Avon Calling! Winning Goal at Utica to Open 2025

Phantoms Double Up Comets 4-2

January 3, 2025

Utica, NY – J.R. Avon (4th) knocked home the winning goal on a mid-air swat set up by Massimo Rizzo from behind the goal to break a 2-2 tie with 11:12 remaining in the third period as the Lehigh Valley Phantoms opened 2025 with a 4-2 victory at the Utica Comets on Friday night.

Rodrigo Abols (8th) and Alexis Gendron (9th) also scored for the Phantoms while Adam Ginning (1st) sealed the victory with his long empty-netter.

Lehigh Valley (14-13-5) also received a 20 save performance from Cal Petersen (8-10-2) which included half of his stops in the third period including some close-range denials.

Utica (7-16-4) opened the scoring just 2:27 into the game on a quick deflection for a steal setting up Adam Beckman’s (7th) blast past the glove of Petersen for a 1-0 lead.

The Phantoms responded with quick, consecutive goals early in the second period just 26 seconds apart.

Brendan Furry and Garrett Wilson worked effectively along the boards setting up Wilson’s strong backhand pass from the corner perfectly in Abols’ wheelhouse who blast off the iron got the Phantoms on the board at 3:23 into the second. Abols has scored in consecutive games and now has five goals in the last nine games.

It wasn’t long for Abols to create again. This time his backhand pass from the right corner connected with an open Gendron in the middle who struck for his second goal in the last three games and his third goal within the most recent six contests. Lehigh Valley has recently made a habit of quick follow-up goals and this one only took 26 seconds to register the back-to-back markers.

The Comets tied the game at 7:00 into the second period with Ryan Schmelzer (4th) picking up a deflection on a left-point shot/pass by Tobias Vilen.

Lehigh Valley broke the tie at 8:48 into the third period following a defensive zone faceoff win after an icing. But Rizzo, Desnoyers and Avon were in no hurry to change as they saw open ice in front of them. After a strong keep to prevent the Comets from clearing, Desnoyers had a solid wrap-around try that was thwarted by goaltender Isaac Poulter. But Rizzo found himself with a little time behind the net and connected perfectly in mid-air a few inches off the ice with an open Avon in the middle who came calling for the game-winner on a perfect knock of the puck to the left post and a 3-2 lead with 11:12 left.

The Comets had a solid push down the stretch that included some tries for former Phantom Max Willman who was denied point-blank by Petersen. Ginning’s clear from the Phantoms bench all the way down ice and through a Utica stick was dead-center into the empty-net to cap the victory at 4-2.

The road trip continues Saturday at Syraucse and Tuesday at Hershey.

The first home game of 2025 is next Friday, January 10 featuring a Blackout theme as well as Blackout Knit Caps from The Morning Call when the Phantoms host the Hartford Wolf Pack.

SCORING SUMMARY

1st 2:27 – UTC , A. Beckman (7) (C. Stillman) (0-1)

2nd 3:23 – LV, R. Abols (8) (B. Furry, G. Wilson) (1-1)
2nd 3:49 – LV, A. Gendron (9) (R. Abols, B. Gleason) (2-1)
2nd 7:00 – UTC, R. Schmelzer (4) (T. Vilen) (2-2)

3rd 8:48 – LV, J. Avon (4) (M. Rizzo, E. Desnoyers) (3-2)
3rd 19:46 – LV, A. Ginning (1) (H. Grans) (EN) (4-2)

Shots:
LV 23 – UTC 22

PP:
LV 0/4, UTC 0/4

Goaltenders:
LV – C. Petersen (W) (8-10-2) (20/22)
UTC – I. Poulter (L) (4-5-3) (19/22)

Records:
Lehigh Valley (14-13-5)
Utica (7-16-4)

UPCOMING

Saturday, January 4 (7:00) – Phantoms at Syracuse Crunch

Tuesday, January 7 (7:00) – Phantoms at Hershey Bears

Friday, January 10 (7:05) – Hartford Wolf Pack at Phantoms – Blackout Knit Caps from The Morning Call

Saturday, January 11 (7:05) – Phantoms at Hartford Wolf Pack

Sunday, January 12 (5:00) – Phantoms at Bridgeport Islanders

Wednesday, January 15 (7:05) – Phantoms vs. Belleville Senators, Pregame Happy Hour, $2 Beers

 

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