CRUNCH EYE FIRST WIN VERSUS SENATORS
 
The Crunch conclude a three-game homestand tonight against the Belleville Senators at Upstate Medical University Arena.
 
The Senators have won all five meetings so far this season, including three in Syracuse.
 
LAST TIME OUT
 
The Crunch fell short in their comeback bid in a 3-2 loss to the Rochester Americans Wednesday at Upstate Medical University Arena.
 
Michael Mersch staked the Amerks to an early 1-0 lead with a one-timer goal from the bottom of the right circle just 2:26 into the game. Rochester made it 2-0 with a power-play goal at 7:25. Calle Själin ripped a point shot into the top corner for his first goal of the season.
 
The Amerks stretched the lead to 3-0 1:23 into the second frame when Riley Stillman banged home a 2-on-1 pass from Mason Jobst. Syracuse began its comeback effort later in the period when Ilya Usau fired home a power-play goal at 7:18 to make it 3-1. 
 
The Crunch closed the gap to one goal early in the third. Max Groshev sent a pass through the seam and found Emil Lilleberg cutting backdoor for the finish and his second goal of the season at 2:58. Syracuse knocked on the door several times, but the wind was taken out of the sails with a Rochester power play midway through the third, and the score held at 3-2 the rest of the game.
 
SCOUTING THE CRUNCH
 
The Crunch had their six-game point streak (5-0-1-0) snapped Wednesday against the Rochester Americans. Syracuse sits in second place in the North Division with a 33-18-4-2 record, totaling 72 points.
 
Cole Koepke continues to lead the charge offensively for the Crunch. The forward was held pointless in the Crunch's loss versus Rochester on Wednesday, but has been on fire since the start of the new year. Koepke has totaled 21 (13g, 8a) of his 30 points this season in that span, second only behind Jack Finley (22) in offensive production. The third-year pro is also the second leading scorer for the Crunch against the Senators with four points (3g, 1a) in four games played.
 
Tonight ends an 11-game stretch against North Division opponents. Syracuse is 25-14-4-2 against the North Division this season, including a 6-3-1-0 mark since Feb. 23.
 
SCOUTING THE SENATORS
 
The Senators currently sit in fourth place with a 29-23-3-2 record and 63 points. They ascended thanks to a strong February, during which they went 9-3-0-0. So far in March the Senators are 2-3-0-0, but they earned a win Wednesday versus Utica to open the week.
 
Angus Crookshank leads the team with 44 points (23g, 21a) in 48 games played this season. Crookshank also leads the Sens with six points (3g, 3a) in five games against the Crunch. That includes one of his team-leading five game-winning goals this season. The second-year pro has earned NHL ice time as well, racking up some career firsts with two points (1g, 1a) in eight NHL games with Ottawa.
 
Garrett Pilon, who won a Calder Cup last season with Hershey is on pace to shatter a career-high he set with the Bears in 2021-22. He recorded 42 points (17g, 25a) in 60 matchups that season. This season, the forward has 38 points (13g, 25a) in just 49 games for the Sens.
 
HEAD-TO-HEAD
 
The Crunch are winless in five meetings this season against the Senators, posting an 0-3-1-1 record. Belleville looks to sweep the four games in Syracuse with a win tonight; the final two matches of the eight-game series are slated for April at CAA Arena.
 
Defenseman Sean Day leads the Crunch with five points (2g, 3a) in four games played against the Senators. That includes two multi-point games (Feb. 14 and Feb. 24) comprised of one goal and one assist in both games.
 
Mads Sogaard has started four of five games against the Crunch. He is 4-0-0/2.65/.915 in those starts; he has a .940 save percentage in two starts in Syracuse.
 
CENTENNIAL STATUS  
 
Phil Myers skates in his 100th Crunch game tonight. The veteran has racked up 44 points (8g, 21a) in 99 games played for Syracuse across the past two seasons. Myers has also skated in 16 NHL games for the Tampa Bay Lightning, posting three points (1g, 2a). 
 
Overall, the defenseman has accumulated 224 games of AHL experience heading into tonight with 109 points (27g, 82a). The 27-year-old has played for three different AHL outfits (Lehigh Valley, Toronto, Syracuse) and three NHL organizations (Philadelphia, Nashville, Tampa Bay).
 
ADDING TO THE LEADERSHIP  
 
Prior to Wednesday's game, forwards Cole Koepke and Gabriel Fortier were named assistant captains for the Crunch. They join captain Gabriel Dumont and assistant captain Daniel Walcott among the leadership group that recently lost Jack Thompson in a trade to San Jose.
 
Fortier has skated in 220 career AHL games since joining the league full-time in 2020-21. Koepke has appeared in 191 AHL games after beginning his career in 2021-22. Both players have also seen action for the Tampa Bay Lightning in their respective careers.
 
CRUNCH ACQUIRE JORDY BELLERIVE  
 
The Crunch have acquired forward Jordy Bellerive from the San Jose Barracuda in exchange for Joe Carroll. Bellerive, 24, has seen action this season with Lehigh Valley and San Jose, totaling 46 games and 11 points (5g, 6a). He spent the first three seasons of his career with the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins, beginning in 2019-20.
 
A native of North Vancouver, Bellerive has skated in 264 career AHL games, collecting 100 points (43g, 57a).
 
Carroll heads to San Jose after grabbing 22 points (11g, 11a) in 46 games. He had four game-winning goals, including a pair of overtime winners.