In a dominant display at the Upstate Medical University Arena, the Syracuse Crunch shut out the Charlotte Checkers, 4-0. Lucas Mercuri was the star of the show, netting two goals, while Jakob Pelletier and Tristan Allard each tallied two assists. This victory pushes the Crunch to an impressive 30-16-3-1 record, marking their seventh consecutive win.
Goaltender Halverson was a wall in the net, stopping all 25 shots to earn his league-leading fifth shutout of the season. On the other side, Cooper Black faced a barrage, turning away 35 of 39 shots for the Checkers. The Crunch capitalized on one of their four power-play opportunities and successfully killed off both of Charlotte's man-advantages.
The scoring opened midway through the first period when Cooper Flinton set up Brendan Furry with a lead pass. Furry then dropped it back to Gabriel Szturc, who found the back of the net from the slot. Just five minutes later, Mercuri tipped in a long wrister from Pelletier, doubling the lead.
Syracuse extended their advantage to 3-0 just 26 seconds into the second period with a power-play goal. Mitchell Chaffee battled in the corner, sending the puck to Pelletier, who quickly centered it for Ethan Gauthier to score from the front. Mercuri sealed the win with his second goal at the 17:29 mark, one-timing a pass from Dylan Duke in the right circle.
The Crunch's defense held firm in the final period, securing the first win of the weekend. They’ll face off against Charlotte again tomorrow night at 5 p.m.
Lucas Mercuri's performance marked his first career two-goal game, and the Crunch are riding their longest winning streak since the 2018-19 season. Dylan Duke also set a new career-high with 41 points, thanks to his assist in this game.
For fans eager to catch the action live, ticket packages for the 2025-26 season are available at the Crunch office, by phone, or online. Stay updated with all things Crunch by following their social media channels.