BINGHAMTON, N.Y. – The Binghamton Senators started off with a bang but failed to hang on falling 7-4 to their host Utica Comets on Sunday evening. Bobby Sanguinetti and Will Acton each scored twice as the Comets exploded for four third period goals breaking a 3-3 tie after 40 minutes of play.
Binghamton opened the scoring just 1:18 into the first when Shane Prince grabbed his 17th of the season off assists from Chris Wideman and Nick Tuzzolino. Ryan Dzingel was awarded a penalty shot at the 2:30 mark of the first and converted with a wrist shot underneath Utica’s Joacim Eriksson’s glove side for his 10th goal of the season giving Binghamton the 2-0 lead. Alexandre Grenier cut the B-Sens lead to 2-1 on the power play with just over five minutes in the opening period sending Binghamton to the locker room with the one-goal lead.
Acton evened the score at two goals aside when he notched a shorthanded marker 7:21 into the second period. Derek Grant regained the lead for the B-Sens with a 5-on-3 power-play strike 12:17 into the second off assists from Prince and Carter Camper. Utica managed to once again even the score when Sanguinetti notched his first of the night with just over two minutes to play in the middle frame.
Andrey Pedan gave Utica the 4-3 lead 4:08 into the final period with a slap shot directly off a faceoff win. Dzingel scored his second of the evening just over three minutes later to even the score before the Comets scored three goals in just 1:52 on three consecutive shots to move the final score to 7-4 Utica.
Mannino managed 38 saves on 45 shots faced while Eriksson surrendered four goals on 28 shots faced to earn the victory. Six Comets skaters scored multiple points for Utica while the teams combined for 138 penalty minutes including six fights.
Binghamton travels to Wilkes-Barre Wednesday, February 11, for a 7:05p.m. faceoff with the Penguins before heading to Lehigh Valley for a 7:05p.m. start against the Phantoms.
(Courtesy: Binghamton Senators Hockey)
