1. Comets

Category Archives: Comets

Comets Take Down Amerks in a Shootout

Posted on by

March 4, 2015 - American Hockey League (AHL) Utica Comets UTICA, N.Y. - The Utica Comets (33-18-5-1) needed a shoot out on Wednesday night as they defeated the Rochester Americans (24-29-5-1) in a six-round shootout at The Utica Memorial Auditorium for their first shootout-win of the season, which brought an end to their three-game losing streak.

Bobby Sanguinetti (1-0-1) found the night's game winning goal in the shootout along with the second Comets goal of the game. The Comets most recent additions, Cory Conacher (0-1-1), and Sven Baertschi (0-1-1), both found a point in their first game with the Utica hockey club.

The Comets started off the first period hot and heavy with a multitude of offensive pressure within the first few minutes. The back of the net was eventually found at 10:52 after Alex Friesen made a pass from the corner that met Andrey Pedan just above the slot. Pedan sniped one on Matt Hackett's blocker side and pinged off both posts before landing in the net for the 1-0 lead.

A two-goal lead was achieved at the end of period after Bobby Sanguinetti was set up at the blue line from a pass along the left boards from the Comets most recent addition, Baertschi. A shot from the blue line snuck past Hackett for a power-play goal that made it 2-0 at 18:41.

Despite having outshot the Americans 12-5 in the second period, Rochester found the only goal of the period at 8:58 to keep the game within one. A modest wrist shot from Mikhail Grigorenko slinked past the glove side of Joacim Eriksson with assists going to William Carrier and Chad Ruhwedel.

The Americans didn't make the game any easier for the Comets once they found the equalizer halfway into the third stanza. Brodie Reid guided the puck into the net to make it 2-2 after an awkward bounce off the backboards pulled Eriksson out of position.

A slew of overtime drama led to a six-round shootout. Rochester's Jerome Leduc found the back of the net in the fourth round immediately after Alexandre Grenier deked one past Hackett. Sanguinetti eventually found the game-winner in the sixth round secure the two points and the 3-2 win the Comets had been so desperately craving all game.

It's off to Hamilton, Ontario as the Comets prepare to face the Bulldogs this Saturday as they begin their five-game road trip.

Three Stars: 1. UTI Bobby Sanguinetti (1 Goal, 1 Shootout Goal) 2. UTI Cal O'Reilly 3. RCH William Carrier (2 Assists)

Discuss this story on the American Hockey League message board... Digg this story Add to Del.icio.us

Go here to see the original:

Comets Take Down Amerks in a Shootout

Workington Comets revving up for Ben Fund Bonanza

Posted on by

Last updated at 10:28, Thursday, 05 March 2015

Workington Comets trio Kyle Howarth, Rusty Harrison and Kenneth Hansen will take part in the season-opening Ben Fund Bonanza on Sunday.

The four-team tournament, now in its seventh year, is a major fund-raiser for the Speedway Riders' Benevolent Fund, and will take place at Swindons Abbey Stadium for the first time.

Howarth will line-up alongside former Comets Richard Lawson and Adam Roynon for England, while Harrison and Hansen represent Australia and Denmark respectively. Poland will also compete.

Tony Jackson, Comets team manager, said: "It is a perfect opportunity for the three lads to get some laps in and try out their machinery ahead of our season without any pressure, while also getting some competitive racing in to sharpen their reflexes.

But, most importantly, it raises money for a great cause which so many riders have benefitted from down the years.

Paul Ackroyd, organiser, said Someone said to me at the weekend that this is the most important meeting of the year.

It should be one of the events that every rider and if possible supporter has in his calendar as one to be involved in. Every rider knows that serious injury is possible in our sport and that could have a big impact on their lives. For some it already has.

I can guarantee that every one of our 10 paraplegic riders would give anything to be out on the track at Swindon racing.

Tony Jackson added: Full credit must go to Paul and his many helpers for the work that they put in to staging this very worthwhile event each year.

The rest is here:

Workington Comets revving up for Ben Fund Bonanza

Bulldogs' Six Goals Doom Comets

Posted on by

March 1, 2015 - American Hockey League (AHL) Utica Comets UTICA, N.Y. - It hasn't happened often this season, but after Sunday afternoon's 6-3 loss to the Hamilton Bulldog's at The Utica Memorial Auditorium, the Comets have now lost three in a row.

