#OnondagaCountyWarMemorial

[mitchbeck]

CRAWFORD: PACK CRUNCHED IN SYRACUSE

BY: Bob Crawford, Hartford Wolf Pack Syracuse, NY, March 15, 2019 – A Hartford Wolf Pack third-period comeback from a 3-0 deficit fell short Friday night at the War Memorial Arena, in a 3-2 loss to the Syracuse Crunch. Gabriel Fontaine and Vinni Lettieri scored in the final 8:09 of the game for the Wolf Pack, but an early third-period goal by Mitchell Stephens stood up as the game-winner for Syracuse. “I thought we looked like we were skating in mud for the first two periods,” Wolf Pack head coach Keith McCambridge said.  “The third period speaks of the character we have in this room.  This is a tough building to play in, but they pushed in the third to make the game interesting.  But at the end of the day, they were the better team for the first two periods.” The only goal of the first period came on the game’s first shot, 1:07 in.  Cory Conacher was knocked off the puck by Hartford’s Darren Raddysh along the right-wing boards in the Wolf Pack end, but it came to Gabriel Dumont near the corner.  He passed to Alexander Volkov at the faceoff dot, and his shot went through the skates of Wolf Pack goaltender Brandon Halverson (21 saves) and into the net. There was no further scoring until the 19:27 mark of the second period when Andy Andreoff increased the Syracuse lead to 2-0.  Ross Colton sent the puck across the Wolf Pack line on the right wing to Taylor Raddysh, Darren’s younger brother, who spun away from his older sibling.  Taylor Raddysh then threaded a pass through to Andreoff below the left faceoff dot, and Halverson had no chance on his quick shot. After that late goal in the second, the Crunch made it a 3-0 advantage only 1:56 into the third.  The Wolf Pack’s Shawn St. Amant blocked a centering attempt from below the goal line by Boris Katchouk, but the puck deflected to Stephens at the right side of the slot.  His shot got by the catching glove of Halverson, who was unintentionally screened by Darren Raddysh. That goal turned out to be important, as the Wolf Pack had five power plays in the third and would enjoy a 12-2 shots advantage in the frame. Syracuse killed the first three man advantages, but the Wolf Pack power play broke through at 11:51, 20 seconds after Cameron Gaunce was called for hooking. Matt Beleskey fed the puck off of the left-wing boards to John Gilmour at the point, and his one-timer was stopped by Crunch goaltender Eddie Pasquale (24 saves).  Fontaine was stationed in front, though, and he knocked the rebound in. That was the only power-play conversion in seven attempts for the Wolf Pack on the night.  Syracuse only had three man advantages. “Those players are on the ice for a reason, to execute, and hopefully execute at a high level of pace,” McCambridge said of the power-play units.  “But I didn’t think we had the execution that we’ve had whenever we’re able to have success.” The Wolf Pack kept pressing the attack and were able to cut the margin to one with 1:07 remaining and Halverson on the bench for a sixth skater.  Gilmour set up Lettieri on the left-wing wall, and his hard slap shot from the half-boards hit Pasquale’s right shoulder and went up under the crossbar.  That goal increased Lettieri’s team-leading total to 23 on the year. The Wolf Pack were able to get Halverson off the ice again, but could not manage to get the equalizer, falling to 27-29-6-3 (63 points) on the season. The Wolf Pack continue a stretch of four straight road games Saturday night in Utica, taking on the Comets in a 7:00 PM game.  All of the action of that battle can be heard live on News Radio 1410 AM, and 100.9 FM, WPOP, and online at newsradio1410.com and iHeartRadio.  Video streaming is available at theahl.com/AHLTV. The Wolf Pack’s next home game is Friday, March 29, a 7:15 PM contest vs. the Charlotte Checkers.  As at all Friday-night Wolf Pack home games, fans can enjoy $1 hot dogs, and $2 beers and fountain sodas, through the start of the second period, presented by Nomads Adventure Quest. Tickets for all 2018-19 Wolf Pack home games are on sale now at the Agera Energy Ticket Office at the XL Center, online at hartfordwolfpack.com and by phone at (877) 522-8499.  Tickets purchased in advance for kids 12 or younger start at just $13 each, and all tickets will have a $3 day-of-game increase. Season ticket information for the Wolf Pack’s 2018-19 AHL season can be found online at hartfordwolfpack.com.  To speak with a representative about all of the Wolf Pack’s many attractive ticketing options, call (855) 762-6451, or click here to request more info. Hartford Wolf Pack 2 at Syracuse Crunch 3 Friday, March 15, 2019 - Onondaga County War Memorial Arena Hartford 0 0 2 - 2 Syracuse 1 1 1 - 3 1st Period-1, Syracuse, Volkov 14 (Dumont, Conacher), 1:07. Penalties-Conacher Syr (slashing), 6:23; Fogarty Hfd (tripping), 12:04; Lindgren Hfd (diving/embellishment), 13:54; Andreoff Syr (interference), 13:54; Andreoff Syr (hooking), 20:00. 2nd Period-2, Syracuse, Andreoff 23 (Raddysh, Colton), 19:27. Penalties-Ronning Hfd (tripping), 2:47; Ronning Hfd (hooking), 7:45; Crawley Hfd (fighting), 14:55; Labrie Syr (fighting), 14:55. 3rd Period-3, Syracuse, Stephens 10 (Katchouk, Brassart), 1:56. 4, Hartford, Fontaine 9 (Gilmour, Beleskey), 11:51 (PP). 5, Hartford, Lettieri 23 (Gilmour, Gropp), 18:53. Penalties-Chase Hfd (roughing), 1:56; Katchouk Syr (roughing, unsportsmanlike conduct), 1:56; served by Verhaeghe Syr (bench minor - too many men), 4:53; Gilmour Hfd (roughing), 8:47; Lindgren Hfd (roughing), 8:47; Conacher Syr (goaltender interference, roughing), 8:47; Foote Syr (roughing), 8:47; Gaunce Syr (hooking), 11:31; Andreoff Syr (roughing), 13:25. Shots on Goal-Hartford 7-7-12-26. Syracuse 9-13-2-24. Power Play Opportunities-Hartford 1 / 7; Syracuse 0 / 3. Goalies-Hartford, Halverson 7-5-3 (24 shots-21 saves). Syracuse, Pasquale 23-10-5 (26 shots-24 saves). A-5,371 Referees-Mitch Dunning (43), Mathieu Menniti (30). Linesmen-Neil Frederickson (68), Tory Carissimo (54). 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[mitchbeck]

