AMERKS CLOSE OUT 2023 WITH SHOOTOUT WIN OVER UTICA
Jost scores for second straight game, Amerks rally in third for 3-2 win over Comets
Dec 30, 2023Michael Mersch’s game-tying goal in the closing minutes of regulation helped the Rochester Americans (14-12-2-1) overcome their second one-goal deficit of the third period before ultimately getting the better of the Utica Comets (10-13-3-1) in the eighth round of the shootout to cap the 2023 calendar year with a 3-2 win Saturday at Adirondack Bank Center.
With the victory, the Amerks have collected points in nine of their last 10 road games against Utica dating back to Dec. 28, 2022, going 8-1-1-0 over that span. Rochester also improved to 3-1 in the skills competition this season and have appeared in a league-high 12 games decided beyond regulation.
Mersch logged his fourth two-point effort of the season and second of the month to help lead the Amerks to the win, while Tyson Jost scored his second goal in as many games since joining Rochester on Friday. Lukas Rousek pushed his point streak to six games, which matches a personal-best, as he added an assist. Brett Murray and Zach Metsa, who missed the previous nine games, completed the scoring in regulation as they both added one helper apiece.
Filip Cederqvist opened the scoring in the shootout before Linus Weissbach sealed it in the eighth round.
Tokarski made his 13th appearance in the goal crease for Rochester and finished with 28 saves while also stopping 7-of-8 in the shootout. The veteran netminder has won two of his last three decisions and shows a 6-6-1 record on the campaign. The win was his 211th, which ties him for 12th all-time in AHL history with Nick Damore.
Former Amerk Kyle Criscuolo extended his point streak to four games as he factored in on both Utica goals, scoring his sixth in the first period before setting up Xavier Parent’s ninth in the third. In four games this season against Rochester, the Southampton, New Jersey, native has nine points (3+6). Parent’s third-period goal was also assisted by Justin Dowling, who was Utica’s lone goal-scorer in the shootout.
Goaltender Akira Schmid (0-1-1) made his second straight appearance for Utica since being loaned to the club on Thursday. Despite facing more than 30 shots for the second consecutive contest, he was dealt the overtime the defeat.
Trailing 2-1 with 2:34 left in regulation, Tokarski was summoned to the Amerks bench prior to a face-off in Utica’s zone.
Brandon Biro won the draw to his left for Mersch to push to the point before skating to the corner. Rousek received the pass and exchanged touches with Metsa at the far side of the zone before returning it to the Amerks captain. As Mersch gathered the puck while drifting to the end boards, he snapped it in-between the left skate and post of Schmid to even the score at 2-2 with his fourth of the season.
The goal ultimately forced the game to go an overtime period.
Both clubs had a pair of shots in the extra frame but neither could find the game-winner, thus the shootout was required.
Cederqvist kicked off the shootout as he wired a shot past the Utica netminder. Tokarski and Schmid stopped the next two shooters they faced; however, Dowling extended the skills competition with a third-round conversion.
After Dowling, neither team had success until Weissbach in the eighth round. The Swedish forward sped towards Schmid before blasting a shot over the glove from in-between the hashmarks.
Tokarski sealed the victory as he poked the puck off Sam Laberge’s stick from atop the crease.
Utica began the scoring in the first period when Criscuolo stepped off the bench and walked down the right wing before rifling his sixth goal of the campaign at the 5:48 mark.
The game remained a 1-0 score until the first 68 seconds of the third period when Jost steered in Mersch’s centering feed just in-front of the Utica net.
The Comets countered back to take a 2-1 lead as Parent capitalized on a Rochester holding infraction before Mersch delivered the equalizer and sent the game beyond regulation.
The Amerks ring in the New Year with a home-and-home series with the Cleveland Monsters beginning on Friday, Jan. 5 at The Blue Cross Arena. Game time is slated for a 7:05 p.m. start and will be carried on The Sports Leader 95.7 FM/950 AM The Fan Rochester as well as AHLTV.
Stars and Stripes:
The shootout winner by Linus Weissbach was his second in as many seasons as he also sealed 4-3 victory in the skills competition back on March 31, 2023 … Filip Cederqvist scored in the shootout for Rochester and is now 2-for-3 on the season, much like Weissbach … The eight-round shootout was Rochester longest since the defeated Cleveland in a marathon 15-round battle on Feb. 25, 2012 … Amerks head coach Seth Appert missed tonight’s game as he assumed responsibilities behind the bench for the Buffalo Sabres in the absence of Don Granato due to illness … Assistants Vinny Prospal and Nathan Paetsch split the head coaching duties for tonight’s Amerks game.
Goal Scorers
UTC: K. Criscuolo (6), X. Parent (9)
ROC: T. Jost (2), M. Mersch (4)
Goaltenders
UTC: A. Schmid – 30/32 (OTL)
ROC: D. Tokarski – 28/30 (W)
Shots
UTC: 33
ROC: 30
Special Teams
UTC: PP (1/6) | PK (4/4)
ROC: PP (0/4) | PK (5/6)
Three Stars:
1. ROC - L. Weissbach
2. ROC - M. Mersch
3. UTC - K. Criscuolo