Newcomer Eddie Pasquale settling in for Crunch

Last Week
Fri., Feb. 9 - Crunch vs. Hartford - SOL, 4-3
Sat., Feb. 10 - Crunch vs. Laval - W, 3-2
Sun., Feb. 11 - Crunch at Bridgeport - W, 3-2
This Week
Wed., Feb. 14 - Crunch at Utica - 7 p.m.
Sat., Feb. 17 - Crunch at Charlotte - 6 p.m.
Sun., Feb. 18 - Crunch at Charlotte - 3 p.m.

Crunch earn five of six points in three-in-three
Syracuse went 2-0-0-1 in Week 19 during their second three-in-three weekend of the season. The Crunch improved to 28-17-2-3 to tighten the race in the North Division. They are in fourth place with 61 points, tied with Utica-who has played one fewer game than the Crunch-and one point behind Rochester.
Syracuse began Week 19 with a shootout loss to the Hartford Wolf Pack Friday at the War Memorial Arena. The team bounced back and snapped a four-game winless streak with a 3-2 victory over Laval the next night. A come-from-behind 3-2 win in Bridgeport Sunday evening capped a strong week for the Crunch.
Syracuse has three road games in Week 20, going to Utica Wednesday night then visiting Charlotte Saturday and Sunday for the first time since the 2010-11 season.
Top Performers
Goaltender Eddie Pasquale earned his first two wins as a member of the Crunch in Week 19. He appeared in all three games, once in relief of Connor Ingram, and made his first two starts for the Crunch. He stopped 55 of the 59 shots he faced, a .932 save percentage.
His week started with a relief outing Friday, when he faced only six shots over 37:42. He didn't allow a goal in regulation or overtime, but was saddled with the shootout loss. He allowed two goals in each of the final two games to earn his first victories with the Crunch. In 20 games with Bakersfield and Syracuse, Pasquale is 8-5-5 with a 2.44 goals-against average and .912 save percentage.
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Alex Volkov notched a point in all three games for the Crunch, including a goal in both home games. His marker Friday was his first career shorthanded goal. Those two goals extending his goal-scoring streak to a season-high three games. His four-game point streak (3g, 1a) matches a season high (Nov. 22-29 and Dec. 27-Jan. 6).
The 20-year-old is second on the Crunch with 15 goals and his 30 points are fifth on the team. He has logged at least one point in six of the last seven games.
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Anthony Cirelli paced the Crunch with four points (2g, 2a) in three games to surge into a tie for the Crunch's scoring lead with 33 points (11g, 22a) in 44 games. He has 10 points (5g, 5a) in 10 games since returning from an injury.
Friday against Hartford, Cirelli sparked the Crunch's comeback with a power-play goal late in the second period. Saturday, Cirelli set up Alex Volkov's shorthanded goal then followed up with a rebound strike from the right circle for his second straight multi-point game.
Cirelli is tied with Mathieu Joseph, Matthew Peca and Michael Bournival with seven multi-point games.
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Dominik Masin recorded his first career Gordie Howe Hat Trick Sunday against the Sound Tigers, the first by a Crunch player this season. He scored the Crunch's first goal, dropped the gloves with Ben Holmstrom then assisted on the game-winner to complete his night.
The second-year defenseman has six multi-point performances and is third among Crunch defensemen with 19 points (7g, 12a).
Upcoming: Utica, Charlotte
The Crunch hit the road for three games in Week 20 with visits to Utica and Charlotte on the docket.
The Crunch and Comets resume their Galaxy Cup series Wednesday with the ninth of 12 head-to-head meetings. Utica has won the last three games and has five wins through the first eight matches. The Comets swept a home-and-home series in the first week after the All-Star Break. Defenseman Philip Holm leads the series with eight points (3g, 5a) in seven games, including four points (2g, 2a) in that home-and-home series.
Syracuse travels to Charlotte for the first time since a two-game set in December 2010. Saturday and Sunday will be the second and third time the teams face off this season; the Crunch earned a 5-3 win over the Checkers at home Nov. 11. Erik Condra had two goals in his season debut and Jamie McBain potted four points (1g, 3a). The teams will end the season series Mar. 31 in Syracuse. Charlotte's Andrew Miller leads the AHL in scoring with 48 points (15g, 33a) in 50 games.
Week 19 ResultsFriday, February 9 | Game 48 vs. Hartford | SOL, 4-3
Hartford 1 2 0 0 1 - 4 Shots: 12-3-5-1-1-22 PP: 0/2
Syracuse 0 2 1 0 0 - 3 Shots: 18-8-15-5-0-46 PP: 1/4
2nd Period-Volkov 14 (Archambault, Cirelli), 1:04. Cirelli 10 (Stephens, Verhaeghe), 19:43 (PP). 3rd Period-Joseph 9 (Verhaeghe, Thomas), 8:00. Shootout-Hartford 2 (Tambellini G, Chytil NG, Gropp G) Syracuse 1 (Volkov NG, Joseph NG, Verhaeghe G). . . . Ingram ND (15 shots-12 saves), Pasquale 6-5-5 (6 shots-6 saves). A-5,111
Saturday, February 10 | Game 49 vs. Laval | W, 3-2
Laval 0 1 1 - 2 Shots: 6-8-10-24 PP: 1/3
Syracuse 2 0 1 - 3 Shots: 9-5-5-19 PP: 0/4
1st Period-Volkov 15 (Cirelli, McBain), 10:13 (SH). Cirelli 11 (Joseph, McBain), 17:15. 3rd Period-Archambault 5 (Unassisted), 10:47. . . . Pasquale 7-5-5 (24 shots-22 saves). A-5,693
Sunday, February 11 | Game 50 at Bridgeport | W, 3-2
Syracuse 0 1 2 - 3 Shots: 6-8-12-26 PP: 0/4
Bridgeport 0 2 0 - 3 Shots: 9-12-8-29 PP: 2/6
2nd Period-Masin 7 (Stephens), 14:55. 3rd Period-Stephens 17 (Volkov, McNeill), 3:02. Yan 9 (Cernak, Masin), 8:01. . . . Pasquale 8-5-5 (29 shots-27 saves). A-3,888
Category Average/Total AHL Rank (Prev)
Power Play 15.1% (35-for-232) 25th (20th)
Penalty Kill 84.0% (216-for-257) 8th (9th)
Goals For 3.20 GFA (160) T-9th (10th)
Goals Against 2.72 GAA (136) 7th (6th)
Shots For 30.00 SF/G (1500) 18th (17th)
Shots Against 26.06 SA/G (1303) 2nd (2nd)
Penalty Minutes 16.02 PIM/G (801) 3rd (3rd)
Category Leader
Points 33 Cirelli, Joseph
Goals 17 Stephens
Assists 24 Joseph
PIM 137 Gallant
Plus/Minus +26 Cernak
Wins 12 Ingram
GAA 2.20 Domingue
Save % 0.917 Domingue