SPRINGFIELD, Mass. - The Springfield Thunderbirds (10-5-0-2) could not solve the defense of the Syracuse Crunch (11-5-1-0) and fell by a final score of 3-0 on Saturday night at the MassMutual Center.

 

After both teams traded entrances into the offensive zone to no avail, the Crunch got on the board first at 7:28 when Andy Andreoff snapped a left-wing shot home from the faceoff circle to give Syracuse a 1-0 lead. Cory Conacher and Mitch Hults picked up assists on the play.

 

Both teams traded chances sparingly through a quiet opening period, but none turned into anything despite Syracuse racking up eight shots and Springfield tallying five.

 

After two periods of play, the score remained 1-0 in favor of Syracuse. Crunch goalie Connor Ingram kept Springfield off the board in spite of the T-Birds more than doubling their shot total from the first period plus.

 

The defensive struggle carried all the way into the final period, and Springfield had done a masterful job maintaining their discipline against the league’s top power play. After the first 14 minutes of the third period of play, the score remained 1-0 Crunch, but with their first power play of the night and a 5-on-3 no less, the Crunch finally put home some insurance. Alex Barre-Boulet scored his seventh goal of the season and gave the Crunch a 2-0 lead off a Driedger rebound from the bottom of the right wing circle.

 

Springfield would have five power plays interspersed throughout the night, but the man advantage cooled off and failed to get on the board. At 19:48, Michael Bournival put the icing on the cake for the Crunch and tapped the puck into Springfield’s empty net to give Syracuse a 3-0 victory. It was the first time all season that Springfield failed to tally a goal. Syracuse’s win streak extends to seven games in the triumph.

 

The weekend concludes with the T-Birds taking on the Bridgeport Sound Tigers on the road with puck drop slated for 3:05 p.m. Springfield looks to get vengeance for a 5-2 loss on Nov. 3, which at the time was Springfield's first regulation loss of the season.

 

Springfield Thunderbirds fans are encouraged to visit www.SpringfieldThunderbirds.com to learn more about 2018-19 Thunderbirds Season Ticket Memberships. Packages include a wide range of benefits, including the lowest prices for the 2019 Lexus AHL All-Star Classic presented by MGM Springfield. For more information or to order now, call (413) 739-GOAL (4625) or visit www.SpringfieldThunderbirds.com.