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Lola Reid skated down the ice with 7:31 remaining in the final period of play. With Boston University ahead 2-1, Syracuse’s defense did all it could to keep its deficit at one. Receiving the puck near her own defensive zone, four SU defenders watched from behind as Reid broke away.

Just Maya D’Arcy stood between SU’s goaltender Allie Kelley and Reid. As Reid approached D’Arcy, she dropped on her heels, falling forward to give Reid a straightaway shot to double BU’s lead. She slapped the shot toward the top right of the net with zero hesitation, sealing the Terriers’ victory and weekend sweep over the Orange.

Following a 4-1 defeat on Friday night, Syracuse (2-7-0, 0-0-0 Atlantic Hockey America) fell 3-2 on Saturday to Boston University (6-3-0, 4-1-0 Hockey East Association) in a back-and-forth affair. Unlike Friday, the Orange’s defense stood firm, allowing minimal opportunities, but a few shots late in the third period put the game away. The loss extended SU’s skid to seven straight games heading into conference play on Thursday.

“We feel prepared and are excited to take it to conference play now and battle for every single point,” SU head coach Britni Smith said postgame.

Similar to the first game of the weekend series, Syracuse and Boston came out evenly matched. The Orange and Terriers each attempted 14 shots in the opening period, leading to a primarily defensive stretch.

Syracuse attempted two shots across the first five minutes, while Boston attained just three. SU’s Jocelyn Fiala had numerous critical blocks early, leading to a stagnant offensive performance by the Terriers.

Though SU’s backline held strong, BU had many close attempts, most notably a shot by Julia Shaunessy that hit the crossbar. The Terriers then attempted another forceful shot following a puck drop that Kelley immediately saved.

While Syracuse’s opportunities were limited, it put some fierce shots on the board. A power play with eight minutes remaining looked promising for the Orange, but they couldn’t score the game’s first goal despite attempting four shots.

“When it comes to our offense, we’re just a team that needs to stick to the simple details of our game,” Smith said.

After a scoreless first period, Boston came out with more aggression, outshooting SU by 15 in the duration. Early on, it seemed as though Syracuse would find another option to score the game’s first points. The Orange, who have been relatively impressive in power play opportunities, had their second chance of the contest when Charlotte Hallett was tripped by Maeve Carey.

However, similar to its attempt in the first period of play, Syracuse came up with nothing. Its best opportunity came when Peyton Armstrong had open ice ahead. Yet, prepared to take a slapshot, the freshman completely whiffed, giving BU’s defenders enough time to catch up and attain possession.

When Syracuse fell into a penalty kill, Boston capitalized immediately. Following an interference call on Charli Kettyle, BU slotted one home eight seconds later. The slapshot by Sydney Healey was assisted by Christina Vote. Vote, skating along the right side of the rink, found Healey in the middle of the ice, who pelted it past Kelley.

“We need to not breakout to spring someone on offense,” Smith said. “(We must) make sure that the next shift is a simple, habit-driven, detail-oriented shift.”

Though it looked like Syracuse would head into the final intermission down a score, Jackson Kinsler took a fast break opportunity down the rink right past BU’s Mari Pietersen. The goal was scored with 19 seconds remaining, giving SU a needed positive heading into the last period of play.

“Battling every day is part of our identity, so we didn’t come out like that today, but we really turned it on in the second period,” SU grad student Tatum White said. “I think just shifting some things around systems-wise is what gave us that momentum.”

With 16:08 left in the third period, BU regained its lead. From a long distance, Riley Walsh took a lengthy shot that hit the post. The puck then deflected perfectly, slicing into the back of the net and giving the Terriers a 2-1 advantage.

Eight minutes after the goal, Boston scored again when Reid made D’Arcy fall, leading to a 3-1 lead for BU. However, Syracuse wasn’t done. D’Arcy fought her defensive miscue when she scored her second goal of the season. Bryn Saarela found White over the middle, who dished it off to D’Arcy for the score.

“Bryn just driving wide and seeing (D’Arcy) cross ice was just really good,” White said. “(D’Arcy’s) a defenseman, but for (her) to jump up in that play and see the open ice was a really good job on her part.”

Despite D’Arcy’s goal, SU couldn’t muster any more offense, leading to its seventh straight defeat. Now, the Orange head into conference play looking to turn their season around.

Published on October 26, 2024 at 7:38 pm

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