Game Recap Share this Belleville Sens edge Syracuse Crunch in Wednesday night shootout November 9, 2023 The Belleville Senators continue to display a flair for the dramatic early in this American Hockey League campaign. For the fourth time in their last five games, 60 minutes wasn’t enough, as the Sens edged past the Syracuse Crunch 3-2 in a shootout on Wednesday night. Syracuse dominated the opening 10 minutes of the game, taking an 11-0 lead on the shot clock and a 1-0 lead in the game, by way of an unassisted goal from Maxim Groshev at 12:25 of the first period. Max Guenette registered Belleville’s first two shots of the game at 14:00 and 15:25, with the latter being a power play marker to tie the game. Angus Crookshank and Egor Sokolov assisted on Guenette’s first of the season. Belleville’s Zack Ostapchuk would score the only goal of the second period, via a nice individual effort while shorthanded and had the Sens ahead 2-1 after 40 minutes. Emil Lilleberg’s first AHL goal, at 12:48 of the third tied the game and forced overtime. Josh Currie was the only player to score for either team in the shootout, beating Hugo Alnefelt through the five-hole on Belleville’s third attempt, to win the game. Fast Facts: #9 Angus Crookshank extended his point streak to four games with an assist. He has one goal and three assists over that span. Crookshank was name the game’s second star. #10 Zack Ostapchuk’s second period goal was the first shorthanded marker of his AHL career, and Belleville’s first of the season #15 Matthew Highmore was held off the scoresheet, ending his five-game point streak (one goal, four assists) #21 Max Guenette’s two points (one goal, one assist) moves him atop the Belleville Sens points list for the season. He was named the game’s first star. #26 Brennan Saulnier was involved in a fight with Syracuse’s Daniel Walcott in the first period, following a hit against Josh Currie, which changed the momentum. Saulnier would leave the game in the second period due to an unrelated injury and did not return. #40 Mads Sogaard made 31 saves on 33 shots, including six saves in overtime. He also stopped all three shooters in the shootout and was named the game’s third star. The Senators were a successful 5/5 on the penalty kill and 1/6 on the power play. Sound Bytes: Belleville Sens Defenceman Max Guenette on his team’s response from a slow start: “I think the team snapped back in the second. We managed the puck better, we put pucks deep, had more shots on goal and created some chances as well.” Belleville Sens Head Coach Dave Bell on the keys to success on Wednesday: “We looked at the chances after the first, but the shots were from the outside and I thought our defensive structure was good. They had the third-best PP in the league, so our PK did a great job. They tied the game, but we didn’t hang our heads and were able to get the win.” Media Availabilities: Highlights: Next Up: Friday November 10, 2023 vs Cleveland Monsters (Columbus Blue Jackets) – 7:00 p.m. (Military Appreciation Night) Sunday November 12, 2023 vs Cleveland (Columbus Blue Jackets) – 2:00 p.m. (Sunday Funday) Wednesday November 15, 2023 @ Laval Rocket (Montreal Canadiens) – 7:05 p.m. Ticket Info: Tickets for all Belleville Sens home games through January 20, 2024, are now on sale online via the Belleville Sens Ticket Hub, or by emailing tickets@bellevillesens.com. Tickets for the second half of the season will be available for purchase beginning at 10:00 a.m. on Monday November 20, 2023, with information on hours for the Belleville Sens Box Office at the Quinte Sports and Wellness Centre, to be released later. Fans looking to buy second half tickets can secure those seats now, by purchasing season seat memberships, flex packs, group experiences or Business Elite memberships. The full 2023-2024 Belleville Senators regular season schedule can be found by clicking here. — Visit the Belleville Sens website: www.bellevillesens.com Engage with the Belleville Sens on Twitter: @BellevilleSens Like the Belleville Sens on Facebook: www.facebook.com/BellevilleSens Follow the Belleville Sens on Instagram: @BellevilleSens Listen to the Belleville Sens on Mixlr: www.bellevillesens.mixlr.com
