SYRACUSE, N.Y. – The Syracuse Crunch were downed by the Toronto Marlies, 5-1, tonight at the Upstate Medical University Arena.
 
Mitchell Chaffee scored the lone goal for the Crunch as the team's five-game winning streak came to an end. Syracuse is now 35-18-3-1 on the season and 1-1-1-0 in the four-game season series against Toronto.
 
Crunch goaltender Brandon Halverson stopped 21-of-25 shots, while Dennis Hildeby earned the win turning aside 30-of-31 shots in net for the Marlies. The Syracuse power play was held scoreless on three opportunities, but the penalty kill went a perfect 3-for-3.
 
The Marlies opened scoring five minutes into the game when Alex Nylander set up Noah Chadwick for a wrister from the bottom of the right circle. They doubled their lead on an odd-man rush late in the frame. Luke Haymes skated the puck down the left wing before sending it across the slot for Nylander to chip in.
 
Toronto made it 3-0 at the 4:32 mark of the middle frame. Ryan Tverberg crossed the blue line, deked around a defender and beat Halverson from between the circles.
 
The Crunch finally solved Hildeby four minutes into the third period. Ethan Samson fired a shot from the blue line that was tipped in by Chaffee from the slot. The Marlies quickly responded and regained their three-goal lead at 9:08 when Haymes scored from the right circle. Nylander then potted his second of the game into an empty net in the final minutes of play to lock in a Toronto win.
 
The Crunch host the Lehigh Valley Phantoms on Friday.
 
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: Jakob Pelletier is on an eight-game points streak (2g, 10a)…Mitchell Chaffee has four points in his last three games (1g, 3a).