With Syracuse still killing off a lengthy five-on-three power play, that was now a five-on-four, Robert Morris’ Brittany Howard let go a quick snap shot that hit Abbey Miller’s left pad and the puck deflected to a wide-open Maeve Garvey who was lurking in the crease.

Miller immediately lunged to her left and in a split-like motion, got the same left pad on a shot heading for a wide-open net and covered the puck for another faceoff.

“I felt like I was kind of flailing around a little bit,” Miller said. “I kind of black out a little bit and it just happens and I don’t really know what my body is doing.”

After a few more saves similar to that one including a three save flurry, Syracuse (10-11-5, 9-3-2 College Hockey America) eventually killed off the penalty and continued to utilize its strong penalty-kill, which has not conceded a goal in six games, to beat No.7 Robert Morris (17-3-6, 10-2-2) 5-1 on Saturday afternoon.

Besides Miller’s outstanding play when the puck got below the face-off dots, the team simplified its own defensive and neutral zone play to adapt to a speedy Colonial attack.

On Friday, Robert Morris found openings for shots to get through. For the majority of play in this game, it couldn’t find space or openings to do much in the offensive zone, resulting in an Orange clear by chipping it off the glass or patiently waiting for an outlet to pass to clear it, not letting pucks lay near Miller for more than a few seconds.

When Robert Morris did reach the offensive zone and a Syracuse player could not possess the puck, Syracuse blocked shot after shot eventually out-blocking the Colonials 17-1.

Flanagan praised players such as forward Jessica Sibley, Allie Munroe and defenseman Dakota Derrer. The trio continued to take slap shots to the knees and body, well after Stephanie Grossi made the game 4-1 after scoring her second of the game with less than a minute left in the second period.

“When we don’t block shots and we don’t do the little things (such as clearing the zone instead of stickhandling) right, that’s when we are not going to be successful,” Munroe said.

But when Syracuse was facing challenges — it was shorthanded four times and played four-on-four an additional two times — Miller was there to bail out her teammates with timely saves.

Miller’s use of covering up the puck rather than trying advance the play was just as important as it helped a penalty kill keep the game close in the second period before Syracuse pulled away.

“We are a team that needs to be very aggressive (on the penalty kill),” Miller said. “That’s when we are at our best. Just going after them and not really giving them time and space is huge.”

Published on January 28, 2017 at 8:05 pm

Contact Jake: jafalk@syr.edu