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Mae Batherson looked to her right and found Lauren Bellefontaine wide open. Batherson passed the puck to Bellefontaine, who sent the puck flying past several Long Island University defenders and into the net. Bellefontaine looked toward her teammates as the horn rang throughout Tennity Ice Pavilion and breathed a sigh of relief. After an inconsistent start to the game, Syracuse had a two-goal lead heading into the final period.

Syracuse (7-8-1, 6-6-1-College Hockey America) faced the Long Island University Sharks (2-7-0, 0-0-0 New England Women’s Hockey Alliance) Friday night for the first time in program history. Six of the Orange’s games this season were postponed or canceled, including 41 days without a game between Dec. 12 and Jan. 22. A two-game weekend series against the Sharks was added to give the Orange more playing time prior to the CHA Tournament.

Due to a constantly fluctuating schedule, Syracuse has struggled to find a rhythm in games this season. And last weekend, for the first time this season, Syracuse played games on three straight days against Lindenwood. Head coach Paul Flanagan and players have expressed how they feel fatigued during games because of an inability to prepare. And, with an unplanned weekend series, the Orange could have fallen into the same pattern of fatigue against LIU.

But the fatigue didn’t show Friday. Just under 10 minutes into the first period, Anna Leschyshyn collected the puck at the blue line from Kristen Siermachesky. Leschyshyn skated to the left of the LIU goal, took her aim and shot the puck high, hitting the pole and ricocheting into the net for Syracuse’s first goal of the night. Minutes later the whistle was blown for hooking, sending Victoria Klimek to the penalty box.

Penalties became a nuisance for both teams, collectively collecting 13 penalties through 60 minutes. Through the season Syracuse averages 4.7 penalties per game, and the Orange totaled four minor penalties against LIU. But Syracuse penalties were often followed by LIU penalties — the Orange played 4-on-4 hockey four times.

During a third-period power play for Syracuse, the puck was lost in traffic in front of LIU’s net. Marielle McHale was screening the net as the puck flew by her stick. She collected the puck, looked behind her, saw a semi-open Tatum White and sent the puck backward with a light backhand. White tapped the puck in net as LIU’s goalie was looking the other direction. White’s goal on the power play was the only time Syracuse capitalized on the influx of penalties.

Although LIU went to the box six times in the first two periods, Syracuse failed to connect passes or make quality shots. It wasn’t until Bellefontaine’s late second-period goal when the Orange began playing with urgency.

“Our kids having played three (games) last weekend and three days off this week,” Flanagan said. “Maybe we were a little slow to get going.”

The Orange slowed down late in the game to look for clean passes, set up shots and limit the Sharks offensive attack. In the third period, freshman goaltender Amelia Van Vliet, making her first collegiate start in net, only saw one LIU shot on goal in the third period.

Despite the slow start and plethora of penalties, the Orange outshot the Sharks, 43-21. Leschyshyn finished the night with two goals, one in the first period and another in the final period. Leschyshyn filled in on the first line for an injured Emma Polaski, who watched the game from behind the glass, nursing a lower body injury. Leschyshyn entered the game with only two goals on the season.

Syracuse is now riding a four-game win streak heading into the final four games of the regular season. Although wins against the Sharks do not count toward CHA standings, Flanagan believes the extra two games will keep them primed for RIT and Robert Morris, the Orange’s final two opponents of the season.

“They came up here to try to steal a couple games from us,” Flanagan said, “So hopefully, (they) make us better this weekend and help prepare us for next week down the stretch.”

Published on February 19, 2021 at 11:46 pm

Contact Skyler: skrivera@syr.edu | @skylerriveraa