SYRACUSE, N.Y. – The Syracuse Crunch fell to the Cleveland Monsters, 4-3, in overtime tonight at the Upstate Medical University Arena.
The Crunch are now 15-9-1-2 on the season and 1-1-1-0 in the four-game season series against the Monsters.
Crunch goaltender Hugo Alnefelt stopped 29-of-33 shots. Jet Greaves turned aside 22-of-25 in net for the Monsters. The Syracuse power play was unable to convert on their two opportunities, while the penalty kill shut down Cleveland’s lone man-advantage.
After a scoreless first period, Cleveland broke the stalemate 12:49 into the middle frame. Trey Fix-Wolansky skated in on a breakaway and fired a shot. His first attempt was stopped, but he found his own rebound and chipped it into the net. Syracuse responded and quickly took over the lead with back-to-back goals just 1:25 apart. The first came at the 17:35 mark when Mitchell Chaffee fed Phil Myers for a slap shot from the right circle. Shawn Element then set up Jack Finley to redirect the puck in on the back door.
The Monsters tied the game early in the third period. Cole Clayton’s shot from the right circle was stopped, but Jake Gaudet was there to clean up the rebound from the left circle. The Crunch immediately regained their lead off Declan Carlile’s long shot from the point through traffic, but just over a minute later, Cleveland knotted the score again at 3-3. James Malatesta sent a feed through the crease that bounded off Alex Whelan and in.
The teams remained tied through regulation and went into an overtime period where Fix-Wolansky scored the game-winner with his second goal of the night.
The Crunch host the Rochester Americans tomorrow night.
Single-game tickets and ticket packages for the 2023-24 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.
Crunchables: Phil Myers played in his 200th AHL game tonight.