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The Orange were gifted a power play after Rene Gangarosa was sent to the penalty box for cross-checking 6:08 into the third period. However, four seconds later, Syracuse’s advantage was discarded when Rhéa Hicks was called for hooking. Instead of having a 5-4 skater advantage for the next 1:56 trying to score an equalizing goal, Syracuse had to play 4-on-4.

Tessa Janecke won the faceoff against Tatum White and flung the puck behind her to Izzy Heminger. Heminger quickly spotted Kendall Butze in front of the blue line and passed to her. Butze brought the puck down the left boards and Kiara Zanon simultaneously skated behind Butze toward the center of the rink.

This caused a defensive miscommunication as Mae Batherson and Lauren Bellefontaine both picked up Zannon and let Butze skate freely toward the crease. Hannah Johnson had been defending the right post but with Butze crashing on the left side, she left to mark her. With Johnson leaving the right post, Mallory Uihlein found the opening in the defense and she scored on a one timer from Butze.

“(Penn State) has a lot of offensive firepower,” Johnson said. “We needed to bear down against them and play a gritty game… and I think we did that in the first and second (periods) but just lost it in the third.”

Despite playing its best game of the season against the Nittany Lions, Syracuse (9-20-2, 6-7-1 CHA) lost 4-1 against Penn State (22-8-2, 12-1-1 CHA). In its previous three matchups against Penn State, the Orange lost by an average of 5.75 goals per game, but it managed to keep today’s matchup tightly contested throughout its 60 minutes.

A big reason for SU’s struggles against Penn State this season had been its first period play. When opposing teams score first against Syracuse, it tends to struggle, and that’s been especially true against the Nittany Lions. In each first period against the Orange prior to today, Penn State scored at least one goal and averaged 2.33 goals in the first period.

However, the Orange didn’t allow Penn State to take an early lead today, surrendering only nine shots on goal throughout the first period – the least for Penn State against SU in their four matchups this season. Syracuse had success defensively in the first period because it was able to force Penn State to play into its defensive zone.

“(We) defend tough between the dots,” head coach Britni Smith said. “You’re going to have to give something up sometimes, so allow (them to take) perimeter shots and be tough to play against between the dots.”

Smith’s defensive game plan was perfectly executed in the first. The Orange were tough in between the dots, forcing Penn State to play more perimeter-oriented offense. This led to SU skaters blocking seven shots in the period.

Penn State had a couple of opportunities to score in the second period, but Syracuse swarmed the puck to keep them off the board. For two consecutive minutes around the midpoint of the period, the Nittany Lions bombarded Syracuse’s defensive zone with six total shots until their offense was killed on a clearance from Bellefontaine.

In the final 1:30 of the second period, Penn State tried to use its speed – which decimated SU in yesterday’s matchup – to score, but it couldn’t even get a shot on goal. Eleri MacKay attempted to initiate a fastbreak by passing the puck to Janecke in stride, but Janecke didn’t receive the puck cleanly. The puck skidded toward Syracuse’s crease, causing a battle between her and Batherson. If Janecke got to the puck first, she likely would’ve been in a position to get a shot on goal. However, Batherson cut her off and flicked the puck away from the net.

While Syracuse had played relentlessly throughout the first and second periods, it was desperate to put something together offensively in the third period. After forcing the Nittany Lions to turn the puck over, Maya D’Arcy controlled the puck in front of Syracuse’s blue line. D’Arcy spotted Rayla Clemons ahead of her to her left and dished the puck to her.

Clemons was able to push the puck into the Nittany Lions’ defensive zone, but Lyndie Lobdell cut her off and sent the puck up the ice. Penn State then attacked Syracuse’s defensive zone.

After a sequence with frequent puck movement, Uihlein received the puck in front of the blue line. With Olivia Wallin hounding the crease and blocking Arielle DeSmet’s view, Uihlein fired a deep shot from the perimeter and scored 1:42 into the third period. Syracuse conceded three more goals in the period, including an empty netter, before Batherson scored its only goal of the series.

“That was probably our most consistent 60 minutes of the season,” Smith said. “I’m really happy about fight and really proud of the girls’ effort. I thought that was a great game.”

Published on February 4, 2023 at 7:44 pm

Contact Justin: justingirshon@gmail.com | @JustinGirshon