ROCHESTER, NY – The Rochester Americans’ season-long four-game win streak was halted on Sunday night as the Amerks closed out their stretch of three games in three nights on the losing end of a 6-1 decision to the visiting Binghamton Senators at The Blue Cross Arena. The loss also snaps a season-long five-game win streak at home as 
Rochester falls to 30-27-2-1 on the season.
Rookie forward Nick Baptiste potted the lone goal for the Amerks and Nathan Lieuwen posted 26 saves in the losing effort.
Phil Varone, who played the first four seasons of his career with the Amerks, made an impactful return to Rochester in his first visit back since being traded to the Senators, recording a team-high four points (1+3) to earn first star honors. Jason Akeson, who was also part of the seven-player swap, contributed three assists while Casey Bailey (1+1) and Ryan Flanagan (0+2) each finished with multi-point nights for the B-Sens. Defenseman Jerome Leduc, the last of the trio sent to Binghamton, also scored in the win as did Michael Keranen and newcomer Mike Borokowski, who joined the Senators today on an amateur tryout. Chris Driedger made 30 saves on 31 shots he faced to earn his 15th win of the season.
In the first meeting between the North Division rivals since their respective parent clubs pulled off the seven-player swing on Feb. 27, it was Varone getting the better of his former team when he swatted home a wobbling puck to give Binghamton the 1-0 lead. Cole Schneider, acquired by the Amerks as part of the trade, was unable to corral a loose puck deep in the zone before it eventually found the stick of Bailey in the high slot. Bailey then zipped a back-door pass to the far post, where the former Amerk was waiting to tap in his 15th of the season. Akeson would earn his first of three assists on the night on the goal at 13:12.
The line of Varone, Akeson and Bailey were quick to put the Amerks into a 2-0 hole as the Senators doubled their lead less than a minute into the middle frame. Bailey curled through the left wing circle and handcuffed Lieuwen just 40 seconds in with a well-placed shot over the goaltender’s shoulder.
Rochester sliced the lead in half 1:47 later with Sdao setting up Baptiste off the odd-man rush. As the Amerks gained the Binghamton zone, Sdao, one of the four newcomers, delivered a perfect cross-ice pass to Baptiste, who was streaking toward the net. The rookie forward caught the pass in stride and flicked it past Driedger on the short side to make it a 2-1 game.
Varone added his third point of the night while helping Binghamton restore its two-goal cushion on the power-play. Varone sent a back-door feed to wide-open McCormick for the tap-in with 1:19 remaining in the second period, putting the Senators up 3-1.
The Senators widened the gap with three more goals in the third period to put the game out of reach. Keranen roofed a shot from in close after being left unmarked in front of the Rochester net and Leduc provided some insurance at 12:41 when he sniped the upper corner off a nifty setup from Akeson and Varone.
Borkowski added his first professional goal with 48 seconds remaining in regulation to close out the 6-1 win for Binghamton.
With Amerks game report
