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With time winding down in the third period and the score tied at three, it seemed certain overtime was next. But with 25 seconds remaining, Sarah Marchand started an attack, weaving through defenders to advance the puck into the attacking zone. Marchand sent the puck behind the net before Lindenwood attempted to clear it out of its zone. 

Tatum White was the first to react, cutting off the clearance before trying to shake off a defender. White had just come onto the ice during a last-second substitution, giving herself a chance to win the game. The junior lost the puck momentarily, but gained it back, checking the Lindenwood defender. White had seven seconds to come up with a moment of magic and she did. Controlling the puck on her dominant left side, White looked up and fired a laser to the top left corner, giving Syracuse the win.

White’s third goal of the season in the final seconds of regulation gave Syracuse (5-7-1, 4-0-0 College Hockey America) its fourth-straight win to start conference play, defeating Lindenwood (0-8-0, 0-4-0 CHA) 4-3. The Orange led by two goals twice, only to see Lindenwood tie the game up in the third period before White’s winning goal.

“When I shot it, I didn’t really know how much time there was left, but I just saw the lane wide open so I thought I’d just walk right in and shoot it,” White said.

Each time Syracuse seemed like it would pull away and take control of the game, Lindenwood responded. SU jumped out to a quick 2-0 lead within seven minutes with a goal from Marchand. The Orange seemed to be cruising, controlling play and outshooting Lindenwood 12-7 in the opening period. SU’s attack was flowing freely, continuing its momentum from a 4-1 victory the night before against the Lions. 

Syracuse came out aggressively, getting defenders involved in the attack, keeping the puck inside the Lions zone. Quick starts have been an emphasis for SU throughout the season after struggling to score in the first period during non-conference play. 

“It’s important for us to get a good start because at times we’ve struggled getting the first goal,” Marchand said, “Hopefully we keep doing that content continuously throughout the season. It really puts the other team on their heels and gives us momentum moving forward.”

Momentum seemed to change when Lindenwood scored its first goal of the game. Sena Takenaka flipped the puck behind the net, wrapping around before finding the stick of Morgan Neitzke. Neitzke flicked the puck toward goal without much conviction, but Arielle DeSmet didn’t react quick enough, letting the puck slip through at the near post.

Syracuse head coach Britni Smith emphasized the need for Syracuse to develop a killer instinct to prevent future comebacks from occurring like the one on Saturday. 

“It’s not changing our game because we’re up by two, it’s about finding that way to get the next one,” Smith said. “We have to find ways to bury teams instead of letting them back into games.”

Syracuse responded well to Lindenwood’s opener, with Marchand scoring on a breakaway with just over two and a half minutes remaining in the second period. 

Lindenwood answered with two goals of its own, capitalizing on a defensive mistake from Hannah Johnson. Johnson controlled the puck, but slipped, losing it to Kaitlin Finnegan, who squared it across to Sarah Davies. Davies fired it past DeSmet in net to tie the game at three. 

“We’ve had a couple two-goal leads this season that we’ve given up and let teams back into the game,” White said. “As we build a lead, we just have to keep playing our game and not letting off the gas and getting in our heads.”

Davies’ goal with 15 minutes remaining, completely flipped the momentum of the game. Lindenwood took advantage, pressing Syracuse hard and getting shots on net, forcing DeSmet into a couple of acrobatic saves. The graduate student didn’t have her best game, but still finished with 25 saves on the night. 

SU’s offense struggled to get clear looks in the third period with both teams searching for the go-ahead goal. The Orange were outshot eight to six in the final period, but when it counted most, White came up big. The junior finished with a game-high eight shots, staying aggressive throughout the entire game, but her final shot is what mattered the most. 

“We came back and found a way tonight, which is what I’m most pleased with,” Smith said. “It was a roller coaster game which we wanted to eliminate and have been talking about.”

Published on November 5, 2022 at 7:43 pm

Contact Zak: zakwolf784254@gmail.com | @ZakWolf22