While scoring opportunities and puck possession have been abundant for Syracuse, goals haven’t been.

Through the first 10 games, the Orange has been outscored 35-18 and is averaging only 1.8 goals per game. SU has tallied more than two goals just twice this year, with its highest mark being three.

At this point last season, Syracuse had nine more goals than it does now and four more wins.

“(We’re) somewhat anemic I guess in the scoring department,” head coach Paul Flanagan said.

When the Orange (2-3-5, 1-0-1 College Hockey America) hosts rival Mercyhurst (8-1-1, 2-0) at 7 p.m. on Friday and 3 p.m. on Saturday at Tennity Ice Pavilion, it will look to snap out of its scoring lull. Because of Syracuse’s lack of production, it has struggled to two wins and finished with five ties. The Orange has to get some of its offensive stars from last year to produce in order to see the team’s numbers improve.

“Well the offense, I mean we’ve struggled,” assistant coach Brendon Knight said. “I think it’s evident by the statistics. … A couple of our upperclassmen, Melissa (Piacentini) had a decent start where she had three quick goals, but now she hasn’t scored in a couple of games. Jessica Sibley, too, is struggling a little bit.”

It starts with the top three point producers from last season: forwards Piacentini and Sibley and defenseman Nicole Renault.

Piacentini hasn’t contributed to a goal in the last five games. Without a two-point performance against Penn State on Nov. 1, Sibley wouldn’t have equaled her point total from last year’s first 10 games. And Renault is without a point in the last four games.

“The only way you’re going to win is if you score goals,” Piacentini said. “… I’ve evaluated my play individually and as a team and it’s just coming down to bearing down in front of the net and scoring and finishing those shots and opportunities.”

Flanagan has stressed getting pucks on net, but in SU’s Nov. 1 tie against Penn State, Syracuse piled on 52 shots and only scored twice.

Piacentini had a chance to give the Orange a two-goal lead in the first, but banged a shot off the post. In overtime, with a chance to win it, Sibley did the same.

“It’s really frustrating when you’re really close,” Piacentini said. “You’re doing everything you think you have to be doing, but you’re hitting the post and you’re missing the net.”

There have been a few games Piacentini could have had three or four goals with some luck, but didn’t score at all, Flanagan said.

Part of the problem is the team has been struggling to get high-percentage shots to the net, Flanagan said. The players need to place their shots well too, he added.

SU has faced butterfly goalies that often go to their knees when a shot is taken. The team usually shoots low into the goalie’s pads, however.

Penn State’s game-tying goal on Nov. 1 was a well-placed shot in the top-left corner of the net. After the game, Flanagan said that’s exactly what his team needed to do.

In practice, Flanagan uses one-on-zero and two-on-zero shooting drills, but said it gives the players a false sense of security, like shooting a layup.

Recently, he’s been using more pressured shooting drills so his players have to read and react to the defense accordingly.

After the tie to Penn State, Piacentini said she’d focus on scoring all week in practice.

Flanagan hopes it’ll translate into goals of any kind when SU faces a Mercyhurst team that has averaged 3.6 goals and held its opponents to one goal a game during its current five-game winning streak.

Said Flanagan: “Whether it’s a highlight-reel goal or it’s just an ugly one off a deflection, we need to get those kinds of goals.”

Published on November 6, 2014 at 12:08 am

Contact Jon: jrmettus@syr.edu | @jmettus