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Crunch Streak Snapped in Rochester
Syracuse, NY, (Sunday, March 22, 2009)
Rochester, NY (March 22, 2009) – Playing their third game in three nights, a weary Syracuse Crunch team dropped its fourth straight road decision after winning five straight at home and overall, losing to the Rochester Americans by a 2-1 count tonight at the Blue Cross Arena.
Looking to continue their recent winning ways, the Crunch came out looking to take their first road game since February 22 in Hamilton.
Rochester got on the board first after warding off some early pressure from the Crunch when Keaton Ellerby’s harmless wrist shot from the left point fluttered through a screen and past Dan LaCosta 4:48 into the opening frame.
The score stayed that way through the remainder of the first 20 minutes, but Syracuse tied the game just 1:18 into the second stanza, as the Crunch capitalized on a carry-over power play.
Craig MacDonald hit Mike Blunden in stride heading up through the neutral zone. Blunden bullied his way through the Rochester defense and came in all alone on a breakaway.
Blunden deked to his forehand and roofed a shot over the glove of Mike Brodeur to knot the game at 1-1.
Rochester re-took the lead at the 16:48 mark of the second when Michael Caruso kept in a Crunch clearing attempt at the point and fed Randall Gelech.
Gelech took a few strides in and let go a wrister from the slot that beat LaCosta to the stick side to put the Americans up 2-1.
The Crunch were denied on the score sheet the rest of the way, as Brodeur turned away every one of their 17 third period bids and ended up with 30 stops in the game to help the Amerks to the 2-1 win.
CRUNCHABLES: Dan LaCosta made his first start tonight since March 8 @ Albany…Alexandre Picard (six games) and Derek MacKenzie (four games), both saw their point streaks snapped tonight.