Cleveland Crunch Secure Win Over Fort Wayne Summit City Sentinels

The Cleveland Crunch delivered a statement performance against the Fort Wayne Summit City Sentinels Saturday evening, securing a 18-2 victory. The match showcased the Crunch's depth, chemistry and offensive pressure.

The Crunch wasted no time getting on the scoreboard. Admir Suljevic opened the scoring at the 11:15 mark of the first quarter, finishing a setup from Aidan Bozak. Suljevic struck again shortly after at 8:20, quickly putting Fort Wayne on its heels.

Cleveland continued to control possession and pace throughout the opening frame. Michael Derezic added to the lead at 3:30, converting an assist from David Jordan. As the quarter wound down, Gabriel Pewu found the back of the net with just seven seconds remaining, off an assist from Omar Najjar, giving the Crunch a 4-0 lead at the end of the first quarter.

The second quarter was all Cleveland. Suljevic opened the scoring with a goal and returned the favor moments later with an assist to Derezic. The offensive surge continued with another goal by Ma’Cain Spragling.

Suljevic capped off the scoring run by converting on a shootout opportunity, extending the lead to 8-0. Just before halftime, Omar Najjar added his second goal of the night, sending Cleveland into the break with a 9-0 advantage.

Fort Wayne finally got on the board in the second half, as Rashid Segane scored with an assist from Jimmy Destin. Landon Kuhn, who also made his rookie debut for the Crunch, responded immediately.

The Crunch continued to pour it on in the final frame. Kuhn opened the fourth quarter scoring off an assist from Derezic. Shortly after, Brendan Swann netted a goal, this time assisted by Pewu. Cleveland closed the night with addtional goals from Derezic, Swann and Suljevic. Ft Wayne answered, but too little too late, as Najjar scored another goal for the Crunch. 

The Crunch advanced to 2-0 in the regular season. The team heads home for its third matchup on Jan. 10 at the Wolstein Center at Cleveland State University vs. the Chicago Mustangs.