Syracuse, NY (March 28, 2012) - Crunch netminder Iiro Tarkki turned aside all five Adirondack skaters during a shootout to hand the Crunch a 2-1 win over the Adirondack Phantoms.
With the win, the Crunch extend their point-streak to a season-high eight games and move into a tie with the Manchester Monarchs for seventh place in the Eastern Conference.
Tonight's contest was a defensive battle with neither team able to break through until halfway through the middle frame. Adirondack got on the board first at the 8:04 mark when Andrew Rowe scored on a partial breakaway. Rowe beat Tarkki with a high shot to the blocker side for a 1-0 lead.
Just under a minute later Patrick Maroon tied the game with a wrist shot from the left circle that sailed over Phantoms goaltender Michael Leighton's shoulder. It was Maroon's 29th goal of the season.
The game remained tied throughout regulation and the extra period, needing a shootout to determine a winner for the Crunch's fourth consecutive game. Kyle Palmieri was the only skater to score during the tie-breaking drill, guaranteeing the Crunch two points.
The Crunch will finish their home-and-home series with the Phantoms in Glens Falls on Friday, March 30.
Crunchables: Iiro Tarkki has nine wins in 11 games during the month of March…This month the Crunch have skated in five shootout games…Riley Holzapfel had his seven-game point streak snapped…Kyle Palmieri is four for six in shootout attempts this season…The Crunch improved to 8-2-0-1 in their last 11 one-goal games.
**Courtesy Syracuse Crunch**