CRAWFORD: PACK CRUNCHED BY SYRACUSE

Syracuse Crunch 6, Hartford Wolf Pack 3 BY: Bob Crawford, Hartford Wolf Pack Syracuse, NY, November 23, 2019 – The Syracuse Crunch completed a sweep of a pair of games against the Hartford Wolf Pack this week Saturday night at the War Memorial Arena, doubling up the Wolf Pack by a score of 6-3. The Crunch had defeated the Wolf Pack 3-1 in Hartford on Wednesday, in the Wolf Pack’s “Sonar’s Edu-skate” school-day game. Joey Keane, Lias Andersson, and Steven Fogarty scored for the Wolf Pack, but former Wolf Pack Chris Mueller had two goals for Syracuse, and Dennis Yan, Mitchell Stephens, and Ross Colton had a goal and an assist each. The Wolf Pack were outshot 11-4 in the first period, but the two teams came out of the frame tied at one. The Crunch struck first, at 15:51, on a goal by Yan with one second left in an interference penalty to Hartford’s Phil DiGiuseppe.  Colton, while being knocked down to the right of Wolf Pack goaltender Adam Huska (24 saves), swept the puck to Yan at the left side of the slot.  His shot got past Huska on the glove side. Keane tied the score for the Wolf Pack with 1:05 remaining in the period, with his team-leading seventh goal of the season.  Vinni Lettieri knocked the puck away from Syracuse defenseman Ben Thomas in the Crunch zone and worked it to Keane.  He uncorked a drive from the right point that beat Syracuse goaltender Scott Wedgewood (22 saves), who was screened by Matt Beleskey. The Crunch regained the lead at 4:51 of the second period, with Mueller scoring his sixth of the season.  A shot from the left point by Dominik Masin caromed off the end boards, and the puck hit the side of the net and deflected to the left side of the slot.  Mueller jumped on it there and rapped it into the net. The Wolf Pack equalized again at 16:52, on Lias Andersson’s second goal in three games since being assigned to the Wolf Pack by the parent New York Rangers.  Wedgewood stopped Darren Raddysh’s shot from the right side with his stick and denied an initial rebound try by Andersson as well.  Andersson poked at the puck again, though, from below the goal line to Wedgewood’s left, and that try hit Wedgewood and found its way between the netminder and the goal post. A shorthanded penalty-shot goal just 58 seconds later, at 17:50, however, put Syracuse ahead to stay.  With Masin in the penalty box for tripping, Stephens poked the puck past Sean Day at the Syracuse blue line and would have had a breakaway if it were not for Lettieri slashing Stephens’ stick out of his hands. Stephens was awarded a penalty shot, and he converted with a forehand shot through Huska’s skates, sending the Crunch into the third period with a 3-2 lead. Syracuse came out firing in the third, widening the margin with a pair of goals in a span of 31 seconds in the first two minutes of the period. The Crunch tallied its second power-play goal of the game at 1:29, with Andersson serving a roughing penalty that carried over from the second period.  Taylor Raddysh moved the puck from the right point to Otto Somppi at the side of the net.  