SYRACUSE, N.Y. – The Syracuse Crunch fell to the Utica Comets, 4-1, tonight at the Adirondack Bank Center.
 
The Crunch move to 23-19-8-4 on the season and 3-5-1-0 in the 14-game season series against the Comets.
 
Crunch goaltender Matt Tomkins put a stop to 26-of-29 shots, while Nico Daws turned aside 17-of-18 for the Comets. The Syracuse power play converted on 1-of-4 opportunities, while Utica went 2-for-3.
 
The Comets were first on the board with a power play goal two minutes into the opening frame. Tomkins made the initial save on a shot from Nathan Légaré, but Joe Gambardella backhanded the rebound in from in front of the crease. Utica doubled its lead at the 19:37 mark when Légaré found the back of the net from the low slot while on the man-advantage. 
 
Syracuse trimmed Utica's lead with a power play goal nearly halfway through the second period. Dylan Duke dished the puck from down low to the right circle where Conor Geekie netted a snapshot.
 
Légaré gave the Comets a 3-1 lead at the 8:27 mark of the final frame with a snapshot from the left circle on the rush. Gambardella potted an empty-net goal to seal the victory for Utica.
 
The Crunch close out their three-game road swing at Wilkes-Barre/Scranton on Sunday.
 
Single game tickets and ticket packages for the 2024-25 season 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), X (@SyracuseCrunch) and Instagram (@syracusecrunch).
 
Crunchables: Anthony Angello made his Crunch debut tonight.