Syracuse downed 3-2 by No. 4 Penn State, swept in season series
Syracuse narrowly fell to No. 4 Penn State 3-2 Saturday in the two squads’ final meeting of the regular season. Peter Radosh | Asst. Copy Editor
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As Syracuse’s players left the ice after its loss to No. 4 Penn State Friday, they had every reason to be frustrated.
Unlike when the two squads’ last met in November, the Orange kept the Nittany Lions potent offense mostly in check and trailed just 2-1 heading into the final frame. The tying goal was within reach, and with it, a chance for Syracuse to keep its undefeated start to 2026 intact.
The tally never came, but it wasn’t for a lack of chances. The Orange sprayed Madison Campbell with six shots and passed the puck for a solid chunk of the period. Still, Syracuse’s efforts only amounted to yet another loss at the hands of Penn State — its 14th in 15 games dating back to Dec. 3, 2022.
Regardless of the setback, Heidi Knoll found reason to bring confidence into SU’s fourth and final regular-season bout with PSU.
“(This game) was definitely a big improvement since the last time we played them,” Knoll said following SU’s loss to Penn State Friday. “It’s about the process. Tomorrow, we’re going to play even better, but it was nice to be close for a big portion of that game. Tomorrow, we’ll get the win.”
Knoll’s mentality was clearly shared by her teammates, as Syracuse (12-13-3, 8-8-2 Atlantic Hockey America) turned in its most competitive showing in recent memory against No. 4 Penn State (21-4-0, 15-1-0 Atlantic Hockey America) in a narrow 3-2 loss Saturday. After being held to just 14 shots on target and one goal the day prior, SU matched PSU’s offensive firepower and never trailed by more than one the entire contest. Jackson Kinsler and Maya D’Arcy found the back of the net for the Orange, and goalie Ava Drabyk made 34 saves to give her team a chance until the final buzzer.
“I thought we elevated our game from yesterday, so in the locker room after the game I just said we’re super proud as a coaching staff of the effort,” Syracuse head coach Britni Smith said.
Starting fast has been a key part of Syracuse’s game since the outset of this season, and in recent games it’s executed that game plan to near perfection. Heading into Saturday’s tilt, it had scored the opening goal in five of its past six games. Feeding off the energy SU displayed out of the gate, Kinsler didn’t need long to do just that.
Intercepting an errant Penn State pass, Kinsler turned on the afterburners and sprinted down the middle of the ice straight toward the PSU goal. A trio of defenders moved in to shut down the chance, but it didn’t matter. After her initial attempt was blocked by Grace Tullock, Kinsler corralled her own rebound and fired a blistering shot toward Madison Campbell that beat her cleanly. It was only SU’s second accurate shot of the game.
“It was nice to come out tonight and get the first one after a game last night where we ended up on the losing end. To come out and get that one be behind you right away is a nice thing,” Smith said.
With their entire bench fired up now, the Orange continued to push the envelope and swiped three straight wins in the face-off circle. Still, it wasn’t enough to keep PSU from generating quality looks in the offensive zone and eventually breaking through.
On one such opportunity, Kendall Butze passed the puck along the boards to Mikah Keller, who found herself with time and space in the right corner. Seeing Grace Outwater posted in the slot, she sent a pass to her teammate who flung a backhanded shot toward Drabyk. Caught off guard by the quick passing sequence, the netminder didn’t react until the puck was already across the goal line behind her.
The Nittany Lions smelled the blood in the water. Over the next five minutes, they pelted Drabyk with a flurry of shots from distance and range just as they had when they chased her from the net twice in State College months ago. Those opportunities finally came to a head when Tessa Janecke silenced the home crowd with a power-play snipe. Just like that, Syracuse’s hot start was completely snuffed out.
From there, it seemed as though the contest was destined to turn into yet another lopsided blowout. Penn State possessed all the momentum, and the Orange were reeling. But not this time. While its offense remained silent, Syracuse’s defense at the other end suddenly found its form and prevented Penn State’s talented lineup from putting the game out of reach. Following Janecke’s strike, the Orange blocked eight shots before the intermission and Drabyk brought her save total up to 15.
Trailing by only one, Syracuse came out of the locker room even stronger than they had in the first. For one of the few periods this season, the Orange managed to not just match the Nittany Lions intensity, but surpass it. Backstopped by Drabyk’s continued brick wall performance, Syracuse generated numerous chances from its players on the blue lines as its forwards worked to screen Campbell in front of the crease.
Similar to Penn State, Syracuse didn’t allow its first power play to go to waste early in the frame. Receiving the puck at the left point, D’Arcy showed no hesitation and wired a wrist shot toward Campbell as she tried to see around the bodies in front of her. Thanks to a textbook screen by Peyton Armstrong, the netminder didn’t even see the puck until it landed in the back of the net.
As the scoring chances ramped up, so too did the physicality during and between shifts for both teams in the second period. Still, the Orange didn’t let those moments of chaos disrupt the flow of their offense. Their 21-12 advantage in shots in the second period reflected that.
“It’s good hockey. It (feels like) playoff hockey when you’re battling every single shift like that,” Smith said.
While Penn State wasn’t given many golden opportunities to score in the frame, its star power gave it the boost it needed to restore its lead. Once again catching SU’s defense napping, Janecke glided into SU’s zone from the right-wing side and deked past D’Arcy’s stick. Directly in front of the net with only Drabyk to beat, the Olympian made no mistake for her second goal of the day.
In each of their past three matchups this year with the Nittany Lions before Saturday, the Orange looked like a shell of themselves in the third period and were outscored 11-0 as a result. But this time, in what could be their final encounter with Penn State this, they remained dialed in over the final 20 minutes.
Holding PSU to just seven shots on goal and killing off its lone power play during the stretch, Syracuse gave itself the opportunity to extend the game into overtime and fought to the very end. Although SU never found that tying goal, remaining tight until the final buzzer with one of the nation’s top teams was still an accomplishment in its own right.
The Orange have come a long way since their 11-2 embarrassment at the hands of the Nittany Lions. Saturday’s slim loss, although disappointing, reflected that.
“We’re coming into the end of our regular season and hopefully continuing into playoffs, so you want to be hitting your stride at the right time,” Smith said. “I think we’re on a good trajectory.”
