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Following its 4-0 loss to Mercyhurst in Game 2 of the AHA Semifinals Saturday, Syracuse found itself in a win-or-go-home situation Sunday.

After containing Mercyhurst’s Vanessa Upson in the series-opener, the Orange allowed the standout forward to have her way Saturday. The senior racked up three points for the fifth time this season en route to the Lakers’ one-sided victory, extending the series to a third game.

Despite both teams now being on the brink of elimination, neither head coach seemed worried heading into Game 3.

“I think they’ll handle it well,” Mercyhurst head coach Michael Sisti told CitrusTV. “Nothing’s come easy for them (this season), and they seem to thrive when their backs are against the wall.”

SU head coach Britni Smith shared a similar sentiment ahead of the matchup.

“We’ve been the team with our backs against the wall a lot this season, so this is not new for us,” Smith told CitrusTV. “This is a space that we’re really comfortable in, and we’re excited for the challenge tomorrow.”

But No. 3 seed Syracuse’s (15-23-0, 11-9-0 Atlantic Hockey America) season ended following its 5-2 loss to No. 2 seed Mercyhurst (20-15-2, 13-6-1 AHA) in Game 3 of the AHA Semifinals. After both teams exchanged shutout performances, Sunday’s pivotal contest was highlighted by offensive success at both ends of the ice. Though against one of the highest-scoring teams in the AHA, two goals weren’t enough for SU to keep its season alive.

In the wake of her injury midway through game two, Mercyhurst third-liner Regina Metzler was held out of the lineup Sunday. Her absence slightly limited the Lakers’ potent attack early on, and the Orange took advantage less than five minutes in.

On the heels of a botched two-on-one chance, Peyton Armstrong kept SU’s possession alive. As the Lakers attempted to break out of their zone, she caused a turnover at the blue line and dished the puck to Heidi Knoll as she glided through the right-wing circle. With plenty of time to shoot, Knoll lit the lamp to end SU’s six-period goalless drought.

While Syracuse’s forecheck continued to give the Lakers fits at the other end of the ice, SU goalie Allie Kelley had an uneventful first period. Still recovering from back-to-back games where she faced 39-plus shots on goal, Kelley was only subjected to five shots on net during the opening 15 minutes of play.

Still, one of those five shots fooled her.

Looking to extend its lead, Syracuse had a chance to double it via its first power-play chance midway through the period. Instead, the Lakers were the beneficiaries. Off an ugly turnover, Thea Johansson escaped on a breakaway and scored her third shorthanded goal of the campaign, a gut punch to Syracuse’s special teams unit.

Quickly shaking off the defensive breakdown, Kelley redeemed herself.

At the 4:48 mark, Upson put the puck on a string and dangled her way through the middle past two SU defenders, but Kelley was there to deny the highlight-reel bid. Following an Armstrong hooking penalty, Kelley made four stops in the final 1:25 to keep the score knotted 1-1.

Despite Kelley’s heroics, Mercyhurst carried over some power play time into the second period, and its efforts paid off. Johansson tortured SU’s special teams again with her second goal of the afternoon, pushing the Lakers to their first lead of the game.

Just under two minutes after the tally, an unlikely goal scorer emerged for the Orange. Abandoning her usual place along the blue line, Jessica Cheung worked the puck around the back of the net and into the slot area.

Without hesitation, she roofed a wrist shot past Mercyhurst goalie Magdalena Luggin to give SU a lightning-fast response and tie the game again, 2-2. The tally marked just her second of the season and first since SU’s season-opening win over Stonehill on Oct. 4, 2024.

Even with momentum back on its bench, Syracuse’s attack shriveled for the remainder of the period. For the next 18 minutes, the Orange were outshot 15-4 and relied heavily on their defensive core, which included killing off the Lakers’ second five-on-three attempt of the contest.

Faced with a barrage of shots by Upson, Johansson and Sofia Nuutinen, Kelley continued to be at her best in what likely was her final game in a Syracuse uniform.

At the other end, Luggin looked equally as strong in net for the Lakers. Coming off a 16-save shutout in Game 2, the freshman earned the call to the crease again in Game 3 and made the most of it.

“(Luggin) was awesome,” Sisti told Mercyhurst Athletics postgame. “It’s a nice luxury for our coaching staff that we feel any of our goalies give us a chance to win.”

In the dying seconds of the middle frame, Syracuse was dealt a tough blow as Cheung had to be helped off the ice after sustaining an injury. The loss ended up proving costly for SU.

Looking to make up for Cheung, Nea Tervonen, Charli Kettyle and Sami Gendron stepped up for SU to block numerous Laker shots. But it wasn’t enough.

With 11:14 remaining in regulation, Julia Schalin collected her own rebound and flipped the puck over Kelley’s shoulder into the back of the net. The back-breaking goal proved to be the game-winner.

As the Orange scrambled for an equalizer in the final 10 minutes, their offense was constantly stalled by Mercyhurst’s relentless pressure. Trapped in its own zone for much of the period, SU only managed three shots as the Lakers chewed away the clock.

Syracuse pulled Kelley in a final act of desperation to save its season. But doing so merely sealed its fate. Johansson effortlessly dumped the puck into the gaping net to cap off her hat trick day. Schalin added salt to the wound with an empty netter of her own, pushing the final score to 5-2.

Despite coming up short of their ultimate goal, the Orange had little reason to hang their heads. Earning a total of 15 wins, the 2024-25 season set a new standard of success in the Britni Smith era for SU.

Published on March 2, 2025 at 7:38 pm

Contact Matthew: mgray06@syr.edu | @ma77hew_gray