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Syracuse’s Mae Batherson swiped the puck loose in between two defenders, allowing Tatum White to capitalize on open space and dribble toward the goal before flicking a shot from close range. The puck deflected off the stick of Clarkson defender Haley Winn and flipped into the back of the net past goaltender Michelle Pasiechnyk to level the scoring at 2-2 with 9:32 left in the third period.

White’s effort spurred the Orange to force extra time in the final minutes of regulation of SU’s 2021 home opener on Thursday.

Syracuse ultimately fell to Clarkson 3-2 in overtime after Golden Knights forward Caitrin Lonergan tapped in the winning goal, despite a strong offensive performance in the third period. The highest shooting period for the Orange was the third, during which SU outshot the Golden Knights 24 to 15. Syracuse also won 11 of 17 faceoffs in the third period and took control during two power plays.

“I thought we played a really solid third period,” head coach Paul Flanagan said.

Clarkson controlled the first two periods, building offensive chances from the back and limiting Syracuse’s possession and counter-attacking opportunities. For the opening five minutes of the third period, this trend continued. But, by the end of regulation, the Orange looked like the better of the two teams.

SU started the third period at a 2-1 deficit after a goal from Clarkson’s Brooke McQuigge came late in the second period. On top of this, a body checking penalty was called on Syracuse’s Anna Leschyshyn in the third minute of the third period, sending Leschyshyn off the ice for two minutes. Down a player, SU kept the four remaining players strictly behind the puck defending during the Golden Knights’ power play.

The Orange held on, though, and saw two penalties called against Clarkson as the period progressed. The momentum began to shift on the ice, as Syracuse had a 5-4 player advantage for a total of four minutes during the third period. During these minutes, the Orange took full control of possession and continuously circulated the puck around Clarkson’s defensive half.

Despite recording 11 shots during these two power plays, the SU offense still struggled to capitalize.

“Some days it works, and some days it doesn’t,” SU defender Jessica DiGirolamo said about her team’s power plays. “We’re going to watch video and make sure that we figure out what’s going on and what we can actually improve on and find those openings.”

DiGirolamo contributed to SU’s offensive efforts down the stretch, launching shots from a distance to get the puck in front of the goal for forwards to pounce on. DiGirolamo ended the contest with 12 shots of her own and seven on target.

“It’s getting bodies in front of the net and getting those shots through,” DiGirolamo said. “When the goalie cant see, she can’t make the save.”

Throughout the game, goal scorers White and Lauren Bellefontaine combined for 12 total shots — all of which were on target. Seven of these shots came in the third period.

“In the first period we were playing a little bit scared and not as physical as we usually are,” Bellefontaine said. “Then we regrouped … and then we kind of found our groove and started back up.”

The Orange continued to press on for an equalizer and finally broke through the Golden Knights’ defense when Batherson beat out two defenders and White got on the end of the loose puck, managing to snap a shot into the net.

“We did a lot of really good things,” Flanagan said. “You can’t just play waiting for luck, but any luck at all and we could’ve made it 3-2 and even 4-2 at one point.

Published on October 7, 2021 at 11:38 pm

Contact Bryan: brbrush@syr.edu