Darren Archibald (1-0-1), Cal O'Reilly (1-0-1) and Brendan Gaunce (1-0-1) scored the Comets three goals of the night but it wasn't enough as the Comets struggled all night to keep up with the prowess of the Hamilton Bulldogs' offense.

The Comets shot early and often in the opening stanza, which allowed them to open up the scoring just past the eight-minute mark. Andrey Pedan caught Hamilton's defense off guard with a stretch pass up to Brandon DeFazio at the blue line. With the puck along the boards, DeFazio popped it over to Archibald who took a wrist shot and buried it top-shelf on the short side to give the Comets the early one-goal lead.

Just under six minutes later the Bulldogs found the equalizer after a series of tick-toe passes just inside the slot.

Drayson Bowman lifted a quick shot past Joacim Eriksson after receiving a pass from Darren Dietz at the right dot to keep the Comets at bay.

Just past the midway point in the second period, it was the Bulldogs turn to take the one-goal lead after Eriksson made a sprawling attempt to keep the puck out of the net. With mass confusion in the crease, the puck was air-bound as it bounced off some bodies and into the back of the net for the 2-1 lead at 12:27. Eric Tangradi received credit for the goal for his sixth of the season.

As the third period rolled in, so did the goals. The Comets were able to start the period off on the right foot by finding their first equalizer of the game just before the one-minute mark. Alexandre Grenier fed the puck to the blue paint as O'Reilly was there to catch and deliver the puck past the right post to make it 2-2. Nicklas Jensen tallied the secondary assist.

Hamilton bounced back the other way and took control of the lead off a rebound that popped out in front from Bowman at 3:40. Tangradi shifted the curtains as spiked it in the back of the net on the open side for the one-goal lead.

Less than two minutes later, the Comets answered back with a snipe from Gaunce. The rookie's shot went top-shelf over the glove hand of Mike Condon to tie it up at 3-3. Both Peter Andersson and Dustin Jeffrey had their hands in on the play.

The Comets lost control of the game at 7:44 after a turnover in the defensive zone. Morgan Ellis outworked the Comets and fought his way to the puck and beat Eriksson for the 4-3 lead.

Continued here:

Bulldogs' Six Goals Doom Comets

Crunch Drop the Comets 4-1

Posted on by

February 28, 2015 - American Hockey League (AHL) Utica Comets SYRACUSE, N.Y. - Just as it was the last time the Utica Comets visited their thruway rivals, they were once again defeated by the Syracuse Crunch in a 4-1 final at the Oncenter War Memorial Arena on Saturday evening.

Hunter Shinkaruk found the Comets lone goal of the game but was unable to bury anything else past the rock solid Kristers Gudlevskis who backstopped 38 shots of the 39 the Comets took on him.

The first opportunity presented itself for the Crunch early on in the first period after Nicolas Deschamps took a shot on Pat Nagle from the right dot. Unable to cover the rebound, Nagle made an attempt at the sprawling save but it wasn't quick enough to catch the rubber that Tanner Richard banged in on the opposite side for the early 1-0 lead at 6:24.

The Comets didn't hesitate to fight right back after Matthew Corrente took a penalty for interference six minutes later. With the power play ticking down, Jeremie Blain rifled one towards the front of the net from the right boards. Hunter Shinkaruk who planted himself in front of Gudlevskis, caught the puck with his stick, spun around and popped it in on the open side for the equalizer and his second power-play goal of the season. Kent Huskins also received credit on the play.

Upon entering the second period the Crunch took back their one-goal lead after capitalizing on their first power play of the game. Gudlevskis got it all going for the Comets directly off of a clear and popped it back out of the zone up to Vladislav Namestnikov in the neutral zone. Yanni Gourde eventually took possession of the puck and snuck through the Comets defense as he lifted one past Nagle for the 2-1 lead at 7:45.

The goals kept piling on later on in the third as Richard found his second of the game off of a slapshot from Dylan Blujus. Richard tipped the puck in past Nagle at 8:27, which extended their lead to two. Carter Ashton received the secondary assist on the play.

