SYRACUSE CRUNCH TOP HAMILTON HAMMERS, 4-3
 
SYRACUSE, N.Y. – After opening the game with three goals on their first three shots, the Syracuse Crunch battled for a 4-3 victory over the Hamilton Hammers in their first-ever meeting at TD Coliseum this afternoon. 
 
The Crunch fended off nine man-advantages for the Hammers to post a perfect penalty kill performance and advance to 3-3-0-0 on the season. Dylan Duke, Jakob Pelletier and Matteo Pietroniro kicked off the scoring for the Crunch before Lucas Mercuri netted the game-winner in the third period.
 
Crunch goaltender Olivier Rodrigue stopped 30-of-33 shots, earning his first Crunch win. Hamilton's Vítek Vaněček allowed the first three Crunch goals and was relieved by Josh Kotai in the first period. Kotai went on to turn aside 15-of-16 shots. In addition to the perfect 9-for-9 penalty kill, the Syracuse power play converted on 1-of-4 opportunities.  
 
The Crunch opened scoring 3:25 into the first period and just nine seconds into their first power play of the game. Ethan Gauthier's left-side shot was stopped, but Duke was in front of the net to jam in the rebound. Just 19 seconds later, Pelletier capitalized on a broken stick when he intercepted a pass from Brandon Scanlin and fired it home to double the lead. The Crunch maintained momentum and struck again at the 6:05 mark. Max Groshev set up Pietroniro for a wrister from the high slot to chase Vaněček from the game.
 
Hamilton finally responded to steal one back before the end of the first period. Rodrigue made the initial save, but Alex Jefferies grabbed the rebound, wrapped around the back of net and centered a feed for Cam Thiesing at 11:02.
 
Despite multiple scoring opportunities for Syracuse, the team was unable to find the back of the net in the middle frame and Hamilton pulled back within one. During a short 2-on-1 rush late in the period, Daylan Kuefler beat Rodrigue from the right faceoff dot.
 
The Hammers tied the game, 3-3, four minutes into the third period. Liam Foudy skated the puck into the zone before dishing a pass to Mitchell Chaffee for a give-and-go. Foudy received the return feed, cut towards the net and backhanded the puck in as he cut across the crease. With five minutes left in regulation, Mercuri went coast-to-coast with the game-winner. He dumped the puck into the Crunch zone, chased it down after it bounced off the end boards and chipped it into the net.  
 
The Crunch travel to Laval this Wednesday for a 7 p.m. puck drop against the Rocket.
 
Ticket packages for the 2026-27 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, Jakob Pelletier, and Matteo Pietroniro all scored their first goals of the season tonight…The Crunch converted three goals off the first three shots…Lucas Mercuri has scored a goal in back-to-back games…Olivier Rodrigue earned his first win with the Crunch today.