A last minute goal lifted Robert Morris (12-3-1, 6-1-1 CHA) past Syracuse, 2-1 on Saturday afternoon at Tennity Ice Pavilion. The Orange (6-6-2, 2-2-2 CHA) showed excellent defense throughout the game, blocking 12 Colonial shots to aid Kallie Billadeau, who made 26 saves in net.
Syracuse was strong in the faceoff circle, winning 38 to the Colonial’s 24. Syracuse was also impressive on the penalty kill, stopping 15 shots (nine saved, six blocked) in just over ten man-down minutes. The Orange was able to kill four penalties in the third period but it would be an even strength goal that got RMU the win.
The Colonials bested the Orange in shots on goal, targeting Billadeau 28 times, and were only off target on six occasions. Syracuse sent just 18 shots Jessica Dodds’ way but had 18 blocked throughout the course of the game.
RMU controlled the puck for most of the first period, allowing SU only five shots on goal and just nine total. The Colonials were able to get 18 total shots off including 10 on target and four blocked by Orange defenders. Despite this advantage, Robert Morris was unable to score throughout the first 20 minutes and Syracuse also failed to add a tally to the scoring column which ended the first period at a 0-0 standoff.
The Orange scored first in the contest when Nicole Ferrara shot her second goal of the weekend and sixth of the season past Dodds to take a 1-0 lead. Danielle Leslie gained control of the puck near the left faceoff dot in her own offensive zone and passed it to Akane Hosoyamada, who fed it to Ferrara. Ferrara took a hard shot from the bottom of the right circle that slipped between Dodds and the right pipe, giving Syracuse the advantage with 6:48 to play in the second period.
The Orange lead was short-lived however, and RMU evened the score at 1-1 just 28 seconds later. Brittany Howard passed the puck from the left side to Thea Imbrogno, who was set up in front of the goal at the top of the two circles. Imbrogno used a hard shot placed high in the net to get the job done, tying the game with 26:20 to play in the contest.
Syracuse stepped up its offense in the third period, shooting 20 of its 44 total attempts in the game, six of which were saved and 10 were blocked by Colonial defenders. The Orange fended off four bouts of the RMU power play unit including a five-on-three situation throughout the final 20 minutes but RMU needed just one shot to gain the one-goal advantage it needed to claim victory over Syracuse.
Kate Fergus took control of the puck just before her defensive blue line and skated it into the Robert Morris offensive zone with Rebecca Vint and an SU defender following up the left side. Fergus passed to Vint, who shot the puck past Billadeau and took a 2-1 advantage with just one minute and 13 seconds left in regulation.
The Colonials denied Syracuse possession in the final minute and clinched the victory.