The Crunch found the final goal of the game after Pat Nagle was pulled for the extra attacker. The Comets defensemen did their best to keep the puck out, but the inevitable happened once the Crunch's point-leader, Jonathan Marchessault popped in the empty-net goal off of a feed from Slater Koekkoek to make it 4-1.

It's back to The Utica Memorial Auditorium tomorrow afternoon as the Utica Comets will take on the Hamilton Bulldogs for a 4 p.m. matinee. In their last meeting, the Comets leashed up the dogs with a 5-2 victory at The AUD.

Prior to the game Utica Comets Director of Hockey Operations, Pat Conacher, accounced that the team has reassigned defenseman Kane Lafranchise to the Kalamazoo Wings of the ECHL.

Three Stars: 1. SYR Kristers Gudlevskis (Win, 38 Saves) 2. SYR Tanner Richard (2 Goals) 3. SYR Kevin Lynch

Read the original post:

Crunch Drop the Comets 4-1

UT Tyler Women Can't Hold off Comets, Falls 82-74 in ASC Final

Posted on by

Saturday, February 28, 2015 - 9:13pm

TYLER -- In a matchup of the two top-teams in the conference, the Comets from Texas-Dallas were able to fend off the No. 1 seed Texas-Tyler Patriots, winning 82-74 in the American Southwest Conference Championship game.

The Patriots (26-2) did not have an answer for UTD's Madi Hess, who finished the game with 18 timely-points, helping to lead the Comets to their second ASC-tournament title in three seasons.

UT Tyler and UTD played to five ties in the first 10 minutes of the game, as the Patriots' Teylor Seals made the score 23-23 with 9:31 to play. The Comets' Hess would answer with a jumper, giving UTD the 25-23 lead just :20 later.

The Comets would continue to lead throughout the first half, taking a 42-36 lead into the locker, scoring the final four points of the first half.

Texas-Tyler would pull to within one point several times in the second half, but each time the Comets would find away to pull away.

Leading just 50-49 with 13:09 remaining, the Comets would go on a crushing 8-0 run, highlighted by a pair of three-pointers by Iemah Wallace-Perry and Hess, making hte score 58-49 with 11:09 left.

UT Tyler would get to within four points with 1:10 left as Brittany King made two of her game-high 23 points, but that would be as close as they would get.

The Comets would close the game shooting a perfect 100-percent, making four free-throws and two jumpers to win, 82-74.

King would finish the tournament with 23 points and 12 rebounds, garnering All-Tournament Team honors, joining Jasmin Baskin who finished the tournament with 44 points scored.

Link:

UT Tyler Women Can't Hold off Comets, Falls 82-74 in ASC Final

Utica Comets donate more Than $15,500 to Mohawk Valley Health Systems Breast Care Center

Posted on by

Photo Credit: MVN Health

By Christy Landry-Pitcher Feb. 27, 2015

UTICA, NY - On Friday, February 20, 2015, the Utica Comets presented a check for more than $15,500 to Mohawk Valley Health Systems Breast Care Center.

Funds were raised during Pink the Rink night held in January.

"It is with deep gratitude that we thank the Utica Comets for Pink the Rink night," said Nancy Butcher, MBA, RT (T), executive director of the Cancer Center.

"Fighting cancer is a team effort and we appreciate their support in the fight against breast cancer. Our thanks to the community and the Comets for their generosity. You helped us make a significant difference for our patients and their families!"

The Comets collected money through the 50/50 raffle and after the game, the special pink uniforms were auctioned off to fans.

It truly was a terrific night filled with excitement and giving toward a great cause, said Utica Comets President Robert Esche. Our area never ceases to amaze me on its ability to donate so generously to local institutions. Its very rewarding to see people come together from a player level, staff level and most importantly a community level. I thank everyone who was involved, and know that Pink the Rink night has become a staple of not only the Utica Comets, but of the City of Utica and the community as a family.

Related

Utica, N.Y. - As a Licensed Clinical Social Worker in Utica,...

Visit link:

Utica Comets donate more Than $15,500 to Mohawk Valley Health Systems Breast Care Center


  1. Comets