By the time the buzzer sounded to mark the end of the first period, Syracuse already scored two goals and put 23 shots on net. The Orange dominated puck possession and generated numerous scoring opportunities.

“Once we started scoring and going it was a good start for us,” forward Julie Knerr said.

But the strong start wasn’t enough.

Syracuse totaled 52 shots on goal to Penn State’s 17, but the Orange (2-3-5, 1-0-1 College Hockey America) ultimately tied the Nittany Lions (3-4-3, 0-1-1), 2-2, at Tennity Ice Pavilion on Saturday. SU controlled the beginning of the game, but still wasn’t able to pull out the victory.

“It’s a 60-minute game and I was proud of our kids, the way we started the game,” head coach Paul Flanagan said, “but when we can’t bury those chances and we let a team hang around, bad things can happen.

“There are good ties and there are bad ties and I just thought that we gave away a point tonight.”

Just five minutes in, SU forward Jessica Sibley sent a pass from the point to Knerr, who backhanded a shot toward the goal. Forward Alysha Burriss picked up the puck and slid it around Penn State goalie Hannah Ehresmann’s pads for a score.

Syracuse maintained the momentum halfway through the first until Penn State’s Laura Bowman scored 15 seconds into a power play caused by a Nicole Renault penalty.

The goal was Penn State’s first shot of the game and one of two power-play goals for the Nittany Lions on the night.

“Our penalty kill is anemic,” Flanagan said. “Just people not making their reads and it’s veterans too, people that have been doing basically the same kill for three years.”

After plenty of chances, Syracuse broke through again with only a minute and a half left in the first. On the power play, the puck slipped through Ehresmann’s legs during a scrum in front of the net. A review confirmed the puck crossed the line and Sibley was credited with a goal.

In the second and third periods, the game became more physical and Penn State earned more possessions and got shots on goal.

“Maybe we got comfortable with the lead,” Burriss said. “We just kind of laid back, took it easy. We got to keep up the energy that we had in the first.”

At the start of the second, SU goalie Jenn Gilligan gloved a slap shot from the point and then had to make an undefended, breakaway save after Renault and SU defenseman Megan Quinn collided with one another, giving up the puck.

She made multiple big saves in the second and third periods and Syracuse looked like it would be able to keep the one-goal lead because of it. But with 3:22 to go, PSU’s Amy Peterson wristed a shot top shelf past Gilligan.

“The game-tying goal was exactly what we needed to do all night,” Flanagan said. “Those top corners were wide open and their kid Peterson, that’s a nice shot. I give her credit. We couldn’t seem to do that all night.”

The third period finished and then the five-minute overtime period ended as SU has been accustomed to this season — without a game-winning goal. Five of the Orange’s last eight games have now ended in a tie.

For the first time in 10 tries, the Orange failed to defeat the Nittany Lions, despite a convincing 3-1 victory on Friday.

“I would say our kids are pretty down,” Flanagan said “… Our kids are dejected that we let that slip away and we didn’t put them away.”

Published on November 1, 2014 at 9:04 pm

Contact Jon: jrmettus@syr.edu | @jmettus