The Syracuse women’s soccer team split its two Big East games this weekend, winning its fourth straight conference game Friday and having that streak snapped on Sunday.

The Orange (6-5-3, 5-3 Big East) took down Pittsburgh 3-0 on Friday but couldn’t keep that momentum going Sunday, and West Virginia breezed by Syracuse 5-1.

Against the Panthers, SU continued to display a balance of scoring and defense, controlling the tempo of the contest close to 90 minutes.

Brittany Anghel notched her 12th career shutout, moving her into a tie with Katie Karlander for third place on SU’s all-time list. She made four saves in the match.

The offense was equally impressive, with the Orange getting contributions from three different goal scorers. Rosina Callisto scored on a shot from a distance in the 21st minute to give SU an early lead. Tina Romagnuolo followed that with another long-range shot in the 39th minute that put Syracuse up by two.

In the second half, Brittany Kinmond received a precise feed from Casey Ramirez and capitalized to put home her second goal of the season.

Syracuse couldn’t sustain that high level of play, though, when it traveled to West Virginia. The Mountaineers were simply too good.

WVU’s offense outshot Syracuse 18-6 and earned six corner kicks, applying pressure from the first to final whistle. Five different Mountaineers notched a goal.

Although Anghel allowed five goals, she still had six saves. Those six stops matched her season high in saves.

The Orange avoided being shut out for the fifth time this season when forward Jenna Rickan sniped in a free kick from 24 yards away. It was her second goal this season.

Following the split weekend, the Orange is alone in third place in the American division of the Big East with three regular-season games remaining.

Ice hockey

Syracuse (2-2, 0-0 College Hockey America) went 1-1 for the second consecutive weekend, dropping a game against Northeastern on Friday but responding with a win over New Hampshire on Saturday.

Despite the loss, SU’s power play finally showed up Friday against Northeastern. The Orange was 2-for-7 on the power play against the Huskies, but it was unable to produce any other offense in a 5-2 loss.

Jenesica Drinkwater made her second start of the season in goal and made 23 saves on 27 shots. Northeastern’s fifth goal came on an empty net.

Holly Carrie-Mattimoe and Megan Skelly had the two power-play goals for SU, but Syracuse was ultimately unable to battle back from a 2-0 first period deficit.

The Orange did cut the lead to 2-1 and nearly tied the game on a breakaway by Shiann Darkangelo, but her shot sailed over the crossbar.

Less than five minutes later, Northeastern’s Brittany Esposito put a puck in the back of the net to give the Huskies a 3-1 lead.

SU again cut the lead to one on Skelly’s goal, but Northeastern again answered with just under six minutes remaining. Later, an empty-net goal by Kendall Coyne sealed the win.

Syracuse rebounded Saturday against the Wildcats behind Kallie Billadeau’s 32 saves in a 2-1 victory. It was the goaltender’s first win of the season even though SU was outshot 33-14.

The Orange made the most of its shot opportunities, though, with a pair of freshmen scoring their first career goals to give Syracuse its second win of the season. Julie Knerr put home a rebound off of a Skelly shot to give the Orange a 1-0 lead in the second period.

After New Hampshire tied the game on a power-play goal by Kristine Horn later in the period, Casey Hirsch scored the game-winning goal late in the third to give the Orange the victory.

SU will kick off a home-and-home set with Clarkson on Friday at Tennity Ice Pavilion. Syracuse will then travel to Potsdam, N.Y., Saturday to finish up the doubleheader with the Golden Knights.

—Compiled by The Daily Orange Sports staff

 

Published on October 9, 2011 at 12:00 pm