SYRACUSE Brandon DeFazio came out as the hero for Utica as the Comets pulled out a thrilling 2-1 overtime road victory over the Syracuse Crunch in American Hockey League action on Friday night at the Onondaga War Memorial Arena.

DeFazio scored the game-winning goal with just 58 seconds left in overtime and avoid the shootout. It was the Comets second win in overtime this season as the winger took the back half of a give-and-go feed from Cal OReilly and sent the puck in for the winning score. The assist gave OReilly his third multi-point game as a Comet to finish the night with two assists, and it was DeFazios ninth goal of the season.

Goaltender Joacim Eriksson won his 14th game of the season, with 25 saves on 26 shots.

Syracuse got on the scoreboard first when Pierre-Cedric Labrie slotted one past Eriksson from the bottom of the right circle to make it 1-0. Phillippe Paradis and Mike Angelidis each picked up assists on the play, after Angelidis forced a turnover in the Utica zone.

The Comets harassed Syracuse netminder Cedric Desjardins with 15 second period shots and were finally able to break through to tie the score up at 1-1 with a power-play goal from Nicklas Jensen, his 13th of the season and seventh during the month of February. Center Pascal Pelletier also picked up a team-best 32nd assist on the play, as did OReilly.

The Comets will travel to Binghamton tonight for a 7 oclock meeting with the East Division leading Senators and on Sunday will visit the Albany Devils for a matinee contest at 3 p.m. at the Times Union Center.

See original here:

Comets score overtime win over Syracuse