The Binghamton Senators handed the Utica Comets their first loss of the year when leading after two periods with a 6-5 overtime win. Fredrik Claesson scored his fourth goal of the year 2:53 into overtime to give the B-Sens the victory.


Ryan Dzingel gave Binghamton the 1-0 lead 6:30 into the second period off a feed from Danny Hobbs during a 3-on-2 sequence. B-Sens starting goaltender Chris Driedger skated to the locker room favoring his lower body after the goal sending backup Peter Mannino into the game. Utica managed to slip one past Mannino with less than six minutes to play in the first to even the score 1-1 heading into the intermission.


Brandon DeFazio notched his 20th goal of the year 9:33 into the second to give the Comets’ their first lead of the night 2-1. With just under six minutes to play in the second frame, Darren Kramer went after Utica’s Frank Corrado triggering an on-ice melee. Comets goalie Jacob Markstrom took the opportunity to skate down ice and challenge Mannino resulting in both their ejections from the game. Binghamton was forced to call on their third goaltender, Scott Greenham, for the remainder of the night while Joacim Eriksson finished up for the visitors. Utica carried the 2-1 lead into the final period.


Back-to-back power-play goals from Derek Grant at 4:42 and Alex Grant at 5:44 gave the B-Sens the 3-2 lead early in the third. Utica made it 3-3 less than two minutes later when Cory Conacher scored his 11th goal of the year. Binghamton regained the lead off Chris Wideman’s 18th goal of the season with just over eight minutes to play in regulation, but DeFazio’s second of the night less than two minutes later evened the score at 4-4. Alexandre Grenier made it 5-4 with less than four minutes to play in the period, but the B-Sens responded when Shane Prince notched his 27th of the year with less than three minutes to play.


Claesson’s game-winning goal came on a 3-on-2 rush in the sudden-death period off assists from Buddy Robinson and Wideman to give the hosts the dramatic victory.


Greenham earned the victory in net stopping 15 of 18 shots faced while Eriksson allowed five goals on nine shots faced in the losing effort.


Binghamton heads to Hershey Friday, April 17, for a 7:00p.m. faceoff versus the Bears before returning home Saturday to host the Rochester Americans at 7:05p.m. in the final game of the season. Tickets are available by calling the Binghamton Senators Executive Office at (607) 722-7367 Monday-Friday from 9:00a.m. to 5:30p.m. Fans can also purchase tickets through the Floyd L. Maines Veterans Memorial Arena Box Office and all Ticketmaster outlets during normal business hours by visiting www.ticketmaster.com or at 1-800-745-3000.


(Courtesy: Binghamton Senators)