ROCHESTER, NY – Rookie forward Jean Dupuy scored a dazzling highlight reel goal off an end-to-end rush just 1:49 into overtime to lift the Rochester Americans to a thrilling 4-3 victory over the visiting Syracuse Crunch Wednesday at The Blue Cross Arena. With the win, the Amerks improve to 6-1-1-0 on home ice and 8-9-1-0 overall on the season.
Trailing 3-1 in the third period, the Crunch scored twice over the final 10:42 of regulation, including the equalizer from Jeff Tambellini that came with just 49 seconds remaining to force overtime. Dupuy, however, took matters into his own hands, scoring arguably the goal of the year to help Rochester to its second win in three games.
Chad Ruhwedel, Evan Rodrigues and William Carrier also scored in the win for the Amerks while team captain Cal O’Reilly notched two assists to push his point streak to three games. Dupuy also added an assist for his third multi-point outing of the season while Nathan Lieuwen posted 30 saves to grab his fifth win of the year.
Matt Taormina and Mike Angelidis each contributed single tallies to round out the scoring for the Crunch and Adam Wilcox steered aside 25 of 29 shots sent his way in the losing effort.
The first period featured a night of firsts for the Amerks, who stormed out to a 2-0 advantage with Ruhwedel and Rodrigues each scoring their first goals of the season 4:06 apart. Ruhwedel got things going just 5:26 into the contest on the power-play, converting a goal-mouth rebound from the top of the crease to give Rochester the early lead. Matt Donovan and O’Reilly earned the assists on the goal while helping the Amerks snap a 0-for-20 drought on the man-advantage.
Rodrigues provided a two-goal cushion a short time later when he snapped a high wrist shot over the blocker of Wilcox to put the Amerks ahead 2-0. Dupuy broke through the Syracuse zone made a quick drop pass to a trailing Jason Akeson, who in turn moved the puck low to Rodrigues at the left edge of the crease. Rodrigues caught the offer in stride, and after a brief moment to settle the puck, finished the play with a swift release to the top of the net for his first pro goal.
Syracuse trimmed Rochester’s lead to one with 3:56 remaining in the opening frame after Taormina found the upper corner on a seemingly innocent shot from above the left circle that snuck by Lieuwen. His fourth of the season was assisted by Philippe Paradis and Jake Dotchin.
Carrier restored the two-goal lead late in the second period off a near-broken play to make it a 3-1 game. Justin Bailey tipped an O’Reilly shot that went just wide of Wilcox and caromed off the end boards. Carrier, however, promptly grabbed the loose puck, pulled it back toward the net and stuffed it inside the right post before the Syracuse netminder could get across his crease.
The Crunch mounted their comeback midway through the third period when Angelidis took a drop pass from Mike Blunden and snapped it by Lieuwen to make it 3-2. Syracuse continued its late game push and eventually capitalized with less than a minute to play as Tye McGinn carried the puck around the Rochester net before setting up Tambellini, who somehow beat Lieuwen from a sharp angle to force overtime.
The Amerks managed just one shot during the overtime period, but it was all that was needed to earn the win. With just 1:49 gone into the extra session, Dupuy settled the puck from behind his own goal-line and began the rush out of the Rochester zone along the right wing boards. After putting on a display of speed to get by Tambellini at the Syracuse blueline, Dupuy then stick-handled through Taormina before going five-hole on Wilcox to cap an incredible individual effort to give Rochester a 4-3 win.
With Amerks game report
