CRUNCH EARN TWO WINS TO CLOSE MARCH  
 
The Crunch picked up two crucial wins during a three-game weekend in Week 25.
 
Syracuse began its final three-in-three stretch of the season with a 1-0 win over the Utica Comets on Friday. Brandon Halverson made 20 saves for his fifth shutout of the season. The Crunch nearly rallied from a 3-0 deficit on Saturday, ultimately falling to the Rochester Americans, 4-2, Saturday on home ice. The teams rematched Sunday in Rochester, and this time the Crunch erased a 2-0 deficit to win, 3-2, in overtime. Conor Sheary delivered the game-winning goal 14 seconds into the extra session.
 
The Crunch posted an 8-3-1-0 record in March. They begin April in fifth place in the North Division with 72 points (30-21-8-4). Their cushion for the final playoff position in the North Division is three points with nine games remaining.
 
TOP PERFORMER
 
Forward Conor Sheary had a point in all three games for the Crunch in Week 25. He set up the game-winning goal Friday against Utica, grabbed another assist Saturday and then posted one goal and one assist Sunday at Rochester. He facilitated the Crunch's first goal to spark their comeback from 2-0 down before scoring the overtime game-winning goal 14 seconds into the extra frame.
 
With four points in three games, Sheary overtook Derrick Pouliot for the Crunch lead in scoring. The veteran has 50 points (18g, 32a) in 51 games. His 26 points (9g, 17a) in 20 games since the All-Star Break is tied for sixth in the AHL in that span.
 
TWO MORE ADDED FROM COLLEGE RANKS
 
The Crunch roster grew by two over the weekend with the addition of a pair of forwards out of college. The Lightning signed 2022 draft pick Connor Kurth following his junior season at the University of Minnesota. Tampa Bay also acquired the rights to forward Lucas Mercuri from Carolina, and the Lightning signed him on Sunday. Both players join the Crunch on tryout agreements for the remainder of the season.
 
Kurth, 21, posted 39 points (18g, 21a) in 40 games for the Gophers this season. The 6-foot, 215-pound winger totaled 71 points (32g, 39a) in 115 games over three collegiate seasons.
 
Mercuri, 23, was a 2020 pick by Carolina and spent the last four seasons at UMass-Amherst. He had 31 points (10g, 21a) in 40 games this season.
 
UPCOMING WEEK      
             
Wednesday, April 2 at Belleville | 7 p.m.
The Crunch begin the week with their most important game of the season to date. They head to Belleville to face the team hot on their heels for the final playoff position in the division. The Crunch and Senators wrap up their eight-game season series and enter the match separated by three points in the standings. Syracuse is 5-2-0-0 in seven games against the Senators so far, but the team haven't gone head-to-head since Jan. 3.
 
The Senators are 4-5-0-1 in the last 10 games. They are 17-10-2-3 at CAA Arena.
 
Friday, April 4 vs. Toronto | 7 p.m.
The Crunch begin a home-and-home series against the Toronto Marlies Friday at Upstate Medical University Arena. The Crunch have played one fewer game than the Marlies and trail Toronto by three points in the North Division. 
 
The teams have split the first four games of their season series. They have also split the two previous games contested in Syracuse. The Crunch's two wins have been via shutouts.
 
The Marlies are 5-5-0-0 in the last 10 games. They are 15-12-2-3 on the road this season.
 
Saturday, April 5 at Toronto | 4 p.m.
The Crunch and Marlies play the back end of their home-and-home series Saturday afternoon at Coca-Cola Coliseum. Syracuse holds a 1-0-1-0 record in Toronto this season and is 8-1-2-0 in the last 11 games played at Coca-Cola Coliseum.
 
Jack Finley (2g, 3a) and Conor Sheary (5a) top the Crunch with five points apiece in the head-to-head series. Alex Nylander tops active Marlies with three points — all assists — in four games versus Syracuse.
 
WEEK 25 RESULTS
Friday, March 28 | Game 61 vs. Utica | W, 1-0
Utica              0 0 0 - 0     Shots: 6-7-7-20              PP: 0/5
Syracuse        0 1 0 - 1     Shots: 14-8-8-30           PP: 1/4
2nd Period-Geekie 6 (Sheary, Duke), 19:39 (PP). Halverson 17-9-8 (20 shots-20 saves) A-5,320
 
Saturday, March 29 | Game 62 vs. Rochester | L, 4-2
Rochester     2 1 1 - 4     Shots: 10-7-9-26           PP: 0/2
Syracuse        0 0 2 - 2     Shots: 7-6-12-25           PP: 1/5
3rd Period-Dumont 1 (Crozier, Korczak), 2:01. Geekie 7 (Pouliot, Sheary), 16:22 (PP). . . . Halverson 17-10-8 (11 shots-8 saves); Fanti ND (14 shots-14 saves) A-6,173
 
Sunday, March 30 | Game 63 at Rochester | W, 3-2 (OT)
Syracuse        0 1 1 1 - 3 Shots: 4-9-10-1-24        PP: 0/3
Rochester     0 2 0 0 - 2 Shots: 10-8-9-0-27        PP: 0/2
2nd Period-Finley 13 (Sheary, Geekie), 13:15. 3rd Period-Angello 10 (Santini, Allard), 14:59. Overtime-Sheary 18 (Finley, Crozier), 0:14. . . . Halverson 18-10-8 (27 shots-25 saves) A-7,541
 

Category	Average/Total	AHL Rank (Prev)
Power Play	16.7% (38-for-228)	T-26th (T-26th)
Penalty Kill	82.6% (181-for-219)	15th (16th)
Goals For	2.87 GFA (181)	T-22nd (21st)
Goals Against	2.57 GAA (162)	3rd (5th)
Shots For	27.52 SF/G (1734)	25th (25th)
Shots Against	27.19 SA/G (1713)	7th (8th)
Penalty Minutes	11.89 PIM/G (749)	23rd (24th)

 

Category		Leader
Points	50	Sheary
Goals	18	Sheary
Assists	42	Pouliot
PIM	73	Crozier
Plus/Minus	+14	Huuhtanen
Wins	18	Halverson
GAA	2.30	Halverson
Save %	.913	Halverson

 

North Division	GP	W	L	OTL	SOL	PTS	PCT	GF	GA	PIM	HOME	ROAD	LAST 10	STREAK	S/O
1. x Laval	63	42	17	3	1	88	0.698	201	158	1002	23-8-2-1	19-9-1-0	7-2-1-0	0-1-0-0	3-1
2. Rochester	64	39	18	4	3	85	0.664	220	169	718	17-10-3-1	22-8-1-2	5-4-1-0	4-0-1-0	5-3
3. Toronto	64	33	22	3	6	75	0.586	184	177	758	18-10-1-3	15-12-2-3	5-5-0-0	0-1-0-0	4-6
4. Cleveland	64	31	22	5	6	73	0.570	181	198	789	13-11-3-5	18-11-2-1	3-6-0-1	0-1-0-1	3-6
5. Syracuse	63	30	21	8	4	72	0.571	181	162	749	14-10-4-4	16-11-4-0	7-3-0-0	1-0-0-0	3-4
6. Belleville	63	30	24	4	5	69	0.548	181	195	887	17-10-2-3	13-14-2-2	4-5-0-1	1-0-0-1	4-5
7. Utica	63	26	30	5	2	59	0.468	169	196	797	14-12-3-2	12-18-2-0	4-5-1-0	2-0-0-0	2-2