CRUNCH FAIR WELL AGAINST RIVALS
The Syracuse Crunch posted a 2-1-0-0 record in Week 8 to hit December with wins in three of their last four games.
The Crunch earned both of their wins versus the Utica Comets. They won, 5-3, in Utica on Wednesday and then picked up a home win by the identical score on Saturday. In between was a heartbreaking 4-3 loss to the Rochester Americans which saw the Amerks score with 13.5 seconds remaining to take the lead.
Syracuse maneuvered through a turbulent month to post a 6-6-0-0 record despite 46 man games lost due to player recalls to Tampa Bay. Nine different players who began the season with the Crunch spent time on the Lightning roster in November.
TOP PERFORMERS
Jakob Pelletier finished November scorching hot. The winger rattled off a trio of multi-point games to top the Crunch with six points (4g, 2a) in Week 8. He has posted four straight multi-point games overall, and he carries a six-game scoring streak into December.
Pelletier has 11 points (5g, 6a) during his scoring streak to move into a tie for the league's scoring lead with 24 points this season. He is one of just three players in the AHL with at least 10 goals and at least 10 assists so far this season. The Crunch are 11-3-0-0 this season when Pelletier registers at least one point.
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Wojciech Stachowiak scored a goal in all three games in Week 8, and he finished with four points (3g, 1a). The winger scored the game-winning goal in Wednesday's win against the Utica Comets. He tallied a breakaway goal to level Friday's game against the Rochester Americans. He added a multi-point game with one goal and one assist Saturday versus the Comets.
Stachowiak, 26, is in his first pro season in North America. He has 13 points in 20 games this season. His eight goals are tied for second on the Crunch.
HALVY KEEPS EARNING WINS
Brandon Halverson won both of his starts last week and has won four straight appearances since Nov. 19. Halverson is tied for the AHL lead with nine wins. He is 9-4-0 with a 2.58 goals-against average and a .901 save percentage in 13 starts.
The 6-foot-5 netminder has 56 career AHL wins, including 38 for the Crunch since the 2023-24 campaign. His 38 Crunch wins rank eighth in franchise history. He is 38-18-11 with a 2.28 goals-against average and a .912 save percentage in 70 appearances for the Crunch.
THE CAROUSEL CONTINUES
The Crunch blueline composition remained fluid in Week 8. Both
Max Groshev and Simon Lundmark missed games while on recall to Tampa Bay as the Crunch played all three games while missing four defensemen who played opening night. Lundmark returned to the Crunch after the weekend, but Groshev was summoned back to the Lightning today.
The Crunch signed defensemen
Romain Rodzinski and Vincent Sevigny to professional tryout contracts. Rodzinski made his AHL debut Wednesday at Utica and skated in two games for the Crunch. Sevigny made his Crunch debut Friday at Rochester; he has 98 career AHL games to his name.
UPCOMING WEEK
Thursday, December 4 at Cleveland | 7 p.m.
Saturday, December 6 at Cleveland | 12:30 p.m.
The Crunch head to Cleveland for a two-game set against the Monsters at Rocket Arena. It will be the only two games between the clubs in Cleveland this season; the teams will meet twice in Syracuse in March.
The teams split their four-game set last year, and both games in Cleveland went into overtime. Cleveland native
Dylan Duke led the Crunch with five points (2g, 3a), which were all scored at Rocket Arena.
The Monsters have played a league-low 16 games entering the week. They are 6-6-3-1 this season and are in sixth place in the North Division with 16 points. They play at Grand Rapids on Wednesday.
WEEK 8 RESULTS
Wednesday, Nov. 26 | Game 18 at Utica | W, 5-3
Syracuse 2 2 1 - 5 Shots: 11-6-7-24 PP: 0/4
Utica 2 0 1 - 3 Shots: 8-8-6-22 PP: 0/2
1st Period-Geekie 4 (
Harpur, Lundmark), 7:34. Furry 3 (
Geekie, Pelletier), 14:20. 2nd Period-Geekie 5 (
Pelletier, Miller), 7:19. Stachowiak 6 (
Pietroniro, Allard), 11:55. 3rd Period-Furry 4 (
Pietroniro, Allard), 10:49. . . .
