Crunch Stun Bears 3-2 in Overtime

GIANT Center | October 12, 2025 Attendance: 8,887

FINAL SCORE

Syracuse Crunch 3, Hershey Bears 2 (OT)

The Hershey Bears’ painful home stand continued Sunday evening before 8,887 fans at GIANT Center, as a promising 2-0 lead evaporated in the third period and Dominic James scored just 1:17 into overtime to give the Syracuse Crunch a 3-2 victory. Despite a vastly improved performance from Saturday’s opener, the Bears fell to 0-1-1-0 while Syracuse improved to 2-0-0-0 and extended their winning streak over Hershey to four consecutive games.

GAME FLOW

First Period: A scoreless but spirited opening frame saw both teams trade chances in a more disciplined affair than Saturday’s penalty-filled contest. Lucas Mercuri drew a tripping penalty just 2:19 in, followed by a too-many-men bench minor on Ethan Gauthier at 5:00. Hershey’s Cam Allen, making his professional debut, took a tripping penalty at 10:03, and the Bears received matching minors when Allen was called for slashing and Roman Schmidt for roughing at 13:42. Boris Katchouk added a high-sticking penalty late at 16:31, but neither team could break through. Both teams managed nine shots as the goaltenders stood tall.

Second Period: The Bears seized control with two goals in just over a minute. Bogdan Trineyev opened the scoring at 3:23 with a shorthanded marker, taking feeds from Luke Toporowski and Ryan Chesley to beat Ryan Fanti and send the building into celebration. Just 75 seconds later at 4:38, Graeme Clarke doubled the advantage, redirecting a Calle Rosén point shot past Fanti with Sheldon Rempal earning the secondary assist. It marked the first points as Bears for three offseason Washington Capitals signings—Clarke, Rosén, and Rempal.

But penalties continued to mount. Cam Allen drew an interference call at 2:20, and matching five-minute fighting majors went to Lucas Mercuri and David Gucciardi at 4:52. Scott Sabourin took a tripping penalty at 12:32, but Hershey maintained their two-goal cushion heading into the third. Hershey outshot Syracuse 13-8 in the second period.

Third Period: Syracuse mounted a furious rally that silenced the home crowd. Ivan Miroshnichenko was whistled for hooking at 9:45, and the Crunch capitalized on sustained pressure. Scott Sabourin cut the deficit to 2-1 at 14:52, finishing off a sequence from Brendan Furry and Lucas Mercuri. Just 1:54 later at 16:46, Declan Carlile tied the game at 2-2 with an assist from Ethan Gauthier, erasing Hershey’s lead and forcing overtime. The Crunch dominated the period, outshooting Hershey 8-6.

Overtime: The Crunch wasted little time ending it. Just 1:17 into the extra session, Dominic James—who had scored his first professional goal Saturday night—netted his second goal in as many games with assists from Jakob Pelletier and Declan Carlile, completing Syracuse’s comeback and sending the Bears to their second consecutive frustrating loss. Syracuse took the only shot in overtime.

KEY PERFORMERS

Dominic James (SYR) – First Star: The rookie sensation continued his torrid start with the overtime game-winner, his second goal in two games. With one shot and a plus-one rating, James has now registered three points (2G, 1A) in his first two professional contests, proving to be a clutch performer in critical moments.

Graeme Clarke (HER) – Second Star: Scored Hershey’s second goal at 4:38 of the second period with a beautiful redirection, recording his first point as a Bear. Finished with five shots and was even despite the loss, showing offensive instincts throughout.

Bogdan Trineyev (HER) – Third Star: Opened the scoring with a shorthanded beauty at 3:23 of the second period—his first goal of the season. Recorded one shot and finished even, providing a spark when Hershey needed it most. The tally was just his second shorthanded goal in his last 82 games dating back to last season.

Other Standouts:

Garin Bjorklund (HER): Made 23 saves on 26 shots in his first start of the season, playing well enough to win but couldn’t hold the third-period lead.
Ryan Fanti (SYR): Stopped 26 of 28 shots to earn the victory, settling down after surrendering two quick goals in the second period.
Declan Carlile (SYR): Two-point performance (1G, 1A) including the game-tying goal with under four minutes left in regulation. Six shots showed offensive aggression and finished plus-two.
Scott Sabourin (SYR): Goal and two penalty minutes, sparked Syracuse’s third-period comeback. One shot, plus-one rating.
Sheldon Rempal (HER): Registered his first point as a Bear with an assist on Clarke’s goal. Four shots showed offensive engagement.
Calle Rosén (HER): Picked up his first point as a Bear, assisting on Clarke’s goal with a well-placed shot from the point. Three shots on the night.
Jakob Pelletier (SYR): Assisted on the overtime winner, two shots, even rating.
Lucas Mercuri (SYR): One assist, seven penalty minutes (fighting major), even rating.

SPECIAL TEAMS BATTLE

For the first time in the weekend series, special teams weren’t the deciding factor. Both teams went scoreless on the power play—Hershey 0-for-4, Syracuse 0-for-3—a vast improvement from Saturday’s 3-for-7 Syracuse clinic that torpedoed the Bears.

However, Hershey’s penalty kill deserves credit for a strong showing, including successfully killing off the crucial third-period Miroshnichenko penalty while protecting a one-goal lead. The Bears’ shorthanded goal from Trineyev in the second period was a highlight, marking just his second shorthanded tally in his last 82 games dating back to last season.

