AMERKS OUTLAST CRUNCH IN OVERTIME
Kuntar nets game-winner, McCarthy records two points in 3-2 win over Syracuse
Oct 23, 2026TREVOR KUNTAR put the final stamp on Friday’s contest at Upstate Medical University Arena as he scored the game-winning goal 1:59 into overtime to lift the Rochester Americans (4-3-0-1) to a 3-2 victory over the intrastate rival Syracuse Crunch (3-4-1-0).
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With the win, the Amerks improved to 4-0-0-0 this season on Friday’s, which include a pair of wins over the Crunch, while outscoring their opponents by a 17-5 margin. Additionally, Rochester boasts a 50-13-5-1 record when scoring three or more goals against Syracuse since the start of the 2016-17 regular season.
For the second straight week, the Amerks saw their 2-0 lead over Syracuse vanish following a late game comeback by the Crunch to force overtime. This time, however, Rochester would come away with the win thanks to Kuntar’s fourth goal of the season.
Friday’s fight-filled contest featured 64 combined penalty minutes, six fighting majors, and 10 minor penalties.
Along with Kuntar, MATTHEW PECA notched his fourth goal of the campaign and second in a week against his former team, while GAVIN McCARTHY (1+1) recorded his first multi-point game, which included his first professional goal. ZAC FUNK logged an assist for the second straight game, while CONOR SHEARY, CALEB JONES, and AIDAN McDONOUGH each registered one helper.
Funk (1+2) and Jones (1+2) have each collected three points over their last four games dating back to Rochester’s win over Hamilton on Oct. 16. Sheary, meanwhile, leads the team with six assists this season.
Goaltender MATT VILLALTA (4-2-1) rebounded from suffering his first home loss of the season this past Wednesday by stopping 22 of the 24 shots he faced. Villalta, who is tied for the league lead in wins with four, has allowed two or fewer goals in six of his first seven appearances for Rochester.
Brendan Furry and Ethan Gauthier scored in the second and third periods, respectively, for Syracuse, which played beyond regulation for the first time this season.
Netminder Mads Søgaard (2-2-1) made 22 saves in his sixth appearance of the season but took the loss. The Aalborg, Denmark, native holds a 1-1-0 record against Rochester this season and has allowed six goals on 53 shots.
UP NEXT
The Amerks return home for a four-game homestand beginning on Wednesday, Oct. 28 when they host the Hershey Bears in a battle between the AHL’s two oldest teams at Blue Cross Arena. Game time is slated for a 7:05 p.m. start will be carried live on The Sports Leader, WGR Rochester (95.7 FM/950 AM), and streamed on AHLTV on FloHockey.