Electric offense propels SU to 3-2 win vs. RIT despite power play woes
Despite failing to score on any of its five power play opportunities, Syracuse women’s ice hockey relied on its high-paced offense to sneak away with a 3-2 win over RIT. Griffin Uribe Brown | Digital Managing Editor
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Heather Farrell knew RIT’s power play unit would be a problem.
The Tigers have a penchant for finishing the job while a player-up. Nearly a third of their power plays end in a goal, and their 30 power play scores lead Atlantic Hockey America. Despite the Orange scoring three power play goals in their 5-2 win over RIT on Oct. 25, Syracuse has generally done the opposite. Its 12.0% power-play conversion rate and 13 goals rank second-to-last in the AHA.
Farrell’s solution to this mismatch?
Create chaos.
Syracuse (14-14-3, 10-9-2 AHA) brought the heat in its 3-2 win over RIT (14-16-0, 9-12-0 AHA) Friday. The Orange relied on two rebound goals and one off the rush to compensate for failing to capitalize on any of their five power play chances, while the Tigers scored on two of their four. Syracuse unleashed 36 shots and had seven separate players either log a goal or an assist.
From the outset, it was evident SU had its eyes set on the back of RIT goaltender Brenna McNamara’s net. Despite the Tigers dominating possession of the puck, the Orange matched the back-and-forth nature of the RIT’s play. When they got the chance to attack, they pounced.
Less than three minutes into the first period, a hooking penalty on RIT’s Brac Kelley gave SU the power play. In the two minutes Kelley was in the box, Syracuse peppered McNamara with five shots. It set the tempo for the rest of the game.
After receiving the puck on the right flank of the ice, Nea Tervonen weaved through three RIT defenders and ripped a shot over McNamara’s head. The shot ricocheted off the boards behind her and fell right into Jackson Kinsler’s path, allowing her to cash in.
RIT responded quickly. With a minute left in the first period. SU found itself a player down after Rylee McLeod was called for holding.
After a struggle along the side boards, RIT quickly switched the possession from the left to right side of the rink, leaving Jaidan Fahrny with an open line of sight in front of SU goalkeeper Ava Drabyk. Fahrny’s wrist shot found the top-left corner of Drabyk’s net, equalizing the game.
“We wanted to get better throughout the game,” Farrell said. “We had great energy to start, but weren’t dialed in on the details the whole game. Once we started to play with some heart and some focus, we started to get better and better.”
The Orange kept their energy up. By the second frame, SU was fully entrenched in matching RIT’s tempo. The two traded shots and counter attacks. While RIT outshot SU 12-11 in the first, SU outshot RIT 18-14 in the second.
Despite Peyton Armstrong notching SU’s lead to 2-1, the Orange still couldn’t convert on its power plays. They blasted shot after shot. Emma Gnade, Celia Wiegand and Armstrong all had looks on goal. But none found the nylon.
SU had no answer when defending power plays either.
With less than four minutes left in the second, the Orange found themselves again a woman down. RIT’s Tilli Keranen received the puck at the blue line in front of a crowded SU net. Her shot drove through SU traffic and equalized the game for the Tigers.
“(RIT) had too much traffic in front,” Farrell said. “ A couple breakdowns resulted in goals. They are third in the country for their power play and there is a reason why. They get a lot of traffic in front, and they body (opponents), so it’s hard for our goalie to find the puck.”
The third frame followed suit, end-to-end hockey, with the Orange failing to score on their one power play opportunity.
Jessica Cheung was there to wrap the game up, and her rebound goal gave Syracuse the 3-2 win with less than 90 seconds left.
After the goal, SU’s defense pulled through, not letting a shot off when RIT pulled McNamara to add another skater. But with the last three games of the season deciding ACC Tournament seeding, Cheung knows the Orange can’t rely on last minute winners and always be on edge when the puck is on their ice.
“They had us scrambling,” Cheung said. “I think we had to play to our strengths. We do a lot of blocking shots, and we focus on our structure.”
