Halonen Strikes Twice, Comets Fall to Crunch 6-3
Jan 24, 2026Syracuse, NY – The Comets headed to Syracuse for the second time in the last eight days and were defeated by a score of 6-3.
The Crunch were the stronger team out of the gate, generating some quality chances on Nico Daws who was tested heavily early on. Syracuse would strike first at the 6:40 mark when Ethan Samson fired a shot from the point which was blocked, but it bounced right to Mitchell Chaffee in the left circle who pounded it home to give the Crunch a 1-0 lead on his 10th goal of the year. The Comets were assessed a bench minor for too many men a little bit later in the period and on the ensuing power play, the Crunch capitalized to take a 2-0 lead. Conor Geekie hammered a shot from the top of the left circle which leaked through Daws and Ethan Gauthier was there to tap home the rebound for his fourth goal of the season at 11:19. The Comets picked it up later in the period and had some good looks in the offensive zone, registering a total of 9 shots on goal, but trailed 2-0 after 20 minutes.
The Comets were awarded their first power play of the game when Crunch forward Wojciech Stachowiak was called for hooking at 3:46 of the second period. After a shot from Ryan Schmelzer was initially stopped by Syracuse netminder Brandon Halverson, Shane Lachance jammed it home to make it 2-1 at 5:02 on his seventh of the year. The officials underwent a lengthy video review, but the call on the ice stood. Just over two minutes later, however, the Crunch regained the two-goal lead when Matteo Pietroniro received a pass from Jarred Tinordi, walked into the left circle, and rifled a shot past the glove of Daws to make it 3-1 at 7:14 for his fifth of the year. The Crunch weren’t done and would make it 4-1 when Dylan Duke jammed home a centering pass from Gabriel Szturc at the top of the crease at 9:54 on his team-leading 19th of the season. The Comets got a big goal later in the period when Ryan Schmelzer broke into the offensive zone and fed Brian Halonen in the left circle who’s shot dribbled through the pads of Brandon Halverson and across the goal line to make it 4-2 at 14:41 on Halonen’s team-leading 12th tally of the year.
The Comets had just the start to the third period they were looking for when Seamus Casey tracked down a loose puck behind the Crunch net and set up Brian Halonen, who tapped one home at the near post to make it 4-3 just 20 seconds into the third. It was Halonen’s second of the game and 13th of the year. The teams traded chances in what was a feisty third period which featured a fight between Seamus Casey and Dylan Duke at 10:41. The Comets pulled Nico Daws for the extra attacker later in the third, but it was Brendan Furry who won a race to a loose puck in the Comets’ zone and scored an empty-net goal to make it 5-3 Syracuse at 18:20 for his eighth of the year. Furry added another empty-netter at 19:42 to make it 6-3 which was the final.
The Comets outshot the Crunch 37-36, while going 1-for-3 on the power play and 1-for-2 on the penalty kill.
The Comets are back home tomorrow at 3 pm against Syracuse for the Kid’s Takeover Game. For tickets or more information, fans can visit uticacomets.com/tickets or call 315-790-9070.