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Ava Drabyk lucked out that her offense had her back this time.

Syracuse’s defeat to Lindenwood on Nov. 8, 2025 was all but official through 40 minutes. Charlotte Hallett’s early cross-ice rocket opened the scoring, but proved fluky.

The Orange committed eight minor penalties, which is still its second-highest mark through 29 games. The Lions took advantage to mount their comeback and eventual demolition.

Hannah Dods and Tatiana Bilchova scored 19 and 26 seconds, respectively, into power plays. Even Michaela Paulinyova scored just 15 seconds into the second period. Lindenwood was acting fast, and in the blink of an eye, it was in the driver’s seat.

Hallett’s tally was a serendipity in a contest the Orange lost their grasp on. Drabyk stopped seven of nine Lions shots in the second frame and was pulled for Bilchova’s nail in the coffin, which clinched LU’s 4-1 win.

The following weekend at then-No. 6 Penn State, Drabyk was replaced by Maïka Paquin in the 7-0 and 11-2 losses, and SU’s offense couldn’t match the intensity. The freshman allowed three first-period goals on eight Nittany Lions shots on Nov. 14, 2025, and went 4-for-18 the following day.

But ever since, she’d only surrendered 13 times through as many games in the first 40 minutes. With her name etched on five Atlantic Hockey America weekly honors, Drabyk’s turned her campaign around and extricated SU’s offense in the first two periods. It needed to return the favor to its netminder in the third.

After being locked at zero through 40 minutes, Syracuse (13-13-3, 9-8-2 AHA) broke the goose egg in the third period to lock in a 2-1 victory over Lindenwood (8-17-2, 6-10-1). Nea Tervonen came out with fire to begin the frame, scoring in the first minute. Jordan Blouin followed her up less than eight minutes later, as the Orange took the pressure off Drabyk. She only saw nine shots in the period after stopping 12 in the second.

“It was 0-0, and we had the opportunity to flip the script,” SU head coach Britni Smith said.

Syracuse’s start was underwhelming, as it controlled the puck for the first half of the opening period. In fact, Lindenwood didn’t record a shot on goal until single-digit minutes remained. Yet, the Orange couldn’t capitalize.

SU did Drabyk every favor but didn’t score in her limited puck exposure in the first period.

Chances poured in during the second, but Armstrong slipped in front of a wide-open net and a Maya D’Arcy bullet ricocheted off Lions goaltender Lexington Secreto.

“This is going to be playoff hockey,” Smith said, addressing her team in the locker room.

“Let’s put it together, raise the thunder and battle harder,” Tervonen chimed in. “We’re not happy with the first and second.”

Out of the gate, SU was on the power play, courtesy of a Lucie Quarto slashing penalty with two seconds remaining in the second period. Tervonen lost the opening faceoff to Zsofia Pazmandi. But D’Arcy recovered possession, firing a shot that was batted down by Josey Dunne-Weeks.

D’Arcy retrieved it again, and Tervonen was on the right flank for the one-timer, following through with her promise to “raise the thunder.” Through 49 seconds of the third period, SU had flipped the game on its head.

But the Orange’s third-period heroics were just getting started.

Three seconds after Quarto’s five-minute major penalty was served, SU was still playing like it had the extra attacker. Tervonen said she knew Lindenwood was gassed.

Behind its top line, Syracuse was in good hands, regardless of how many players the Lions deployed. Emma Gnade found Jordan Blouin for yet another one-timer finish.

“I talked to Jordan after that goal, and she actually didn’t have an opportunity on the previous power play. We put someone else out in her position,” Smith said, referring to Tervonen. “It shows the maturity for her to take the opportunity when it comes and put it in the back of the net.”

After 40 minutes and 49 seconds of nothing in either scoring column, Tervonen and Blouin strung together two in less than eight minutes.

Drabyk never had this fortune in SU’s loss to Lindenwood two months ago. She perched in her crease, watching her teammates roar from afar. Drabyk only needed to make one save in the first 11 and a half minutes of the third frame.

The Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, native had tougher tasks ahead, having to combat nine more shots. And surely enough, one of them fell through, as Paige Cline retrieved a juicy rebound and finished.

In many cases this campaign, this goal would have been the game-winner or even the dagger for the Orange’s adversary. Drabyk could shake it off this time. Her offense reciprocated for her effort in the final period to stamp a crucial victory, breaking a consistent trend.

“Getting it done early on in the period felt really good,” Tervonen said.

Published on January 23, 2026 at 9:13 pm
Contact Jason: jaglick@syr.edu | @jason_glick