Senior Margot Scharfe knew that her line would need to continue its recent success in order to stand a chance against Conference Hockey America leader Robert Morris.

So when Syracuse head coach Paul Flanagan grabbed the scorecard following the game Friday, he marveled at the amount of success his top line had against the conference frontrunner.

Scharfe’s line accumulated three goals and six assists for the Orange on Friday night, and she assisted on all of SU’s goals.

“She was playing possessed,“ Flanagan said. “She played so well defensively and on the power play. That’s just exhibiting your senior leadership.”

As Syracuse prepares for a road trip to Missouri against Lindenwood (5-21-2, 5-10-1 CHA), the top line of the Orange (16-11-3, 7-6-3) has provided consistent production over the last month. In fact, the staple of the offense this year has circulated around Syracuse’s most talented front line.

But the success has been largely due to the leadership of Scharfe, who embraces the role as the team’s captain, and will lead her line and the team into a weekend series with Lindenwood, an 8 p.m. matchup Friday and a 2 p.m. meeting Saturday.

“We’re just a gritty line,” Scharfe said. “We don’t try to do anything special besides putting the puck in the open net.”

Scharfe anchors a line that has been relied upon in every crucial spot for Flanagan’s squad. While the defensive starters rotate on the line, the primary scorers have started with Scharfe throughout this season.

As Melissa Piacentini leads the team in goals, Allie LaCombe provides consistency by being aggressive with the puck when it’s in her control.

Scharfe is comfortable sharing the spotlight with her teammates since it’s leading to success.

“It’s really great to play with them. I’m lucky to play with them,” she said. “(Piacentini) is sneaky on the ice, and Allie has a great shot. We continue to get more comfortable playing with each other.”

Scharfe uses her calm personality to gain respect from her starting line on a daily basis. She wants to be defined by her work ethic on the ice, and openly praises her teammates that allow their effort to be on display.

The Orange might rely on a handful of senior leaders across the roster, but Scharfe’s used her calm and collected personality to instill confidence in her teammates.

“She’s a really hard worker and just a great captain,” defender Caitlin Roach said. “Margot is one who always looks for someone else on the ice.”

Under Scharfe’s leadership, her line has established itself as the most reliable each game, resulting in opposing defenses zoning in on Scharfe and her teammates.

Flanagan believes that when Robert Morris focused on limiting Scharfe’s line during their game Saturday, the second line became motivated to play with the same intensity.

“It’s good to see that we’re not one-dimensional. You get a little nervous,” Flanagan said. “But the fact we got good offense from our first two groups is a good sign.”

Scharfe will finish out the final weeks of her collegiate hockey career with the goal of winning a conference championship still in mind.

With the final weeks of the regular season approaching, she is hopeful that her line will continue playing with the same mentality.

“I think we’re in a good position to finish the season strong,” Scharfe said. “We need to keep working hard and continue having confidence out there on the ice.”

Published on February 13, 2014 at 2:44 am