COMETS FIGHT TO END OF TOUGH BATTLE WITH PHANTOMS
Jan 3, 2025Utica, NY – The previous game for the Comets ended with an overtime victory against a division rival. On Friday night on home ice, Utica looked to keep their winning ways going and do so outside the North by battling the top affiliate of the Philadelphia Flyers, the Lehigh Valley Phantoms. The game was tightly contest and the teams were locked up going into the final period, but the Comets couldn’t find the goal they needed while giving up the eventual game winner to the Phantoms. When the smoked cleared, the Comets were defeated by a 4-2 score.
In the opening period, it was a turnover by the Phantoms on their blueline that allowed Adam Beckman to move into the high slot and wrist a shot that beat Lehigh goaltender, Cal Petersen at 2:27. It was Beckman’s seventh of the season and put the Comets up, 1-0.
In the second period, the Phantoms used 28 seconds to score two goals with the first being a wrist shot from the slot by Rodrigo Abols off the post and in that beat Comets goalie Isaac Poulter at 3:21. They followed up with a shot from between the circles that went in at 3:49 by Alexis Gendron putting the Comets down, 2-1. The Comets captain went to work later in the period as he deflected a Topias Vilen point shot passed Petersen at 7:00 for his fourth of the season tying the game at 2-2.
During the final period of regulation, the Comets allowed a goal from JR Avon at 8:48 as he shot it from point blank range and slid it between the legs of Poulter putting Utica behind 3-2. The Phantoms Adam Ginning added an empty net goal with just seconds to go to give them all the goals they needed, and the Comets skated away defeated 4-2.
The Comets are back at it tomorrow, January 4th against the Belleville Senators at 7:00 PM. Tickets are still available and can be purchased by visitingwww.uticacomets.com/tickets.