Kallie Billadeau wasn’t just the last line of the defense. She was the only line of defense.

Following a penalty on one of her Syracuse teammates, the goaltender was pitted up against Cornell’s Jillian Saulnier for a penalty shot in the middle of the third period. As Saulnier skated toward the cage, Billadeau stood her ground and poked the puck away with a stick check at the last possible second, making a huge stop.

‘It felt good,’ Billadeau said after the game. ‘I know I let in a couple early in the third, so trying to get some momentum back for our girls. I think it might have helped a little bit, built felt good.’

It was a clear example of how valuable Billadeau has been between the pipes in recent games against top hockey programs like Cornell and Mercyhurst. Although there were times in the season the sophomore goaltender might not have been on top of her game, she’s certainly showed lately she’s getting back to her dominant ways. As SU (8-14-2, 0-2-2 College Hockey America) looks to get back on the winning side against Niagara (7-11-5, 0-2 CHA) this Friday and Saturday at Tennity Ice Pavilion, it may need Billadeau to make some key saves.

Against Mercyhurst on Jan. 7, Billadeau played one of her top games of the season, stopping 33 shots against the No. 5 team in the nation to help Syracuse skate to a 1-1 tie. It was just a day after the Orange had fallen 8-4.

And while No. 3 Cornell did score six goals, it could have been more if not for the big stop after big stop from Billadeau, who turned away a couple of other superb scoring opportunities.

After the game, SU head coach Paul Flanagan liked what he saw from one of the two goaltenders that have seen significant time this season.

Flanagan said that while he thinks Billadeau’s play has been solid for most of the season, he also knows how it’s much more of a combined effort along with the rest of the defense.

‘I think it’s a pretty good coordinated effort between limiting the grade-A chances, and (Billadeau) is doing a much better job,’ Flanagan said.

As for Billadeau, she said she’s climbing out of a hole she felt she was in earlier in the season. There were times when she struggled to play at her usually high level. After facing Ohio State on Nov. 18, Billadeau didn’t play for four straight games, her longest time off the ice in her Syracuse career.

When she came back in a 2-1 win over Lindenwood on Dec. 3, she said the time off paid dividends by giving her a mental break.

Now Billadeau is looking to stay mentally focused with the Orange approaching the stretch run of the season.

‘I’m feeling a little more confident. I’m feeling a little bit better,’ Billadeau said. ‘I know I’ve been a little inconsistent this season. I’m climbing my way back out of that hole, and hopefully I can continue to play better.’

Billadeau said she’s been trying to get back to basics and focus on fundamentals to climb her way out of the hole she thinks she’s been in at times.

And when it comes to this weekend, Syracuse will certainly need that improved play against Niagara. With Mercyhurst the likely top seed in the CHA tournament, other teams like Syracuse and the Purple Eagles are still battling for a respectable seed.

Depending on how the Orange finishes, it could face Mercyhurst in the first round of the tournament, which would be an obvious tougher draw than any other potential opponent.

Flanagan hopes what he got out of his goaltender and his entire team in the previous two games will translate to a better result in the upcoming games.

‘We know from history that a tie on a particular evening can make that difference between that third and fourth or second and third,’ Flanagan said. ‘We just have to approach each game ready to go.’

dgproppe@syr.edu

Published on January 18, 2012 at 12:00 pm