Orange Handed First CHA Loss
The Syracuse hockey team lost its first conference game of the season on Friday night to No. 7 Mercyhurst (9-1-1, 3-0-0 CHA).
The Orange (2-4-5) and Lakers played an even game into the third period, with Mercyhurst owning a 36-30 shots advantage, but ‘Cuse allowed three goals in the final nine minutes – including an empty netter – to allow Mercyhurst a 5-1 win.
“I thought there were some positives and some disappointments early in the game,” said head coach Paul Flanagan. “Then there’s that last seven or eight minutes where their third goal was just a bad one. No one picked anyone up and even then it wasn’t over. We needed to respond a little better and we coughed up a fourth goal and then of course there’s the empty netter. All-in-all I give Mercyhurst a lot of credit. Now, it’s just back to the drawing board. We have to find a way to get it done.”
The Lakers scored the lone first period goal two minutes into the game, when Jenna Dingeldein stick handled past an Orange defender at the blue line opening a free lane to the net.
Both teams tightened up their defenses for the remainder of the period and into the second as each team managed to kill off a 5-on-3 before the Lakers broke the scoring drought with another goal. Hannah Bale found the back of the net with six minutes remaining in the second period to open up a 2-0 lead.
With 15 seconds remaining in the period, Alysha Burriss got the Orange on the board when a shot from Dakota Derrer glanced off Burriss’ stick and into the back of the net.
Despite a few strong chances out of the locker room in the third, it was the Lakers who would get back in the scoring column with nine minutes remaining. Emily Janiga beat goaltender Jenn Gilligan for the goal that put the game out of reach.
Gilligan made 25 saves in the game.
With the Syracuse offense upping the pressure late, Molly Byrne was able to put the Lakers up 4-1 with 1:48 to go, with Shelby Bram tacking on an empty netter just over one minute later.
The Orange will have its shot at redemption on Saturday with game two against the Lakers scheduled for 3 p.m.
