COMETS LATE PUSH NOT ENOUGH IN BELLEVILLE
Mar 20, 2019Belleville, Ont. – The Utica Comets earned a late equalizer from Brendan Woods, but an even later surge from the Belleville Senators was too much to overcome during a 2-1 loss on Wednesday night at CAA Arena.
Both teams exchanged a flurry of chances in the opening period, but it was the goalies who were front and center. Michael Leighton came up with ten stops during the action, while his counterpart Marcus Hogberg turned in nine saves of his own. The goalie display sent the teams into the first intermission deadlocked at zero.
Even though the Comets out-chanced and out-shot the Senators during the second period, it was Belleville who found the scoresheet with the night’s first goal and the period’s lone tally. Jack Rodewald broke the stalemate with his 21st of the season, earned by depositing a rebound following a Leighton save.
Throwing everything they had at Hogberg, the Comets tied the game at one with just 4:31 remaining in regulation. Woods hurried up the left wing side and, after his first two tries came up empty, a backhanded follow up leaked under Hogberg’s arm and over the line.
The tie lasted fewer than three minutes, as the Senators regained the lead minutes later with a top-corner wrist shot from Justin Falk. His second of the season put Belleville ahead, and their win was cemented with an empty netter from Darren Archibald at the 18:56 mark.
The Comets return to the ice Friday night for a matchup against the Laval Rocket. Puck drop at the Adirondack Bank Center is at 7 p.m. Fans are encouraged to use the ticket exchange site, StubHub!. The game can be heard on 94.9 KROCK and viewed on AHL TV.