Halverson 8-4-0 (22 shots-19 saves) A-3,108
Friday, Nov. 28 | Game 19 at Rochester | L, 4-3
Syracuse 0 2 1 - 3 Shots: 8-12-9-29 PP: 0/3
Rochester 1 1 2 - 4 Shots: 8-13-7-28 PP: 0/3
2nd Period-Stachowiak 7 (
Unassisted), 3:06. Pelletier 7 (
Miller, Abruzzese), 9:08. 3rd Period-Pelletier 8 (
Miller, Geekie), 10:29. . . .
Fanti 4-3-0 (28 shots-24 saves) A-7,349
Saturday, Nov. 29 | Game 20 vs. Utica | W, 5-3
Utica 1 2 0 - 3 Shots: 10-13-17-40 PP: 1/4
Syracuse 2 2 1 - 5 Shots: 8-10-3-21 PP: 1/2
1st Period-Pelletier 9 (
Abruzzese, Geekie), 5:23. Stachowiak 8 (
Allard, Harpur), 16:35. 2nd Period-Pietroniro 3 (
Stachowiak, Duke), 13:10. Pelletier 10 (
Chaffee, Abruzzese), 17:35 (PP). 3rd Period-Chaffee 5 (
Duke, Groshev), 4:15. . . .
Halverson 9-4-0 (40 shots-37 saves) A-5,620
| Category |
Average/Total |
AHL Rank (Prev) |
| Power Play |
23.3% (20-for-86) |
11th (8th) |
| Penalty Kill |
83.1% (54-for-65) |
10th (13th) |
| Goals For |
3.55 GFA (71) |
4th (T-5th) |
| Goals Against |
2.75 GAA (55) |
8th (T-8th) |
| Shots For |
28.55 SF/G (571) |
14th (10th) |
| Shots Against |
25.95 SA/G (519) |
5th (3rd) |
| Penalty Minutes |
14.25 PIM/G (285) |
13th (14th) |
| Category |
|
Leader |
| Points |
24 |
Pelletier |
| Goals |
10 |
Pelletier |
| Assists |
14 |
Pelletier |
| PIM |
34 |
Schmidt |
| Plus/Minus |
+8 |
Groshev |
| Wins |
9 |
Halverson |
| GAA |
2.44 |
Fanti |
| Save % |
.907 |
Fanti |
| North Division |
GP |
W |
L |
OTL |
SOL |
PTS |
PCT |
GF |
GA |
PIM |
HOME |
ROAD |
LAST 10 |
STREAK |
S/O |
| 1. Laval |
20 |
14 |
6 |
0 |
0 |
28 |
0.700 |
66 |
48 |
329 |
7-2-0-0 |
7-4-0-0 |
8-2-0-0 |
4-0-0-0 |
1-0 |
| 2. Syracuse |
20 |
13 |
7 |
0 |
0 |
26 |
0.650 |
71 |
55 |
285 |
5-3-0-0 |
8-4-0-0 |
5-5-0-0 |
1-0-0-0 |
0-0 |
| 3. Rochester |
21 |
12 |
9 |
0 |
0 |
24 |
0.571 |
70 |
67 |
300 |
5-4-0-0 |
7-5-0-0 |
5-5-0-0 |
1-0-0-0 |
0-0 |
| 4. Belleville |
22 |
10 |
10 |
2 |
0 |
22 |
0.500 |
71 |
79 |
246 |
3-5-1-0 |
7-5-1-0 |
5-4-1-0 |
0-3-0-0 |
2-0 |
| 5. Toronto |
20 |
9 |
9 |
1 |
1 |
20 |
0.500 |
58 |
64 |
224 |
4-3-0-1 |
5-6-1-0 |
4-5-1-0 |
1-0-0-0 |
0-1 |
| 6. Cleveland |
16 |
6 |
6 |
3 |
1 |
16 |
0.500 |
39 |
46 |
212 |
1-5-2-1 |
5-1-1-0 |
3-5-2-0 |
0-2-0-0 |
0-1 |
| 7. Utica |
17 |
2 |
12 |
2 |
1 |
7 |
0.206 |
32 |
59 |
225 |
2-6-1-1 |
0-6-1-0 |
2-6-1-1 |
0-6-1-1 |
0-1 |
