The Syracuse Crunch defeated the Cleveland Monsters 4-1 in Game 2 of the North Division Semifinals on Sunday at Rocket Arena, evening the best-of-five series at 1-1 after a dominant opening-period surge. Syracuse seized control early, scoring four goals on its first six shots to set the tone and never allowing Cleveland to recover.
Lucas Mercuri started the outburst just 3:52 into the game, capitalizing on a rebound chance after a point shot slipped past the goaltender. Midway through the period, Gabriel Szurtc doubled the lead with a one-timer off a setup from Dylan Duke. Less than a minute later, Jakob Pelletier finished a 2-on-1 rush with a wrist shot from the left circle, and Tommy Miller capped the scoring flurry with a long-range goal from the right point to make it 4-0.
Pelletier paced the offense with a goal and two assists, while Mercuri and Miller each added a goal and an assist. Brandon Halverson anchored the win in net, stopping 32 of 33 shots, including several key saves after Cleveland pushed back late. The Monsters broke through in the third period on a goal by Mikael Pyyhtiä, but Syracuse’s defense and penalty kill held firm, finishing a perfect 4-for-4 while limiting any comeback hopes.
Game 3 shifts to Syracuse on Friday, May 1 with the Crunch hosting the Monsters as the series continues, followed by Game 4 on Sunday at Upstate Medical University Arena.
Kyle leads sports coverage and hosts the Concrete Jungle podcast. Have a lead or question? Send it to [email protected].