AMERKS FALL TO MARLIES IN HIGH-SCORING AFFAIR TO OPEN 2026
Fiddler-Schultz notches multi-point game, Rosen extends point streak in 6-4 loss to Toronto
Jan 3, 2026After trading goals through the first half of the contest, the Rochester Americans (16-11-3-1) were unable to recover from a four-goal second period by the Toronto Marlies (18-13-1-1) in what became a 6-4 loss in Saturday’s matinee at Coca-Cola Coliseum in the first game of the calendar year.
Rochester, which has points in 10 of its last 13 games dating back to Nov. 22, suffered just its first regulation loss in the last four games and second since Thanksgiving Eve. The Amerks go into the first full week of New Year sitting in fourth place in the North Division with 36 points, one back of Syracuse, who will be Rochester’s next opponent Wednesday in the finale of the team’s current three-game road trip.
Forward Riley Fiddler-Schultz (1+1) notched his third multi-point outing of the season while Trevor Kuntar, Isak Rosén, and Nikita Novikov all scored in the defeat. Rosén extended his point streak to 13 games and tallied his fifth goal in his last four appearances while Kuntar netted his career-best 11th goal of the season.
Jagger Joshua, Anton Wahlberg, Noah Laaouan, Zac Jones, and Carson Meyer closed out the scoring, each notching an assist.
Goaltender Devon Levi (11-6-4) made his 21st appearance of the campaign, making 16 saves before Scott Ratzlaff (1-0-0) stopped six of the seven shots he faced after entering the game to start the third period.
Former Amerk Alexander Nylander (2+0), Benoit-Olivier Groulx (1+1), Borya Valis (1+1), and Henry Thrun (0+2) all had multi-point efforts for the Marlies, who have won each of their last five games.
Goaltender Artur Akhtyamov improved to 12-6-0 on the season as he finished with 31 saves in his 18th appearance.
FIRST PERIOD
The Amerks, who registered eight of the first nine shots of the contest, opened the scoring at the 10:45 mark.
Laaouan began the play as he gathered a loose puck inside his own blueline and zipped a bank pass to Jake Leschyshyn by the penalty boxes. The forward stopped it before handing the puck to Joshua, who continued along the boards toward the left face-off dot. Joshua dropped a pass to the center of the zone for Laaouan, and after the blueliner’s shot was blocked, Novikov blasted his fourth goal of the season for a 1-0 lead.
While Toronto evened the score at 1-1 on its second shot of the game from Groulx’s team-leading 15th goal of the season, Rochester answered back on the ensuing shift just 46 seconds later.
Rosén forced a Marlie into a turnover by his own net, where Wahlberg picked off the pass. As Wahlberg shot it to the left of the net, Rosén steered it past the blocker to restore Rochester’s 2-1 lead with 6:40 on the first period clock.
SECOND PERIOD
Facing a one-goal deficit to the begin the second period, Toronto quickly tied the game at 2-2 as they had the Amerks hemmed inside the defensive zone. Travis Boyd received Matthew Barbolini’s pass and then spotted William Villeneuve across the ice for a goal just 1:29 into the stanza.
The Amerks’ lead was restored seven minutes later as Fiddler-Schultz finished off Meyer’s centering feed from atop the goal crease for his seventh of the season and second in his last four outings.
Trailing for the third time in the contest, Toronto erupted for three goals in 7:15 to seize control of a 5-3 score at the 17:48 mark.
Nylander scored on a pair of rebounds before Valis jumped off the bench and finished off Groulx’s pass with just over two minutes left in the period.
THIRD PERIOD
In the opening minute of the third period, Rochester drew a cross-checking infraction to gain a power-play. Moments into the man-advantage, Jones handed the puck to his left for Fiddler-Schultz, who was stationed inside the left dot. The Edmonton native fired a shot towards the front of the crease for Kuntar to redirect for his 11th goal of the season.
Just 35 seconds after the goal which made it a 5-4 score, Toronto was called for a slash, giving the Amerks their fifth power-play of the contest. The Marlies not only successfully cleared off the penalty, but 12 seconds later, Marc Johnstone beat Ratzlaff to up the score to 6-4 just 3:52 into the period.
Despite finishing the frame with a 12-7 shot advantage, the Amerks could not get any closer, dropping their first contest of the new year.
UP NEXT
The Amerks conclude the road-swing with an intrastate showdown against the Syracuse Crunch on Wednesday, Jan. 7 at Upstate Medical University Arena. The North Division matchup will be carried live on The Sports Leader 95.7 FM/950 AM The Fan Rochester as well as AHLTV on FloHockey.
Goal Scorers
ROC: N. Novikov (4), I. Rosén (14), R. Fiddler-Schultz (7), T. Kuntar (11)
TOR: B. Groulx (15), W. Villeneuve (3), A. Nylander (9, 10), B. Valis (7 – GWG), M. Johnstone (5)
Goaltenders
ROC: D. Levi – 16/21 (L) | S. Ratzlaff – 6/7 (ND)
TOR: A. Akhtyamov – 31/35 (W)
Shots
ROC: 35
TOR: 28
Special Teams
ROC: PP (1/5) | PK (1/1)
TOR: PP (0/1) | PK (4/5)
Three Stars:
1. TOR - A. Nylander
2. TOR - B. Groulx
3. ROC - R. Fiddler-Schultz