Szczechura Spells Victory For Amerks
By: Thad Brown
Updated: February 4, 2012
A
hat-trick and a four-point performance from Paul Szczechura helped the
Rochester Americans complete a two-goal third period rally to defeat the
Syracuse Crunch 5-4 in overtime at the War Memorial at Oncenter on
Saturday night. Szczechura tied the game late
in regulation time and capped off his spectacular night with the
game-winning goal with 1:07 to go in the extra session, extending his
point streak to four games along the way.
The win represented the 100th win in franchise history
for the Amerks over the cross-state rival Crunch.
Brayden
McNabb and Marcus Foligno, who has also picked up points in four
straight games, each contributed two assists, while Phil Varone and
Travis Turnbull both chipped in a
goal apiece. Goaltender Drew MacIntyre turned away 33 shots to earn his
first win since December 27.
Syracuse
was led offensively by Patrick Maroon (1+1) and Kyle Palmieri (0+2),
each of whom chipped in a pair of points in the loss. Luca Caputi, Josh
Brittain, and Peter Holland
also lit the lamp for the Crunch and Marco Cousineau finished with 36
saves between the pipes.
The
Amerks struck first in the contest for a 1-0 lead, as Szczechura
finished off a perfect feed from Foligno. Off a fast break for
Rochester, Foligno took the puck wide around
the defense and found Szczechura driving to the net for an easy tap in.
The
Crunch came back with a pair of goals just 20 seconds apart within the
first five minutes of the middle frame. First, Maroon beat MacIntyre on
the power-play with a no-look
shot from the middle of the slot, followed by Caputi burying a
point-blank wrister behind the Rochester netminder.
Syracuse
found the back of the net for the third consecutive time at 13:08 of
the second period to build a 3-1 lead, as Brittain deposited a rebound
for his first of the season.
After
Varone blasted a one-timer from the high slot past Cousineau to bring
the Amerks back to within a single goal at 13:49, Peter Holland
responded for the Crunch to restore
their two-goal cushion and make the score 4-2.
Rochester
pulled back to within a single goal with a power-play goal at 7:49 of
the final period. Turnbull deflected a left-point slapper from Drew
Schiestel for his eighth goal
of the season and second of the weekend.
Szczechura
scored his second of the game with just 4:07 remaining in regulation,
beating Cousineau off the rush with a slapper from just inside the
Syracuse blueline.
Szczechura
then completed the hat-trick 3:53 into overtime, sending a wrister from
the left circle to the top corner of the net on a three-on-one rush for
his ninth goal of the
season.
The
Amerks travel north of the border on Wednesday, February 8 for an 11:00
a.m. meeting with the Toronto Marlies at Ricoh Coliseum.
