Syracuse started the game with urgency and energy that was absent in the beginning of Friday’s contest. It pushed the pace of play and played chip-and-chase to near perfection. The Orange was cleaner with the puck, cycling it to create scoring chances.

“I liked our response,” SU head coach Paul Flanagan said. “It was a 180 from last night’s first period.”

Syracuse (16-13-3, 12-4-2 College Hockey America) closed out its final regular-season home game at Tennity Ice Pavilion by beating Robert Morris (14-13-5, 6-8-4 CHA), 3-2, on Saturday afternoon and extended its winning streak to five.

The two teams were locked at one through two periods, but the Orange eventually pulled away in the third, beating RMU for the second time in as many days.

“In the second day of a series with short turn around time, for some of our small players, it’s tough,” Flanagan said. “I think we are the only sport that does this.”

Following Friday’s explosive second period in which Syracuse scored six goals, Saturday’s middle frame was anything but explosive. Syracuse started out slow and sloppy until it got a bounce from an Allie Munroe shot 25 seconds into a power play that rebounded off the pads of RMU goalie Jessica Dodds right to Alysha Burriss for an easy goal at 9:10 of the second period.

The period became a parade to the penalty box after the goal, though, and without the play of a stellar penalty kill, the game could have gotten out of control for a Syracuse team that committed four penalties in the second.

“The long (line) change can make it difficult sometimes,” Flanagan said. “We get a little gassed and start struggling. We didn’t manage our ice time like we would have liked to. Last night the puck was down here (in the offensive zone) the whole time, unlike tonight.”

Flanagan looked up at the clock with 1:06 left in the second period. The intermission couldn’t come soon enough. After seven combined penalties in the second and a slew of skirmishes, Syracuse was able to escape with the game tied 1-1.

But when the third period started, the Orange played with authority.

“I said, ‘Lets just go after them,’” Flanagan said. “The game was getting chippy. Be smart, stay out of the box. We don’t want anybody getting injured, lets play the game with class.”

Morgan Blank, who had just one goal this season until last weekend, woke her team up again. She slotted the puck into the net two minutes into the third period off a pass from Heather Schwarz, who was skating down the side, near the boards.

“I’m thinking, ‘Oh man she’s going to pass it to me, I just have to finish,’” Blank said. “She gave me a beautiful pass for a one-timer up front.”

Emily Costales scored the game winner shortly after at 5:16 of the third period on a backhander while falling down on one knee.

“I love those grimy goals,” Costales said.

Syracuse then faced a push from Robert Morris that lead to a Kirsten Welsh pass being deflected off a Syracuse player. It went between the legs of an unprepared SU goalie Jen Gilligan to make the score 3-2.

But that was as close as Robert Morris would get and the Orange closed out its victory.

Published on February 13, 2016 at 9:20 pm

Contact Jake: jafalk@syr.edu