The penalty totals were more balanced than Saturday’s disaster: Hershey took 13 minutes on five penalties, while Syracuse accumulated 15 minutes on six infractions. The discipline was noticeably better, but the result was somehow more heartbreaking.

TURNING POINT

The momentum shifted decisively at 14:52 of the third period when Scott Sabourin cut Hershey’s lead to 2-1. After dominating the first 40 minutes and building what seemed like a comfortable two-goal cushion, the Bears suddenly found themselves on their heels as Syracuse sensed blood in the water.

When Carlile tied it at 16:46—just 1:54 later—GIANT Center fell silent. Hershey had squandered a 2-0 lead and all the momentum they’d built through 50-plus minutes of solid hockey. The third period told the tale: while Syracuse didn’t dominate the shot clock as dramatically as Saturday (8-6 edge), they controlled the critical moments and generated the highest-quality chances when it mattered most.

Once overtime began, it felt inevitable that Syracuse would finish what they’d started, and James delivered just 77 seconds into the extra session with the only shot of overtime.

COACHING PERSPECTIVE

Derek King (Hershey): Saw significant improvement but lamented the result. “Definitely saw it. We had a little talk with them about the turnovers and just bad puck decisions, and I thought we did a much better job today. Hey, you’re going to make mistakes, you’re going to turn the puck over, but we managed that puck really well in the neutral zone and it showed because we had a lot of chances.”

On playing with the lead: “We didn’t want to sit back. I thought we had some good zone time too. We could have easily obviously scored some goals too. We had four or five breakaways – but even in the third period we still had some zone time where we hemmed them in and we had opportunities. Very happy with our performance.”

On the week ahead with practice time: “Well I know one thing, we’re going to practice penalty shots and breakaways, that’s for sure. But yeah, it’s good – [they’re] deserving, they get a day off and then we can have some good teaching clips from video and then we can work on some things in practice, and then just have a nice week of just feeling good about ourselves and get ready for the weekend.”

Graeme Clarke (Hershey): “Yesterday was a lot of new and then I think today [we] came back with a really good effort. Obviously got up 2-0, unfortunate ending there. Syracuse is a good team and I felt like, honestly, we played the better game. We had four or five breakaways – a couple different [shots] go in, it’s a different story. So, can’t be too upset about tonight’s effort and then just have a good week of practice this week.”

THE BOTTOM LINE

This was a tale of two very different losses. Saturday saw Hershey implode with discipline issues and special teams failures in a 5-2 defeat. Sunday showed marked improvement—better puck management, more offensive chances, stronger neutral zone play, and disciplined special teams. But the result was somehow more painful.

The Bears dominated the first 40 minutes, built a 2-0 lead, created numerous high-danger chances including multiple breakaways, and played a complete two-way game. Then came the gut-wrenching third-period collapse: two goals allowed in less than two minutes, and a crushing overtime loss that left 8,887 fans heading home disappointed for the second straight night.

The positives are real. Trineyev delivered a crucial shorthanded goal. Clarke, Rosén, and Rempal—three key offseason additions—all recorded their first points as Bears, showing the chemistry is developing. Bjorklund was solid in his debut start with 23 saves. The penalty kill was excellent at 3-for-3. The neutral zone play was vastly improved from Saturday. Cam Allen made his professional debut.

But Hershey is now 0-1-1-0 with zero regulation wins, having blown a two-goal lead at home and extended Syracuse’s dominance to four straight victories in the series. The Bears had the better of the play for much of this game and outshot Syracuse 28-26, but hockey is a results business, and right now those results aren’t there despite improved process.

The good news? A full week of practice to address breakaway/penalty shot conversions and work on closing out games with leads. King’s acknowledgment that the team will focus on those specific situations shows coaching awareness. The bad news? Syracuse has Hershey’s number right now, and the mental toll of consecutive blown leads—especially this one—could linger.

This was a learning experience disguised as a loss. The Bears proved they can play with a top team. Now they need to prove they can finish games.

Next Up: Saturday, October 18 at 7 p.m. vs. Springfield Thunderbirds at GIANT Center (Penn State Health Pink the Rink Night – all fans receive light-up wristbands). The Bears desperately need their first win.

GAME SUMMARY

FINAL SCORE: Syracuse Crunch 3, Hershey Bears 2 (OT)

LOCATION: GIANT Center, Hershey, PA
ATTENDANCE: 8,887
GAME TIME: 2:32 (5:11 p.m. – 7:43 p.m. EDT)

SCORING SUMMARY

First Period
No Scoring

Second Period
HER – Bogdan Trineyev (Toporowski, Chesley) 3:23 (SH)
HER – Graeme Clarke (Rosén, Rempal) 4:38

Third Period
SYR – Scott Sabourin (Furry, Mercuri) 14:52
SYR – Declan Carlile (Gauthier) 16:46

Overtime
SYR – Dominic James (Pelletier, Carlile) 1:17

SHOTS ON GOAL: SYR 26 (9-8-8-1), HER 28 (9-13-6-0)
POWER PLAYS: SYR 0/3 (0.0%), HER 0/4 (0.0%)
PENALTY MINUTES: SYR 15 (6 penalties), HER 13 (5 penalties)
GOALTENDING: Fanti (SYR) 26/28 (.929), Bjorklund (HER) 23/26 (.885)

THREE STARS: