AMERKS MOVE INTO FIRST PLACE WITH 6-3 WIN OVER COMETS
Rochester picks up its 10th win in the last 12 games in return from holiday break
Dec 27, 2024The Rochester Americans (18-9-3-0) erased a pair of two-goal deficits and erupted for five straight unanswered goals, including four in the third period, on their way to a decisive 6-3 win over the intrastate rival Utica Comets (6-15-1-2) in the first leg of a home-and-home series Friday at The Blue Cross Arena.
GAME SUMMARY PHOTO GALLERY POST-GAME REPORT
Rochester has now won 10 of its last 12 games and has earned at least one point in 20 of its last 26 dating back to Oct. 23 to move into sole possession of first place in the AHL’s North Division standings. Additionally, the Amerks, who faced a multi-goal deficit after the first period for the time since Nov. 9, improved to 5-1-0-0 through the first six meetings of the 2024-25 season-series with Utica.
Riley Fiddler-Schultz (2+0), Isak Rosén (1+1), Ty Tullio (0+2) and Ethan Prow (0+2) all produced a multi-point effort for Rochester, which has outscored Utica 13-4 in the final 20 minutes this season. Graham Slaggert, Viktor Neuchev, and Brett Murray all scored one goal each while Lukas Rousek, Zachary Metsa and Tyson Kozak all notched an assist to cap the scoring.
Goaltender Devon Levi made 23 saves on his 23rd birthday to improve to 10-2-1 with Rochester this season. The netminder, who boasts a 2-0-0 mark against the Comets this season, is 9-1-0 in his last 10 appearances overall.
FIRST PERIOD
Early in the first period, the Comets scored twice on their first three shots of the game to take a quick 2-0 lead just 2:52 into the contest on tallies from Ryan Schmelzer and Simon Nemec, respectively.
The first of the two Utica markers came from Schmelzer’s redirection as he was skating down the left wing while Nemec converted a rebound atop the goal crease while Utica was shorthanded.
Rochester, who was unable to capitalize on its first two power-plays of the game, trailed by a pair of goals despite outshooting Utica 9-8.
SECOND PERIOD
Trailing to begin the second frame, Rochester got on the board with a quick goal just 71 seconds into the stanza. Stealing the puck along the right wing, Rosén circled to the top of the zone before firing a long-range shot that glanced off a Comet and into the net for his 13th of the slate.
While Utica restored its two-goal lead on Nemec’s second of the night less than two minutes later, Fiddler-Schultz brought the Amerks within one late in the final period as he poked a loose puck between the post and Utica goaltender Nico Daws’ right arm.
Kozak and Tullio were credited with the assists on the first of Fiddler-Schultz’s inside the final two minutes of the stanza.
THIRD PERIOD
After scoring his fourth of the season in the second period, Fiddler-Schultz grabbed Prow’s rebound to the left of the crease and tucked it past the Comets’ netminder 97 seconds into the final frame.
Three minutes following Fiddler-Schultz’s fifth of the campaign, Jobst won the draw inside the left circle inside Utica’s zone. Prow was on the receiving end of the faceoff before Rousek quickly centered it for Neuchev to zip past Daws for the go-ahead goal at 4:54.
Facing a 4-3 deficit, the Comets drew an interference infraction midway through the frame, but Slaggert stole the puck inside his own blueline and raced up the ice alongside Josh Dunne on an odd-man rush. As the Notre Dame graduate reached the right dot, and with the passing lane to Dunne taken away, he snapped his league-leading fourth shorthanded goal over the shoulder of Daws, restoring the Amerks two-goal lead.
Utica tried to slow down the Amerks scoring run and chip into the deficit by pulling Daws as the period was dwindling down, however, the plan backfired as Murray sealed the 6-3 win with his team-leading 14th goal of the season.
STARS AND STRIPES
Forward Riley Fiddler-Schultz’s two-goal performance was his first multi-goal outing in the AHL and first since Feb. 10, 2024 as a member of the Jacksonville Icemen (ECHL) … Graham Slaggert is the first Amerk since Bill Thomas (4) to record four or more shorthanded goals in a season … Brett Murray, who has seven goals and eight points over his last six games, leads the league in power-play goals (8) this season.
UP NEXT
The Amerks go for the weekend sweep as the home-and-home series shifts east on Saturday, Dec. 28 for a rematch against the Comets at Adirondack Bank Center. The North Division matchup will be carried live on The Sports Leader 95.7 FM/950 AM The Fan Rochester as well as AHLTV on FloHockey.
Goal Scorers
UTC: R. Schmelzer (3), S. Nemec (1, 2)
ROC: I. Rosén (13), R. Fiddler-Schultz (4, 5), V. Neuchev (6 – GWG , G. Slaggert (7), B. Murray (14)
Goaltenders
UTC: N. Daws – 31/36 (L)
ROC: D. Levi – 23/26 (W)
Shots
UTC: 26
ROC: 37
Special Teams
UTC: PP (0/4) | PK (2/2)
ROC: PP (0/2) | PK (4/4)
Three Stars:
1. ROC - R. Fiddler-Schultz
2. ROC - I. Rosén
3. ROC - T. Tullio