Midway though the third period Megan Quinn sent in a shot into the crease that bounced off the pads of Clarkson goalkeeper Shea Tiley. Melissa Piacentini gathered the rebound off the left side of the goal and wrapped around behind the net, flicking it into the back of the net.

She skated toward the face-off circle and threw her hands in the air. After an abundance of opportunities, Syracuse finally broke through.

“I just got the lucky bounce and I saw the goalie slide across the crease and it was wide open,” Piacentini said.

The goal, however, came too late. Syracuse spent the first two and a half periods searching for its footing, and poor execution was the difference on Tuesday as No. 5 Clarkson (3-0) defeated Syracuse (0-1), 3-1, at Tennity Ice Pavilion.

Eight minutes into the first period, Piacentini sent a pass that slid just wide of an open goal.

And as the first period winded down, Piacentini again unloaded a pass into the middle of the ice with no one around to make something happen.

“I think quality chances we gotta get better,” Syracuse head coach Paul Flanagan said.

After stalling in the first period, Syracuse opened the second period with the coordination and quality looks it had been lacking. Still, the Orange wasn’t able to get on the scoreboard.

Jessica Sibley crept in front of the net but lost the puck before she could pull the trigger. Later, Quinn flipped a shot into the front of the goal with no one there to punch it home.

With three minutes left in the period, Emily Costales zipped a pass through two defenders that slid just out of the reach of Sibley. The shots on goals were nearly identical, but the Orange wasn’t able to even the score.

“We generated a lot of opportunities but I think we just need to start capitalizing on them,” Nicole Renault said.

Flanagan said many shots were directed right into the padding of Tiley. The shots were rushed, the players weren’t looking up and production suffered.

Piacentini’s goal in the third period cut the lead to 2-1 with 10 minutes remaining, but wasn’t able to flip the script.

With two minutes remaining and Syracuse looking to tie the game, Alysha Burriss’s backhand pass from the side of the net sent the puck right in front of the Clarkson goal. But as it slowly spun on the ice, no one from SU got to it in time.

“I thought we could have done a better job,” Flanagan said. “I thought we panicked a few times.”

The scene encapsulated Syracuse’s up-and-down offense. In the end, it proved too little too late.

“It went in stages,” said Flanagan, describing the offensive progression. “You’re gonna be a little nervous, a little tentative, it’s the home opener … I thought that resulted in maybe not having enough ‘umph’ there offensively.”

Published on October 6, 2015 at 11:28 pm

Contact Matt: mralex01@syr.edu