By CRAIG POTTER
The Rochester forward scores the winner in the shootout victory over the Hershey Bears.
ROCHESTER, N.Y. – For the second consecutive game, Rochester Americans forward Eric Cornel scored the game-winning goal in the shootout to propel the Amerks to a 7-6 victory over the Hershey Bears before 6,622 fans at the Blue Cross Arena on Friday night.
The triumph was the Amerks second straight. Cornel tallied the game-winner Wednesday night in Utica in the shootout to defeat the Comets, 4-3.
“I try to have a plan before I go out there,” said Cornel. “I didn’t have to wait eight shooters,” he added with a laugh. “It was nice for (Amerks head coach Chris Taylor) to have confidence to send me over the boards again.
“I had a move in mind. It doesn’t matter who is in net. I was just lucky enough that it went in.”
This is Cornel’s second full season with Rochester as he recorded 5 goals and 9 assists in 67 games a year ago.
The contest was a wild affair as the Bears scored in the first minute of play, and built a 3-0 advantage 6:56 into the opening period.
At that point, Rochester coach Chris Taylor called his timeout after the third goal to settle down the team. The Amerks responded with some inspired play but were unable to beat Hershey netminder Phoenix Copley, who was making his first start of the season for the Bears.
The Amerks continued their aggressive play in the second period as for the first time since Dec. 10, 2006, they amassed 6 goals in the 20-minute stanza. That night they beat the Binghamton Senators, 10-4.
Rochester got goals from 6 different players, including 3 on the power play. Garret Ross broke the shutout 2:28 into the period. Over the next 9 minutes, 5 other Amerks put the puck in the net.
Team captain Kevin Porter finished off a 2-on-1 break with Steve Moses for the second marker. Defenseman Brendan Guhle notched his first goal of the season with a blast from inside the blue line on a power play. The goal evened the count at 3-3.
Kyle Criscuolo put the home team in front, 4-3, with another power play tally. Cornel took a pass from Zach Redmond and ripped a shot from the right point for a 5-3 edge.
“Coming into the game we knew that they were a run-and-gun team,” Criscuolo said. “It’s not the type of game we want to play. I don’t think we’re built that way but it’s a long season and you’re going to have to win in different ways.”
The Bears got one back with a power play goal to cut the difference to 5-4.
However, Hudson Fasching put home a rebound for Rochester’s third power play goal of the night and a 6-4 margin.
Hershey did not quit as the Bears beat Linus Ullmark twice in the third stanza to force overtime. Each team only managed 1 shot in the 5-minute, 3-on-3 session to set up the shootout.
“It is not how we drew it up,” Porter said with a chuckle. “We cannot be giving teams three-goal leads during the first period at home. It is unacceptable. We battled back in the second period but again we gave it away during the third. We should have put them away during the third, but you have to give them credit, they’re a good team. It was a crazy game, but it was good we got the two points.”
Cornel, who beat Utica with a goal in the 8th round Wednesday, found himself shooting third. C.J. Smith already scored for Rochester, but Wayne Simpson got the equalizer for the Bears.
Cornel picked his spot and scored, then Ullmark stopped Hershey’s final shooter to secure the win.
“It’s a big character win when you can come from behind like that,” Cornel said.
*NOTES – The Amerks and Bears renewed the oldest rivalry in the AHL as the puck dropped in the 455th all-time meeting between the league’s two oldest teams…Amerks rookie C.J. Smith and second-year forward Kyle Criscuolo each registered two assists in Wednesday’s 4-3 shootout victory in Utica over the Comets to give Rochester its third win in the Amerks last four games. Goalie Linus Ullmark registered a season-high 45 saves in gaining the victory…Rochester embarks on a 3-game North Division road trip, back to Utica on Saturday night and a 2-game swing, and first-ever, to Belleville, Ontario to take on the Senators, Ottawa’s new AHL affiliate. The Amerks will be looking to string together 3 consecutive wins for the first time this season on Saturday.
Links
Rochester Americans – amerks.com
Videos
Eric Cornel scores SO winner – https://youtu.be/ohfeyCeU0yk
Linus Ullmark final SO save – https://youtu.be/nnAIlyOMn3Y
Garret Ross goal starts outburst – https://youtu.be/c2FRklSpMqM
Brendan Guhle power play goal – https://youtu.be/6MlFnlphsG0
Hudson Fasching rebound goal – https://youtu.be/AIAoM2Z-Mrg