COMETS FALL TO CLEVELAND IN CLOSE OVERTIME BATTLE
Oct 11, 2025Utica, NY – The Comets closed out their opening series against the Cleveland Monsters at the Adirondack Bank Center with a 3-2 OT loss on Saturday.
It was a feisty game right off the hop with several scrums in the first period. After Mike Hardman took a hard hit at center ice, Nathan Legare dropped the gloves with Ryland Mosley for the Comets first fighting major of the season. Utica went on the power play moments later and despite some good chances, was unable to capitalize. The Comets would get a second chance on the power play later in the period, but with 2:33 left in the first, Cleveland forward Brendan Gaunce stole the puck in the neutral zone, skated in on a breakaway, and beat Utica goaltender Jakub Malek glove side to give the Monsters the 1-0 lead.
Just 37 seconds into the 2nd period, Matyas Melovsky picked off a Cleveland pass and fed Xavier Parent who rifled one top right corner past Monsters netminder Zach Sawchenko to tie the game at one. Cleveland would break the tie later in the period after a successful penalty kill by the Comets when Monsters forward Max McCue found Riley Bezeau back door, beating Malek at the 8:15 mark to make it 2-1.
Utica started the third period on a 5-on-3 penalty kill but managed to kill it off. After both teams traded chances, the Comets found the equalizer on an Ethan Edwards shot from the right circle that was redirected by Brian Halonen with 5:55 left in the period to tie the game at two. Halonen was unfortunately called for slashing in the final seconds of regulation, putting Cleveland on the power play to start the overtime. Just 23 seconds in, Mikael Pyyhtia sniped one past Jakub Malek through traffic to give the Monsters the win, 3-2. Utica earned a point and moved to 0-1-1 in the early season. The Monsters improved to 2-0.
Each team registered 23 shots on goal. Jakub Malek made 20 saves in his Comets debut. Brian Halonen was named third star thanks to his game-tying goal in the third period and Xavier Parent was named second star with a goal and an assist.