Cleveland Crunch Punch Playoff Ticket with Win Over Chicago Mustangs

The Cleveland Crunch secured its place in the postseason with a victory over the Chicago Mustangs on March 7. Cleveland dominated the first matchup between the two teams earlier this season with a 10-1 win, but Chicago came into this game determined to keep things competitive.

The Crunch wasted no time getting on the scoreboard. Aidan Bozak opened the game with a goal at the 13:32 mark of the first quarter, setting the tone early for Cleveland. Not long after, Michael Derezic extended the lead with a goal assisted by Admir Suljevic.

Both teams tightened up defensively midway through the quarter, but Cleveland broke through again when team captain David Jordan found the net with 2:40 remaining in the first quarter. The goal came off an assist from Brenden Swann and pushed the Crunch further ahead.

Chicago responded late in the quarter when Jorge Ochoa scored with just 40 seconds remaining to get the Mustangs on the board. However, Cleveland answered almost immediately as Suljevic scored with 31 seconds left in the quarter, giving the Crunch a strong finish to the opening frame.

The Mustangs came out determined in the second quarter and cut into the lead when Arnel Dizdarevic scored. Cleveland quickly regained momentum when Derezic scored his second goal of the night, once again assisted by Suljevic, who continued to make an impact with his playmaking.

The third quarter belonged to Jordan. With 8:35 remaining in the quarter, Jordan scored to extend the Crunch's lead. Less than a minute later, he struck again with 7:38 on the clock, completing a hat trick.

Chicago refused to go away quietly. Alex Filian scored with 4:29 left in the third quarter, and the Mustangs continued to push offensively. Ochoa added another goal, and Aleksander Zdravkovic found the back of the net with just 15 seconds left in the quarter to make the game more interesting heading into the final frame.

In the fourth quarter, the Crunch leaned on their veteran leadership. Jordan scored again with 12:57 on the clock, adding to his already impressive night. Chicago answered with another goal from Filian, but Cleveland maintained control.

Ma’Cain Spragling added a goal for the Crunch, assisted by Suljevic, who recorded multiple assists throughout the game. Chicago made a late push with two more goals from Ochoa, but the rally came too late as Cleveland held on for the win.

With the victory, the Cleveland Crunch officially punched their ticket to the MLIS playoffs, which will be held in Las Vegas, March 28-29 at the Orleans Arena.

Leading the way for Cleveland was Jordan, whose standout performance earned him MetroHealth Man of the Match honors after recording a hat trick and an additional goal to help guide the Crunch to victory.

The Crunch have two more home matches, scheduled for March 14 and March 15, at the Wolstein Center on the Cleveland State University campus. Tickets are on sale now at theclevelandcrunch.com/tickets.