He chopped it across the goalmouth, and Colton knocked it out of the air and in behind Huska. Then, at the two-minute mark, Danick Martel increased the Syracuse lead to 5-2.  A pass by Stephens found Martel along the goal line on the right side, and he spun towards the middle and flicked the puck past Huska. Fogarty got that one back for the Wolf Pack with a shorthanded goal at 16:03.  He stickhandled in over the Syracuse blue line and made a beautiful inside-outside move on Crunch defenseman Cal Foote.  Wedgewood poked the puck away with his goal stick, but it went off of a backchecking Yan and into the net. The Wolf Pack got a power play with 2:34 left when Daniel Walcott was called for tripping, and Huska was pulled for a 6-on-4 advantage.  Mueller though, put any further Wolf Pack comeback hopes to rest with an empty-net goal at 18:41. The Wolf Pack continues playing a stretch of five straight road games in their next action next Saturday night, visiting the Lehigh Valley Phantoms for a 7:05 PM game. The next home game for the Wolf Pack is Saturday, December 7, when the Binghamton Devils visit the XL Center for a 7:30 game.  That is “Star Wars Night”, as fans can rub shoulders with their favorite Star Wars characters, and win some awesome Star Wars prizes, and the first 2,000 fans will receive a free Wolf Pack 2020 calendar, presented by Hartford Distributors. Tickets for all 2019-20 Wolf Pack home games are on sale now at the Sunwave Gas & Power Ticket Office at the XL Center, on-line at hartfordwolfpack.com and by phone at (877) 522-8499.  Tickets purchased in advance for kids 12 or younger start at just $10 each, and all tickets will have a $3 day-of-game increase. To speak with a Wolf Pack representative about season or group tickets, or any of the Wolf Pack’s many ticketing options, call (860) 722-9425, or click here to request more info.  To visit the Wolf Pack online, go to hartfordwolfpack.com. Hartford Wolf Pack 3 at Syracuse Crunch 6 Saturday, November 23, 2019 - Onondaga County War Memorial Arena Hartford 1 1 1 - 3 Syracuse 1 2 3 - 6 1st Period-1, Syracuse, Yan 5 (Colton, Raddysh), 15:51 (PP). 2, Hartford, Keane 7 (Lettieri, O'Regan), 18:55. Penalties-Lettieri Hfd (slashing), 7:36; Masin Syr (slashing), 10:13; Di Giuseppe Hfd (interference), 13:52; Geertsen Hfd (roughing), 20:00; Walcott Syr (roughing), 20:00. 2nd Period-3, Syracuse, Mueller 6 (Masin, Yan), 4:51. 4, Hartford, Andersson 2 (Raddysh), 16:52. 5, Syracuse, Stephens 4   17:50 (SH PS). Penalties-Masin Syr (interference), 17:11; Andersson Hfd (roughing), 19:53. 3rd Period-6, Syracuse, Colton 2 (Somppi, Raddysh), 1:29 (PP). 7, Syracuse, Martel 7 (Stephens, Masin), 2:00. 8, Hartford, Fogarty 5 (Taylor, Nieves), 16:03 (SH). 9, Syracuse, Mueller 7 (Barre-Boulet), 18:41 (SH EN). Penalties-Smith Syr (hooking), 6:51; Geertsen Hfd (unsportsmanlike conduct), 15:21; Walcott Syr (tripping), 17:26. Shots on Goal-Hartford 4-10-11-25. Syracuse 11-12-7-30. Power Play Opportunities-Hartford 0 / 4; Syracuse 2 / 4. Goalies-Hartford, Huska 4-1-3 (29 shots-24 saves). Syracuse, Wedgewood 6-2-1 (25 shots-22 saves). A-5,633 Referees-Jesse Gour (25), Patrick Hanrahan (52). Linesmen-Neil Frederickson (68), Tory Carissimo (54). Read the full article