TACO BELL WRAP-UP: HOME ICE ADVANTAGE HELPS AMERKS GAIN FOUR POINTS
Amerks have won three straight at Blue Cross Arena
Mar 30, 2026By Andrew Mossbrooks | @ Mossbrooks48
The Rochester Americans (28-25-5-4) wrapped up the month of March with the team’s first three-game weekend of the season. Despite the adversity, Rochester escaped the triple threat with four out of a possible six points, picking up a win on home ice Friday against Toronto before returning to Blue Cross Arena for a thrilling shootout win against Syracuse Sunday evening.
Home ice played a role in the Amerks’ success. Here’s more on that, among other highlights from the week that was:
BLUE CROSS BELIEVING
Home ice had been a struggle for the Amerks through much of the season, but head coach Mike Leone has his troops trending in the right direction now after three straight wins at Blue Cross Arena.
Over that span, Rochester has amassed 14 goals. After topping Hartford last Sunday, the Toronto Marlies entered town Friday and were treated to a 5-2 final in favor of the red, white, and blue.
The Amerks then returned home Sunday with a shortened team due to injuries to Ryan Johnson and Riley Fiddler-Schultz, yet still emerged with a valiant effort in a 3-2 shootout win over Syracuse. Trevor Kuntar and Matteo Costantini scored in each of the Amerks’ two home games over the weekend, while Devon Levi collected both wins in the crease.
The real winners were the fans, of course, as Friday and Sunday’s crowds combined for 13,239 to root on the Amerks from Downtown Rochester.
LEVI ENTERING BEAST MODE
After an eight-game winless string, Levi has found his groove again. The 24-year-old netminder enters April on a three-game winning streak, with Sunday serving as his 20th win of the season.
Levi made 27 saves against the Crunch, plus two additional stops in the shootout to reach 20 wins for a second straight season. The milestones don’t stop there, as the Quebec native reached 4,000 saves for his professional career and is only five back of 3,000 as an Amerk alone. Levi’s win over Syracuse was the 10th of his career against Rochester’s intrastate foe. The 2025 AHL All-Star has now reached double-digit victories against both Empire State rivals in Syracuse and Utica.
Rochester’s ace in goal remains atop the AHL in games and minutes played, tied for first with 44 starts and alone at the top with 2596:56 minutes in the blue paint.
SUPER MATTEO
Another rookie for the Amerks has been coming up big of late. Costantini has four points (2+2) over his last five games since being placed on the right wing of Rochester’s top line alongside Konsta Helenius and Anton Wahlberg.
Costantini scored Rochester’s second goal on Friday, then opened the scoring Sunday with a slick play to the front of the goal on a feed from Zac Jones.
The NCAA champion from a season ago with Western Michigan has seven points (4+3) in 23 games as an Amerk. The 23-year-old has remained disciplined with just one penalty this season, as well as reliable in all three zones as Costantini has had an even or better plus-minus in nine of his last 10 contests.
COMING UP NEXT
Another three-game week is on deck for the Amerks, with a trio of different opponents coming to town.
Sunday’s win over Syracuse kickstarted a four-game homestand that continues Wednesday when the defending Eastern Conference champion Charlotte Checkers make their final visit of the season. Then Friday, a desperate Belleville Senators team will enter town with the Amerks in position to drastically increase their odds of clinching a playoff berth in the North Division.
The week concludes on Don Stevens Appreciation Night Saturday with the Amerks getting their first look at the league-leading Providence Bruins this season.