Get the latest Syracuse news delivered right to your inbox. Subscribe to our sports newsletter here.

Around this time last year, Syracuse knew its playoff fate before the regular season even ended.

Behind a 5-1 drubbing of Robert Morris on the road, SU clinched the Atlantic Hockey America’s No. 3 seed and home ice advantage in round one with two games to play. This time around, Syracuse won’t have that luxury.

While No. 4 Penn State and Mercyhurst have already locked up the conference’s top two seeds, the No. 3 and No. 4 seeds are still fully up for grabs. And with each of the four teams competing for them — Syracuse, Lindenwood, RIT and Robert Morris — only separated by single-digit points, a thrilling finish is at hand.

Now, the best the Orange can do is rack up as many wins as possible to close the season and then see where all the chips fall.

“We don’t look too far ahead. We can control what we can control, and that’s shift-by-shift, period-by-period, game-by-game,” SU associate head coach Heather Farrell said.

On Friday night, they got off to a strong start.

In one of its most back-and-forth contests of the campaign, Syracuse (14-14-3, 10-9-2 AHA) captured the all-important three points as it snuck past the Rochester Institute of Technology (14-16-0, 9-12-0 AHA) 3-2 Friday. Just when it seemed the contest was destined for overtime, Jessica Cheung notched her first goal of the campaign with 1:22 left in regulation, which proved to be the difference.

“We played really well up to their speed. Coming into the game, we knew we needed those points, and we played with the energy we needed to get it done,” Cheung said.

Amid the late season run-in, the Orange and Tigers both showed urgency from the moment the puck dropped. It only took 42 seconds for RIT’s potent top-six to give Syracuse a scare.

Tilli Keranen seemed poised to light the lamp all alone atop the crease. Instead, goaltender Ava Drabyk casually absorbed the puck at the last second, the first of 11 saves she made in the opening frame.

Backed by Drabyk’s early stop, the Orange began creating chances. It eventually gained a power play. Before Friday’s tilt, SU’s woman-up unit had scored at least once in each of its past five series dating back to Dec. 5, 2025. But that streak ended versus the Tigers.

Although they fired four shots on target, the Orange failed to take advantage of the early gift, foreshadowing a forgettable 0-for-5 outing for the group. Thanks to Maya D’Arcy’s penalty shortly after, the Tigers’ power-play unit was given an opportunity of its own to open the scoring. But despite being pinned against the AHA’s most prolific player-advantage group, Syracuse’s penalty kill held firm. The stand set the stage for Jackson Kinsler, who lit the lamp just seconds after the penalty expired. The tally marked her third over the past six games.

The celebration didn’t last for SU. As the pace of the game remained fast and the physicality high, it wasn’t long before it fell into yet another penalty. This time, the Tigers’ player-up unit lived up to its AHA-best 30.9% conversion percentage.

Collecting the puck along the boards, Addie Alvarez dished the puck around Kinsler and onto the tape of Jaidan Fahrny, who made the most of the time and space she was given in the right circle. Partially screened by her own players, Drabyk couldn’t react fast enough as the ensuing wrist shot flew past her and evened the game at 1-1 just over halfway through the first.

Out of the intermission, Syracuse’s offense remained determined to match the intensity of RIT’s.

One of Syracuse’s best chances in the period came off the stick of one of its depth pieces. Working against a defender at the left side of the goal, Rylee McLeod pushed the puck toward the net and nearly snuck it past Brenna McNamara’s pad. The rebound slid to Jordan Blouin, who attempted to jam it home to no avail. Fortunately for the Orange, they didn’t have to wait long for another golden chance.

Sprung by a perfect pass in the defensive zone by Jocelyn Fiala, Emma Gnade found herself suddenly amid a two-on-one chance with Peyton Armstrong at her left. Showcasing the chemistry they’ve displayed all year, the duo combined to restore Syracuse’s one-goal advantage. But yet again, the Tigers’ power play responded almost immediately.

Despite racking up 18 shots in the middle frame, the Orange exited the period exactly how they’d entered it. The game was still anyone’s for the taking.

As the third period progressed, the Tigers nearly found the lead when Ireland Stein somehow sniped the puck past Drabyk from the right corner. But even with head coach Britni Smith’s voice absent — serving as Canada’s assistant coach at the 2026 Olympics — SU’s coaching staff showed it could still make an impact on the game.

Seconds after the tally, Farrell initiated a successful coach’s challenge, which canceled out the goal. Inside the final two minutes of play, that momentum came to a head thanks to Cheung.

Following up on Blouin’s shot from a tough angle, the veteran defender fired the rebound into the gaping net from the bottom of the right circle. Her first tally of the season couldn’t have come at a better time.

“It boosted my confidence a lot,” Cheung said. “I know I haven’t gotten a goal so far this year (until now), but I’m glad that I was able to get that one.”

Following an RIT timeout, Syracuse’s back end locked down its defensive zone for the remainder of the contest, preventing the Tigers from firing a single shot on net, even with a brief 6-on-5 advantage.

The Orange survived.

Friday’s win wasn’t a pretty one for SU, but it still served as a crucial step toward the team’s goal of returning to the Tennity Ice Pavilion for playoff hockey later this month.

“We definitely want to be hosting that third place game, so we have to take care of our business. We can’t expect anyone to help us at this point,” Farrell said. “It’s gonna be hard, but I think we’re up for the challenge.”

Published on February 6, 2026 at 11:18 pm
Contact Matthew: mgray06@syr.edu | @ma77hew_gray