In each of their first three games of the 2025-26 season, the Belleville Senators earned a loss. After being outscored 11-4 combined in the first two games, Belleville was better yesterday with picking up one point in the 2-1 overtime loss to the Toronto Marlies.
Prior to today's afternoon game against the Syracuse Crunch, big news was announced that the Ottawa Senators would loan goaltender Leevi Merilainen to the AHL and call up Mads Sogaard. Merilainen would get the start against Syracuse, but Sunday was another disappointment for Belleville all around.
Syracuse defeated Belleville 5-3 at CAA Arena. With the loss, Belleville is now 0-3-1-0 to begin the season.
In the first period, Belleville and Syracuse each scored one goal. Dominic James scored for Syracuse off a turnover, and Wyatt Bongiovanni scored for Belleville. After being tied for the most goals last season for Belleville with 22 goals, Bongiovanni scored his first goal of the season today.
In the second period, the game got ugly for Belleville with pressure applied by Syracuse throughout the whole period. Syracuse recorded 17 shots on goal. The pressure finally worked out for Syracuse when Tristan Allard scored 12:16 into the period. Then, Belleville recorded a defensive zone turnover which led to Lucas Mercuri scoring a shorthanded goal to extend the lead to 3-1.
At 6:54 of the third period, momentum appeared to be changing in Belleville's direction when Cameron Crooty scored to make it a one-goal game, but Syracuse regained the two-goal lead when Dylan Duke scored 1:27 later. Boris Katchouk then added an insurance goal with 5:31 remaining to make it a three-goal lead for Syracuse. Lassi Thomson did score to make it 5-3 with 1:11 remaining in regulation, but it was too little too late.
Syracuse's offense was too much for Belleville to handle. Syracuse finished the game outshot. Merilainen made 35 saves in the loss, but two of the goals resulted off of turnovers in Belleville's defensive end. After the game, Merilainen mentioned how he was happy to see many shot attempts, but did admit it's never easy to be loaned to the AHL, but did feel good in the net.
Leevi Merilainen after Belleville's loss to Syracuse. I asked Merilainen about getting sent down. "It's never easy for sure." pic.twitter.com/jvHKSqGkcV
— Jake Ferraro (@18Jxxx18) October 19, 2025
Belleville will return to action on Wednesday night when they host the Laval Rocket at 7 p.m. ET to conclude its three-game home stand before back-to-back road games against the Marlies at Coca-Cola Coliseum.