COMETS SECURE POINT IN OVERTIME THRILLER
Oct 13, 2023Utica, NY— It was the first game of the season for the Comets and the capacity crowd inside the Adirondack Bank Center was pumping full of electricity in anticipation of a brand new season. The puck dropped shortly after each player was introduced and the team battled their division and in-state rival, the Syracuse Crunch. It was the first time the Comets played the Crunch for a home opener in their 11th seasons.
In the first period, the Comets allowed the first goal of the game after Crunch forward Ilya Usau ripped a shot high blocker on Comets goalie Erik Kallgren at 2:20. The Comets stormed back to tie the game after Max Willman scored the first goal of the season for the Comets after a goal-mouth scramble at 7:04. The Crunch went back up by a goal when Lucas Edmonds slid the puck between the legs of the Comets goal at 16:33 putting Syracuse back in the driver’s seat with a 2-1 lead.
While there was no scoring in the second period, the Crunch opened a two-goal lead in the third period when Cole Koepke scored an unassisted goal at 9:44 after a Comets defensive zone turnover at 9:44. But, on the next shift, the Comets captain Ryan Schmelzer brought his team within a goal at 10:06 with an assist from Chase Stillman and Joe Gambardella. With the Comets goalie pulled for an extra attacker, Cal Foote rifled a shot that slid passed Kochetkov bringing the entire crowd to a fever pitch. The tying goal sent the game to overtime where Crunch forward Felix Robert won the game with just 15 seconds left on the clock. The Comets will battle Toronto on Saturday on the road.
Single game tickets are now available for the 2023-24 season. Visit uticacomets.com/tickets for more information. Season Ticket Memberships are also available for the 2023-24 Season.