Bears' 18 games this season. Shepard is 9-2-1 with a .914 save percentage this season. He has backstopped the Bears to their back-to-back Calder Cups, and was playoff MVP in 2023.
 
GETTING BACK ON TRACK

The Crunch are looking to end their four-game winless spell on home ice. The Crunch, which won their first three home games this season, have gone 0-3-0-1 in the last four home contests.
 
Three of the seven games played in Syracuse this season have required overtime. The Crunch have been outscored 22-17 in the seven games. In three of the four setbacks the Crunch have gone down 1-0 in the first 10 minutes of the first period.
 
HEAD-TO-HEAD  

The Crunch and Bears square off four times this season, the most since the 2021-22 campaign. Last season they split a two-game series in which the home team won both contests by identical 4-1 scores.
 
Among Crunch returners, Tristan Allard, Gabe Fortier and Daniel Walcott all scored goals. Riley Sutter scored twice in the Bears win against the Crunch; Pierrick Dube is the other returner who scored in the series last year. Matt Tomkins and Clay Stevenson earned wins for their respective clubs.