SYRACUSE, N.Y. – The Springfield Thunderbirds (37-21-5-2) could not hold off a third-period charge on Friday night from the Syracuse Crunch (33-24-7-2), who came away 5-3 victors at the Upstate Medical University Arena.

The first period played out like a chess match between the two clubs, who had yet to face one another during the 2021-22 season. Both teams had power-play chances, but the man advantage units could not generate anything to get by starting goalies Joel Hofer of Springfield and Max Lagace of Syracuse.

After a second penalty kill past the seven-minute mark of the second, the T-Birds went to the offensive to open the scoring. Former Crunch center Matthew Peca scooped up possession on the right-wing side and circled the entire offensive zone, drawing the defense's eyes his way. That attention allowed Brady Lyle to sneak to the edge of the blue paint, and the defenseman one-touched a pass into the gaping net for his first as a T-Bird at 8:03 to make it 1-0.

Springfield's power play had been going through a trying time of late, but the man advantage broke through at 18:07 of the second period, with Sam Anas and Peca both picking up their second assists of the night, freeing up a puck from the right-side boards and allowing captain Tommy Cross to skate into the loose biscuit from the top of the left-wing circle. The defenseman made no mistake, beating Lagace over the glove to make it 2-0.

Syracuse, however, would get the deficit back down to one almost instantly when Alex Barre-Boulet intercepted a puck in the high slot in the Springfield zone. He dropped it off at the left point to a cutting Sean Day, and the blueliner elevated a forehand wrist shot over Hofer's stick side to cut the lead to 2-1 with 1:01 left in the period. 

Springfield's power play once again came through at the 7:01 mark of the third as Hugh McGing found Nathan Todd at the goal line for a tap-in to restore the two-goal lead, 3-1. 

However, the Crunch showed their comeback spirit, as Riley Nash potted a goal off a giveaway at 9:28 to get Syracuse back within one. Less than three minutes later, Anthony Richard squeezed a shot in past Hofer to tie the game, 3-3, at 12:25. 

Syracuse completed the comeback in regulation with just their second power play goal since March 20 when Gage Goncalves ripped a shot past the glove hand of Hofer with just 2:36 to go in the third. Nash added an empty-netter to salt away the come-from-behind win for the Crunch.

Despite Springfield's loss, by virtue of the Providence Bruins' regulation loss to the Bridgeport Islanders, the T-Birds' magic number to clinch an Atlantic Division title did drop from 21 to 19. The magic number for a playoff berth remains at 5. 

The T-Birds continue their weekend travels down to central Pennsylvania for two back-to-back contests against the Hershey Bears at Giant Center on Saturday and Sunday. Puck drop on Saturday is set for 7:00 p.m., while Sunday's late-afternoon matchup gets underway at 5:00 p.m.
 
For more ticket information, to become a 2022-23 Springfield Thunderbirds ticket package member, or to purchase single game tickets, call (413) 739-GOAL (4625) or visit www.SpringfieldThunderbirds.com.