BUFFALO, N.Y.- After playing the longest game in program history on Friday night in the CHA semifinal, the Orange battled back with two goals in the final-three minutes of regulation to force an extra session again in the championship.
Syracuse trailed 3-1 late in the third period, but buried two goals to send the Orange to overtime in the CHA title game for the second-straight year. Mercyhurst jammed home a loose puck with 4:54 remaining in overtime to defeat Syracuse 4-3 in the final to advance to the NCAA Tournament.
‘Cuse put forth a strong effort for 281 minutes of hockey in little-more than a 24 hour span before ultimately falling to end its season with a 19-14-3 record, with the loss snapping an eight-game winning streak.
Jenn Gilligan and the Orange defense turned away 34 shots after stopping 40 the night prior, including a crucial breakaway early on in the game.
At the end of a Mercyhurst power play, the puck was sent out of the zone and right onto the stick of Lauren Kilroy as she came out of the box, Kilroy had no one anywhere near her and attempted to deke Gilligan, but the ‘Cuse senior came up huge, stonewalling Kilroy on the breakaway to keep the game scoreless.
Syracuse’s Stephanie Grossi then struck first for the Orange. The sophomore came down the right wing and fired a low shot through a Laker defender, screening the Lakers’ goaltender Sarah McDonnell and beating her five-hole for the game’s first tally.
Moments after the Orange goal, Syracuse continued to mount the pressure, but the Lakers found their way with another odd-man rush with just over four minutes remaining in the second, Gilligan aggressively came out of the net and stopped the Lakers chance.
However, Mercyhurst struck twice late in the second after Melissa Piacentini and Nicole Renault were whistled for penalties within 45 seconds of each other.
The Lakers scored on the 5-on-3 and ensuing power play after Piacentini’s penalty was released to take a 2-1 lead into the third period.
Syracuse then misplayed a puck behind their net and the Lakers capitalized to make it 3-1 just 56 seconds into the third.
The Orange wouldn’t go quietly though, Allie Munroe sent a backhand shot into the top-right corner of the net to make it 3-2 with less than three minutes to go to provide ‘Cuse with life.
Then with under a minute to play and the Syracuse net empty, Alysha Burriss delivered the equalizer after a scrum in front with just 29 ticks left to send the Orange to yet-another overtime.
The teams traded chances at the start of the extra frame, until near the midway point of the period, Jessica Sibley was whistled for an illegal body check. The ‘Cuse defense was up for the challenge though, blocking four shots on the Mercyhurst power play to continue action.
After Syracuse got its best chances of the overtime on its offensive end, a collision in front of the net left a loose puck near the slot, which Jenna Dingeldein managed to finish and end the game.
Syracuse’s loss ends a season where it earned the No. 2 seed for the second-straight season in the CHA Tournament, and finished the year with a program-record 14 conference wins. After defeating Penn State in the semifinal, Syracuse reached its fifth conference title game in program history, before falling to the Lakers on Saturday.
The Orange claimed the CHA Player of the Year, with Piacentini earning the honor. ‘Cuse also placed three underclassmen on all-league teams, with sophomores Burris and Grossi making the first team, and Munroe earning second-team honors.
