SYRACUSE, N.Y. – The Syracuse Crunch fell to the Utica Comets, 5-1, today at the Adirondack Bank Center.
 
The Crunch move to 23-15-2-1 on the season and 7-3-0-0 in the 12-game seasons series with the Comets.
 
Crunch goaltender Ryan Fanti turned aside 5-of-9 shots before being relieved by Brandon Halverson two minutes into the second period. Halverson went on to stop 17-of-18. Jakub Málek put a stop to 26-of-27 shots for the Comets. The Syracuse power play was held scoreless on five opportunities while Utica converted on 1-of-5. 
 
The Comets took an early lead 3:40 into the opening frame as Ethan Edwards fired a wrist shot from the left point. Nathan Légaré doubled the lead, 2-0, nearly halfway through the period as he skated down the ice on a breakaway and sent it in from the right circle. With four seconds remaining in the frame, Kyle Criscuolo tipped in a power-play goal from the left side of the crease to make it 3-0, Utica. 
 
Two minutes into the second period, Angus Crookshank notched a shorthanded goal from the right circle to extend the Utica lead, 4-0. Five minutes later the Crunch were on the board as Dylan Duke potted his 20th goal of the season. Ethan Samson fired a shot from the blue line and Duke deflected it from in the slot. The Comets regained their four-goal lead, 5-1, at the 16:40 mark of the middle frame as Jonathan Gruden netted the puck from the left circle. 
 
Utica's 5-1 lead held through the third period to secure the victory. 
 
The Crunch return home on Friday to face off against the Laval Rocket at 7 p.m. 
 
Ticket packages for the 2025-26 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: Dylan Duke leads all Crunch skaters with 20 goals… Tonight was just the second time this season the Crunch have allowed five goals in a game.