Syracuse Crunch Top Thunderbirds at Home

Crunch goaltender Brandon Halverson earns win with 27 saves

Published on Feb. 4, 2026

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The Syracuse Crunch defeated the Springfield Thunderbirds 4-3 at the Upstate Medical University Arena on Wednesday. Crunch goaltender Brandon Halverson made 27 saves to earn the win, while the Syracuse power play converted on 1-of-3 opportunities. The Thunderbirds opened the scoring, but the Crunch rallied with three unanswered goals in the first period to take the lead. Springfield scored a power-play goal in the third period to make it a one-goal game, but Syracuse held on for the victory.

Why it matters

The win snapped a three-game skid for the Crunch and advanced their record to 24-16-3-1 on the season. The Crunch are fighting to maintain their position in the standings, and this home victory over a divisional opponent was an important result.

The details

The Thunderbirds opened the scoring at 8:46 of the first period, but the Crunch evened the game at 15:56 with a goal from Tristan Allard. Springfield regained the lead just 21 seconds later on a penalty shot goal from Michael Buchinger. However, the Crunch rallied with two goals in the final minute of the period, including a power-play tally from Dylan Duke and a last-second goal from Wyatt Newpower to take a 3-2 lead. Max Groshev extended the Crunch's lead to 4-2 early in the second period, and although Springfield scored a power-play goal in the third, Syracuse was able to hold on for the victory.

  • The game was played on Wednesday, February 5, 2026.
  • The Thunderbirds opened the scoring at 8:46 of the first period.
  • The Crunch evened the game at 15:56 of the first period.
  • Springfield regained the lead 21 seconds later.
  • The Crunch scored two goals in the final minute of the first period to take a 3-2 lead.

The players

Brandon Halverson

The Syracuse Crunch goaltender who earned the win by stopping 27-of-30 shots.

Vadim Zherenko

The Springfield Thunderbirds goaltender who made 16-of-20 saves in the loss.

Chris Wagner

The Thunderbirds player who scored the opening goal of the game.

Tristan Allard

The Crunch player who scored the goal that tied the game at 1-1 in the first period.

Michael Buchinger

The Thunderbirds player who scored on a penalty shot to regain the lead for Springfield in the first period.

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What’s next

The Crunch will host the Belleville Senators on Friday, February 7, 2026.

The takeaway

This victory was an important result for the Crunch as they look to maintain their position in the standings. The team's ability to rally with three unanswered goals in the first period, including a power-play tally and a last-second goal, showcased their resilience and determination to get back on track after a recent skid.