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About 40 minutes into Syracuse’s matchup with RIT the game remained scoreless. With 30 seconds left in the second period, SU’s Nea Tervonen and RIT’s Emma Pickering fought to control the puck along the boards in the RIT defensive zone. The puck drifted free toward the RIT net and SU defender Charlotte Hallett was first to it and corralled it and wristed the puck past the Tigers goaltender Sophia Bellina to give SU the 1-0 lead.

On Friday one goal and strong defense was all RIT needed to defeat SU in the Tigers 1-0, but less than 24 hours later Syracuse (7-22-3, 4-12-2 College Hockey America) returned the favor. The Orange scored just one goal along with two empty netters in its 3-0 defeat over Rochester Institute of Technology (13-16-2, 7-11 CHA). In its first game at The Oncenter War Memorial since 2019, Syracuse got back to winning ways. The shutout, its second of the season, keeps SU’s CHA playoff chances alive.

After scoring a goal five minutes into Friday’s game, RIT was the first to tally a shot. One minute into the first period, Kylie Aquaro fired on net, but SU goaltender Allie Kelley shifted her body to deny the puck.

The Tigers continued their early pressure, firing two more shots two minutes later. Lexi Sung and Lindsay Maloney strung together strikes within four seconds of each other, but Kelley stopped both.

SU had limited possession in the first period and when it did, it gave it back to RIT. Near the four minute mark of the period, SU tallied three shots — all saved by Bellina — and a faceoff followed in the Tigers’ defensive zone. Sung won the faceoff and RIT took the puck back into the SU defensive zone.

After that faceoff, the Tigers totaled 16 straight shots before the Orange could register one of their own. Despite the chances from RIT, Kelley and the SU defense stood strong.

The first period ended 0-0, just as the final two periods of Friday’s game concluded. The Tigers outshot the Orange 13-4 in shots on goal in the first 20 minutes.

RIT took its pressure into the second period. Just 18 seconds into the period, the Tigers nearly broke the deadlock. Mia Tsilemos’ shot rang the left post, and the puck sat under Kelley’s body before it was whistled dead.

Syracuse created some early offense in the second period, but had trouble getting the puck past the RIT defenders. Both Rachel Teslak and Sarah Thompson had their shots blocked before they could reach Bellina.

RIT continued its offensive pressure, outshooting SU 8-1 through the first 10 minutes of the second period. Both offenses traded possession in the middle of the period, until SU brought the puck into the RIT defensive zone.

With four minutes to play in the second period, Heidi Knoll and Teslak ripped shots, but they both missed wide of the net. SU was first to the rebounds and kept the puck in the RIT defensive zone. The Orange continued to fire shots, but Bellina and the RIT defense refused to let the puck past.

With 25 seconds in the period, Hallett’s alertness to a loose puck gave SU the game’s first lead. Hallett’s first goal of the season put the Orange ahead despite being outshot 25-9 in shots on goal to that point. Through 40 minutes, Kelley saved 25 shots and the SU defense combined to block 10 shots. The Orange stalled the Tigers enough to give SU the 1-0 lead heading into the third period.

“(Hallett’s goal) was a huge momentum changer,” Teslak said. “That goal completely carried us through the rest of the game.”

Early in the third period, the SU offense moved with more confidence, applying pressure on RIT while playing with a one-goal lead. Syracuse tallied the period’s first nine shots before the Tigers could create a chance of their own.

“We came back together as a team, especially after the first period, it was a little tough,” Hallett said. “We talked as a team how we could fix (scoring chances) and got back to our systems of Syracuse hockey.”

Bellina recorded 20 saves in the game, including 12 in the final period, to keep RIT within striking distance. The Tigers took the puck into the SU defensive zone, looking to tie the game. Maloney found Jordyn Bear for a shot near the SU goal, but Kelley denied it with her shin guard. With nine minutes left, RIT’s Addie Alvarez struck the puck from an opening in the SU defensive zone, but Kelley was there to glove it.

Syracuse was leading the period in shots on goal and RIT was running out of time to cut down SU’s lead. With 1:30 left, RIT took Bellina out of the net for an extra offensive player. The plan backfired and twenty seconds later, SU took the puck away and into the RIT defensive zone. Darci Johal struck the puck past a Tigers defender to put SU ahead 2-0 with just over a minute to play.

Syracuse’s defense held strong again as Thompson and Rayla Clemons jumped in front of RIT shots, before Tatum White eventually cleared, Thompson took the puck into the neutral zone with under five seconds left and fired the puck into the RIT net from the blue line to put SU ahead 3-0. The last-minute goals delivered a much-needed win to stay alive in the CHA playoff race.

“You got to be able to find second and third opportunities and in the first period we weren’t able to do that,” SU head coach Britni Smith said. “I felt like we just couldn’t really get much going, so I made some changes in the second with our forecheck to try to get a little bit more pressure and I thought that helped us sustain offense.”

Published on February 10, 2024 at 6:48 pm

Contact Timmy at: tswilcox@syr.edu | @TimmyWilcox32