Get the latest Syracuse news delivered right to your inbox. Subscribe to our sports newsletter here.

Trailing by one with under a minute to play in its battle with Boston University, Syracuse had no choice but to throw forward everything it had.

After subbing out goalkeeper Allie Kelley for an extra attacker, the Orange took five shots in the final minute of play. First, Stella Costible’s shot from distance sailed wide of the goal. Then Celia Wiegand’s effort ricocheted off a BU defender. Two prompt shots from Charli Kettyle and Tatum White couldn’t break through BU’s strong defense, and Jackson Kinsler’s final effort with 20 seconds remaining fell kindly into the glove of goalkeeper Mari Pietersen.

The Orange couldn’t find an equalizer through a flurry of chances, watching the clock hit zero on a seventh straight loss. However, when the buzzer sounded, the SU offense had turned in one of its most impressive displays yet.

Although Syracuse (2-7-0, 0-0-0 Atlantic Hockey America) failed to complete a two-goal comeback in the final period against Boston University (6-3-0, 4-1-0 Hockey East Association), the Orange have made it clear that they’re building towards success as conference play approaches. Saturday evening’s efforts on the attack was another step in the right direction.

“At this time of year, our systems are a lot more in place, we’re a lot more comfortable with it,” SU head coach Britni Smith said postgame. “We’re bringing a lot more offense, already finding that chemistry within our lines. We feel like, coming into conference play, we’re ahead of where we were, playing hockey that we didn’t see until November or December.”

Just like it had Friday night, the SU offense came out firing, forcing two saves in the opening minute-and-a-half from Petersen. Nonetheless, toward the second part of the period, it was the Syracuse defense that stood out. Facing nine shots on goal in the first twenty, Kelley and her defenders stood strong, including an important block by Kettyle to keep BU off the scoreboard in the final moments of the period.

The Orange continued to withstand a dangerous Boston attack throughout the second frame. Kelley made 10 saves, but one of the Terriers’ 21 second period shots was bound to find the net. Following a penalty on Kettyle late in the second that put BU on the power play, Sydney Healey received a pass from Christina Vote in the slot and blasted a snapshot past Kelley to put the Terriers up 1-0.

It seemed like an all-too-familiar scenario for Syracuse, who conceded similarly Friday evening, which began a string of three goals in five minutes.

“We let goals compound sometimes,” White said. “We’ve been working on that, trying to figure out how, if we let one in, how to stop the bleeding. We kind of have the mentality that our backs are against the wall when they score, so it gives us momentum and gives us that energy to fight back.”

As the second period came to a close, SU did just that. Kinsler found open ice down the left side and received a pass from Bryn Saarela. Kinsler reared back her stick and rifled a shot from the left circle off the crossbar and into the net. With just 19 seconds left in the period, the Orange had worked their way back into the game.

“Every night we come out and we battle,” White said. “We really turned it on in the second period.”

Syracuse trailed entering the third period in each of its last three games but entered tied Saturday. The newfound energy resulted in several shots early in the third, but it was BU who capitalized first. A long shot from Riley Walsh clanked off the post, ricocheted off of Kelley and trickled into the net. Eight minutes later, the Terriers were putting pressure on again. Lola Reid found space on the left side and slotted a shot into the upper right hand corner of Kelley’s goal. Again, the Orange couldn’t stop the bleeding.

Down two goals in the final eight minutes, Syracuse showed an offensive push. White worked her way down the middle of the ice and slid a pass to Saarela, who whipped a pass into Maya D’Arcy for a clean finish at the back post.

“I think we didn’t really change a whole lot when it came to our offense,” Smith said. “It was just a really great effort by a defenseman to jump up in the rush and get a stick on the back post. I think when it comes to our offense, we’re a team that just needs to stick to the simple details of our game.”

The Orange battled until the bitter end, firing twenty shots, including eight in the final five minutes, yet couldn’t find the net through a strong Terrier defense. Despite the loss, Syracuse showed an offensive attack that hadn’t been seen in the majority of its now seven-game skid.

“We believe we’re far more prepared right now for conference play than we were at this time last year,” Smith said. “So yes, we’d like to see a win this weekend, but really happy with our play and really excited to see what that gives us in conference.”

Published on October 26, 2024 at 8:47 pm

harrispemberton@gmail.com