Syracuse, NY - An AHL record setting crowd of 21,508 stood witness to watch the host Syracuse Crunch (24-27-3-3) defeat the Binghamton Senators (22-27-3-2) by the final of 2-1 in the “Mirabito Outdoor Classic,” the first ever AHL outdoor game.

David Liffiton provided the game winner for the Crunch while net minder Kevin Lalande would steer away 36 of the 37 shots he would face.

This one got underway a half hour late due to traffic jams backing up for miles heading into the NY State Fairgrounds and the repair of a broken frame of glass that occurred in the pre-game skate.

When things were ready to start NY State Governor David Patterson came out to drop the ceremonial puck. The crowd flooded his appearance with the loudest ‘boos’ one might have ever heard. Luckily for him things were quickly overshadowed when his puck was delivered by a rather courageous skydiver! Kudos should also be given to the 174th Fighter Wing from Syracuse for their fantastic color guard and display of the 30ft flag at center ice during the anthem.

It only took 1:50 into the first for the packed house to get a little taste of some heavyweight action as Syracuse’s Jon “Nasty” Mirasty and Bingo’s Jeremy Yablonski let loose on each other like a pair of rock-‘em sock-‘em robots. Clearly no advantage to either side in this obviously pre-planned battle.

The only scoring in the frame came courtesy of a partial breakaway from Syracuse’s Alexandre Picard as he slipped the puck past the glove side of Mike Brodeur while getting pressured from behind by d-man Drew Bannister. Winger Mike Blunden was credited with the lone assist on Picard’s 15th of the season which put the Crunch up 1-0.

Picard could not only score but he can also do some handy work around the ice as he repaired a pane of glass that fell out of the penalty box about halfway through the period.

Shots on net favored Syracuse 11-8 in the first.

Binghamton would even the score at 1-1 when Josh Hennessy grabbed a quirky rebound off the boards in the Sens zone and fought his way up ice with the puck. After he and linemate Marty St. Pierre sent a couple rebounds off Lalande he was able to knock the puck into the open right side of the net to give him his 19th tally of the season. This one was shorthanded (Bannister - hooking) and came at 5:09.

It looked like things would remain tied heading into the final frame until Syracuse defenseman Liffiton hopped out of the sin bin (cross-check) and grabbed the puck from teammate Dan Fritsche. With just 11.7 ticks remaining he fired a blistering slap shot from the top of the slot that beat Brodeur top-shelf and put the Crunch back in the lead at 2-1.

“I just came out of the box and Nick (Holden) saw me, he knew I was coming out and he had his good awareness there. Danny made a nice drop pass to me and he got me a lot of time. Both guys driving the net and I managed to get a good shot and put it in,” described Liffiton.

This was his fourth goal of the season and proved to be the eventual game winner. Another assist was given to Blunden.

The final period featured the same high intensity that was seen in the prior two but the difference in this one had to be the goaltending of Lalande. Killing off a slew of penalties (Binghamton was 0 for 10 on the power play for the game) and standing strong between the pipes. Brodeur (28 saves on the day) also kept his opponents off the board in the final frame and was pulled with just over a minute left for the extra attacker but to no avail as the Crunch held on for the 2-1 victory.

Overall the game was a huge success and will not only be remembered by the fans but also by the guys in the pads and uni’s.

“It was pretty fun to play for the first time and maybe the last time in my life (outdoors). It was unbelievable, a lot of emotion and a lot of fans always screaming and keeping it going and it was pretty fun,” stated Russian native and Syracuse winger Maxim Mayorov.

Binghamton enforcer Yablonski enjoyed it also but admitted a bit of nervousness. “It was great, playing in something like this is a life experience for hockey players and it reminds you of when you were a kid and it was just a good time. I definitely had butterflies going around my stomach waiting for the starting puck to drop."

Liffiton acknowledged the special day but also realized it was a big win in a tight East Division. “It was awesome playing in front of a crowd like that, just the whole atmosphere playing outside. I think it was a real treat for all of us and it was a huge two points for us as well.”

With all this said AHL President David Andrews was extremely pleased with the game’s success and discussed what we may be able to look forward to in the future.

“It was really overwhelming overall in terms of it’s success. This was a huge undertaking for the Syracuse Crunch they showcased our league in a way that we couldn’t ask for any more. It was a fantastic event, everybody from the players to the officials involved in putting it together and especially the fans. I mean everyone had a blast, it’s a unique experience and of course it was a terrific hockey game."

“(As for next year) that will be Howard Dolgon’s (Syracuse President/CEO) call or somebody’s call I guess. This will be a catalyst for other people to look at doing it and I think that the last thing I read he was talking about the Carrier Dome, so I wouldn’t put anything past him. He’s done a wonderful job.”

We’ll have to wait and see, but as for now this was an event that everyone in attendance can appreciate and enjoy it’s lasting memories for years to come!

For photos from today’s event visit http://sportsology.smugmug.com

Notes - This was the seventh of eight meetings between the I-81 rivals and the first ever outdoor minor league hockey game, each time the home team has won (Syracuse 4-3-0-0). It was a celebration of hockey in New York State that recognizes all levels of hockey from youth to recreation to professional players……The game was originally slated for December 5, 2009 but when all was said and done it ended up being today……Mark “Big Sexy” Hayes appeared in between whistles during the second period behind the Binghamton bench. He initiated his strip show with the removal of his Crunch jersey and before long he stood in just his blue boxers revealing his “full figured” waist line. He was not done yet however as he made a running plunge into a hot tub jumping up and down and shaking his belly!……..Amongst those on hand to witness this one were Bobby Nystrom, JF Labbe, and NY Senator Chuck Schumer.

AHL “Mirabito Outdoor Classic” Cool Fact! - First day of Construction for the Outdoor rink was on January 4. First team to skate on it was the U14 Camillus girls team on February 15.