Syracuse had just scored four minutes into its game, and after blown coverage following the ensuing faceoff, Lindenwood had a partial breakaway. Goalie Abbey Miller stayed calm and pushed a wrist shot headed for the top of the net on her blocker side away from the net. The Orange maintained a lead it would not give up.

Three times Lindenwood (8-21-4, 5-10-4 College Hockey America) had the chance to change the direction of the game. Each time Miller was there to make sure Syracuse (17-13-3, 13-4-2) kept its lead in an eventual 6-1 win at the War Memorial Arena in downtown Syracuse. The win Miller’s first since SU beat the University of North Dakota, 5-2, on Nov. 28.

“I haven’t had that many opportunities to get in there this year, so I have to make the most of every chance I get to play,” Miller said. “I thought I made some good saves to keep the team in it early. They got a little momentum back, and me making the saves, gave it back to the team.”

Miller stopped another breakaway after Melissa Piacentini turned over the puck in the offensive zone less than four minutes into the second period. The save led to a goal by Nicole Ferrara less than a minute later to make the score 3-0. And, when her team began to get sloppy, she was there again to stop a point blank chance on the power play to keep Syracuse comfortably in the lead.

Syracuse dominated possession and outshot Lindenwood, 39-21. Lindenwood ripped many of its 21 shots from near the blue line or the face-off dot, allowing for easy saves by Miller. Even after scoring six goals head coach Paul Flanagan felt his team laid up. He said play deteriorated after Syracuse took a 2-0 lead and called the game “ugly at times.”

Miller’s blocker save on the breakaway in the first period was an early turning point that helped SU stay above the game’s poor play, Flanagan said.

“Coaches always say ‘it’s how you respond after you score,’” Flanagan said. “ We didn’t respond very well and she bailed us out. If, they come back and score, they get some energy, some momentum. It was a huge save.”

Defensemen Nicole Renault said the team didn’t play well for all 60 minutes, leading to dangerous chances for Lindenwood.

A late-game goal by Shara Jasper on a rebound with 3:50 left in the third period broke up Miller’s shutout. It would have been Miller’s first career shutout, but Flanagan said SU’s sloppy play likely cost the goalie.

Miller said even though she didn’t get the shutout, she had let in fewer goals than she usually did and that coming out with a win was more important.

“That [effort] was huge,” Renault said. “Even though she didn’t have that many shots, there were Grade A opportunities. There were odd man rushes where she made the [important] save. She kept her head in the game and that’s what we need back there.”

Published on February 19, 2016 at 7:40 pm

Contact Jake: jafalk@syr.edu