Photo: Micheline Veluvolu
Cole Koepke scored twice as the Syracuse Crunch knocked off the Rochester Americans, 5-2, in a winner-take-all Game 5 of their North Division semifinal series at a sold-out Blue Cross Arena on Friday night.
The Crunch move on to face Cleveland in the division finals.
Declan Carlile opened the scoring for Syracuse 2:28 into the game and the Crunch led the rest of the way, earning a measure of revenge after the Amerks went into Syracuse and eliminated the Crunch in a Game 5 last postseason.
Waltteri Merelä scored his third goal of the series, Felix Robert tallied an empty-net goal along with two assists, and Alex Barré-Boulet and Max Crozier each notched two helpers for the Crunch.
Shots on goal in the game were just 20-18 in favor of Syracuse. Brandon Halverson made 16 saves for the Crunch, while Devon Levi stopped 15 of 19 shots for the Amerks.
Jeremy Davies and Michael Mersch supplied the goals for Rochester.
(Syracuse wins series, 3-2)
Game 1 – Fri., Apr. 26 – ROCHESTER 3, Syracuse 2
Game 2 – Sun., Apr. 28 – Syracuse 4, ROCHESTER 3 (OT)
Game 3 – Thu., May 2 – SYRACUSE 2, Rochester 1 (2OT)
Game 4 – Sat., May 4 – Rochester 4, SYRACUSE 3 (OT)
Game 5 – Fri., May 10 – Syracuse 5, ROCHESTER 2
