CRUNCH BATTLE SENATORS
 
The Syracuse Crunch make a trip to Belleville to match up against the Senators this afternoon at CAA Arena.
 
It's the first of eight games head-to-head between the clubs this season. Syracuse posted a 6-2-0-0 record in the season series in 2024-25.
 
BROADCAST COVERAGE
 
Countdown to Crunch Time at 2:45 p.m.
Streaming: Pay-to-watch video via AHLTV on FloHockey | www.syracusecrunch.com/watch
Radio: ESPN Radio Syracuse | www.espncny.com
 
LAST TIME OUT
 
Brandon Halverson made 31 saves and Matteo Pietroniro scored twice to lead the Crunch to a 3-0 home opening victory last night at Upstate Medical University Arena.
 
In a fast-paced first period, Pietroniro was the only guy to find the back of the net. He tapped home a feed from Jakob Pelletier at 17:26 to give the Crunch a 1-0 lead. He struck again early in the second period with a long-range wrister that found the top right corner of the goal for a 2-0 lead at 4:24.
 
Halverson kept the lead at two until Wojciech Stachowiak swatted a mid-air goal late in the third period to increase their lead to 3-0. 
 
Halverson improved to 2-0-0 on the season, and the shutout was his seventh of his AHL career.
 
STRONG OFF THE BLOCKS
 
The Crunch are 3-0-0-0 for the second time in the Joel Bouchard era (also 2023-24). It's only the fifth time in franchise history the club has opened a regular season with three straight wins. 
 
Syracuse has started 4-0-0-0 only twice previously in franchise history (1995-96 and 1996-97).
 
The Crunch are the only North Division squad without a regulation loss so far this season. Their six points are tied with Laval (3-1-0-0) for the most in the division.
 
AN UNLIKEY HERO
 
Defenseman Matteo Pietroniro made his Crunch debut and had a career game in the team's 3-0 win last night. In the lineup due to Steven Santini's recall to Tampa Bay, Pietroniro opened the scoring in the first period. He then added to the lead with a tally in the second period.
 
It marked the 26-year-old's first career multi-goal game in the AHL. The Boise, Idaho native only had four career goals in 125 AHL contests prior to last night. He signed an AHL contract with the Crunch this summer after previously playing in the AHL with Toronto and Rockford.
 
SABOURIN RETURNS TO BELLEVILLE
 
Veteran forward Scott Sabourin returns from recall to Tampa Bay in time for a match against one of his former clubs. Sabourin played 91 games for Belleville from 2021 to 2023, totaling 50 points (21g, 19a).
 
Sabourin joined the Lightning for the final two games of their road trip and was unavailable for the Crunch last night. He notched one goal and one assist over the Crunch's first two games of the season last week at Hershey. 
 
He did not play for Tampa Bay while on recall, but he has now served two games of his four-game NHL suspension stemming from a preseason game against Florida.
 
SCOUTING THE SENATORS
 
The Senators earned a standings point, but they lost their third straight game to begin the season last night. The 2-1 overtime setback slid the Senators to 0-2-1-0 on the campaign. It's the first time since their inaugural season (2017-18) that they've lost three straight games to begin a season. They have never started a campaign with four straight losses.
 
Belleville has been outscored 13-5 through three games, including their road losses last weekend at Lehigh Valley and Bridgeport.
 
Stephen Halliday tops the Senators in scoring. He has an assist on three of Belleville's five total goals this season.
 
STACHOWIAK ON THE BOARD
 
Wojciech Stachowiak nabbed his first career AHL goal in last night's 3-0 Crunch win. The Gdansk, Poland native batted a puck out of mid-air to put the Crunch up 3-0 in the third period.
 
Stachowiak signed with the Tampa Bay Lightning in the offseason. He's in his first pro season in North America after playing five seasons in Germany's DEL.