Crunch Erase Two-Goal Deficit, Drop Bears 5-2 Behind Three Power-Play Goals

GIANT Center | October 11, 2025 | Season Opener Attendance: 9,193

FINAL SCORE

Syracuse Crunch 5, Hershey Bears 2

The Hershey Bears’ 88th season opener turned into a frustrating night before 9,193 fans at GIANT Center on Saturday, as undisciplined play and special teams woes doomed the home side in a 5-2 loss to the Syracuse Crunch. What began as a promising performance unraveled spectacularly, with the visitors dominating possession and capitalizing relentlessly on a parade to the penalty box.

GAME FLOW

First Period: A scoreless opening frame saw both teams trade chances in a chippy, physical start. Hershey spent significant time killing penalties, with infractions to Ivan Miroshnichenko and Henrik Rybinski, but Clay Stevenson stood tall to keep the game tied 0-0. Syracuse outshot the Bears 9-7, though Hershey managed just two shots in the period.

Second Period: The fireworks erupted early. Ethen Frank struck just 28 seconds into the frame, taking a feed from Andrew Cristall and Rybinski to beat Brandon Halverson. Before the crowd could settle, Frank struck again at 4:29, deflecting a Louie Belpedio shot with Cristall picking up his second helper in his professional debut. GIANT Center was rocking with a 2-0 lead.

But the penalty problems returned to haunt Hershey. Jakob Pelletier cut the deficit to 2-1 at 6:16 on the power play, assisted by Nick Abruzzese and Charle-Édouard D’Astous. Then disaster struck. With Hershey down two men late in the period, rookie Dominic James buried his first professional goal at 12:06 with just two seconds remaining on the 5-on-3, tying the game at 2-2 and completely deflating the home crowd. Syracuse held a commanding 14-7 shot advantage through 40 minutes.

Third Period: The wheels came off. After matching fighting majors to Roman Schmidt and Dalton Smith at 3:12, the critical moment arrived at 9:48 when Miroshnichenko was assessed a major for elbowing, a roughing minor, and a game misconduct—17 penalty minutes total that ended his night and gave Syracuse an extended power play.

D’Astous gave the Crunch their first lead at 9:30, beating Stevenson high. Just 83 seconds later, Pelletier buried his second of the night on the power play at 10:53 to make it 4-2. Gabriel Szturc added a shorthanded empty-netter at 19:29 to complete the scoring. Syracuse dominated the period 16-2 in shots, finishing with a 39-16 advantage for the game. Many fans had already headed for the exits.

KEY PERFORMERS

Jakob Pelletier (SYR) – First Star: Spectacular three-point night with two goals and an assist on eight shots. His power-play tally sparked the comeback, and his third-period strike put the game away. Was a constant threat all night.

Ethen Frank (HER) – Second Star: Scored both Hershey goals on just two shots for perfect efficiency. His quick strikes gave the Bears a 2-0 lead and energized the crowd, but it wasn’t enough to overcome his team’s discipline problems.

Charle-Édouard D’Astous (SYR) – Third Star: Dominated from the blue line with three points (1G, 2A) while quarterbacking the power play. His go-ahead goal at 9:30 was the dagger.

Other Standouts:

Clay Stevenson (HER): Heroic 34-save performance on 38 shots. Made multiple spectacular saves and earned standing ovations despite the loss. Hung out to dry by his teammates.
Andrew Cristall (HER): Two assists in his pro debut showed elite playmaking vision and star potential.
Dominic James (SYR): Goal and assist in his pro debut, with the crucial 5-on-3 tally being the turning point.
Boris Katchouk (SYR): Two assists without scoring, strong two-way game throughout.

SPECIAL TEAMS BATTLE

The difference was special teams. Syracuse went 3-for-7 on the power play (43%), scoring crucial goals from Pelletier (twice) and James. Hershey’s power play went 0-for-4 and generated little pressure.

The penalty disparity was glaring: Hershey took 32 minutes compared to Syracuse’s 15. The extended 5-on-3 in the second period and Miroshnichenko’s third-period ejection were backbreakers that the Crunch capitalized on immediately.

TURNING POINT

Leading 2-0 early in the second period, Hershey appeared in control. But James’s 5-on-3 goal at 12:06—scored with just two seconds remaining on the two-man advantage—completely shifted momentum. The building went from electric to deflated instantly.

The knockout blow came at 9:48 of the third when Miroshnichenko’s 17-penalty-minute meltdown (major, minor, misconduct) gave Syracuse an extended power play. Pelletier scored 65 seconds later, and fans began heading for the exits.

COACHING PERSPECTIVE

Derek King (Hershey): “We can’t take that many penalties. Killing five minutes, killing 5-on-3s.” King praised Stevenson—”I learned that we’ve got a goalie”—but pointed to neutral zone turnovers allowing Syracuse to establish their forecheck.

Ethen Frank (Hershey): “They just out-bodied us, so I think we’ve got a little redemption coming tomorrow. I hope that we’re ready to put on our work boots and get in nice and dirty in the corners and be a little more physical.”

THE BOTTOM LINE

Hershey showed flashes of promise—Frank’s perfect shooting, Cristall’s debut, and Stevenson’s heroics—but were undone by poor discipline. Syracuse demonstrated championship-caliber depth with five different goal scorers and balanced contributions. The Crunch’s lethal power play and ability to control possession after falling behind 2-0 showed why they’ll be contenders this season.

The Bears get immediate redemption Sunday at 5 p.m. for a Dark Nights Halloween-themed rematch that promises to be physical and chippy.

GAME SUMMARY

FINAL SCORE: Syracuse Crunch 5, Hershey Bears 2

LOCATION: GIANT Center, Hershey, PA
ATTENDANCE: 9,193
GAME TIME: 2:29 (7:07 p.m. – 9:36 p.m. EDT)

SCORING SUMMARY

First Period
No Scoring

Second Period
HER – Ethen Frank (Cristall, Rybinski) 0:28
HER – Ethen Frank (Belpedio, Cristall) 4:29
SYR – Jakob Pelletier (Abruzzese, D’Astous) 6:16 (PP)
SYR – Dominic James (Pelletier, D’Astous) 12:06 (PP)

Third Period
SYR – Charle-Édouard D’Astous (Sabourin, Santini) 9:30
SYR – Jakob Pelletier (Katchouk, James) 10:53 (PP)
SYR – Gabriel Szturc (Katchouk, Schmidt) 19:29 (SH/EN)

SHOTS ON GOAL: SYR 39 (9-14-16), HER 16 (7-7-2)
POWER PLAYS: SYR 3/7 (42.9%), HER 0/4 (0.0%)
PENALTY MINUTES: SYR 15 (6 penalties), HER 32 (9 penalties)
GOALTENDING: Halverson (SYR) 14/16 (.875), Stevenson (HER) 34/38 (.895)

THREE STARS: