SYRACUSE (Interstat) — The Hamilton Hammers will visit the Syracuse Crunch on Friday in a minor league hockey game. Hamilton enters with a 3-7 record, while Syracuse is 4-5.

Hamilton’s Matthew Highmore is a player to watch. In Hamilton’s most recent result, a 5-4 overtime win against Hartford, Highmore recorded 2 goals and 7 shots on goal. Cole Eiserman added 1 goal and 1 assist with 6 shots, and Quinn Finley had 3 assists, 3 shots and 2 penalty minutes. Highmore also had 1 goal and 1 assist with 1 shot in a 2-1 win at Laval. He had 2 shots and 2 penalty minutes in a 4-2 loss at Laval and 1 shot in a scoreless game at Toronto. He recorded 1 shot in a 4-1 loss to Rochester.

Syracuse’s Jakob Pelletier is a player to watch. Pelletier had 3 goals, 6 shots and 12 penalty minutes in Syracuse’s most recent result, a 7-2 win at Lehigh Valley. Elliot Desnoyers added 2 goals and 1 assist with 3 shots, and Nick Abruzzese had 3 assists and 2 shots. Pelletier also had 3 shots and 2 penalty minutes in a 3-2 overtime loss to Rochester. He scored 1 goal with 4 shots in a 4-3 win at Hamilton. He had 1 assist and 2 shots against Rochester and 1 assist and 3 shots against Belleville. He recorded 2 shots at Laval.

The teams have met once this season, with Syracuse winning 4-3 at Hamilton. Hamilton is coming off a 5-4 overtime win over Hartford. Syracuse is coming off a 7-2 win at Lehigh Valley. Hamilton’s other results this season include a 2-1 win at Laval, a 4-2 loss at Laval, a 4-1 loss at Toronto, a 4-1 loss to Rochester, a 5-2 loss to Toronto, a 5-4 overtime loss to Toronto, a 5-3 loss at Toronto and a 5-2 win at Belleville. Syracuse’s other results include a 3-2 overtime loss to Rochester, a 5-1 loss at Laval, a 4-3 win at Hamilton, a 4-2 win over Rochester, a 3-2 loss to Belleville, a 7-1 loss at Rochester, a 6-1 loss at Laval and a 2-0 win at Laval.

Hamilton’s upcoming schedule includes games against Utica, Toronto, Providence, Lehigh Valley, Hershey, Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, Cleveland, Belleville and Syracuse. Syracuse’s upcoming schedule includes games against Utica, Hartford, Laval, Toronto, Rochester, Belleville, Hamilton, Rochester and Laval.

Interstat’s game simulator projects a final score of Syracuse 3, Hamilton 1. Interstat’s ELO system projects Syracuse with a 67.3 percent probability to win.