SYRACUSE, N.Y.- Senior goaltender Jenn Gilligan backed the Syracuse women’s ice hockey team to its second consecutive shutout on Friday afternoon, defeating Mercyhurst 2-0 to help the Orange move into first place of College Hockey America. Both teams will face off again tomorrow at 3 p.m. at War Memorial Arena.
Gilligan made 16 pivotal saves for Syracuse (10-10-3, 6-1-2 CHA), guiding the Orange to a tie of first place with Mercyhurst (9-8-4, 6-1-2 CHA). It is the second straight game that Gilligan has held her competition to no goals.
“I thought our kids played good from start to finish today,” head coach Paul Flanagan said. “It is good to breed confidence from start to finish. There is a lot on the line tomorrow to take over first place and it is time to set the stage and be there alone at the top spot.”
The Orange were strong throughout the entire afternoon, outshooting the Lakers 28-16 in the contest. After a scoreless first period, senior Nicole Ferrara gave Syracuse a 1-0 lead with a power play goal at the 15:17 mark, beating Mercyhurst goaltender Sarah McDonnell near the front of the crease. The 10th goal of the season from Ferrara gave the Orange a 1-0 edge headed into the third frame.
After some back-and-forth play mixed in with some aggression from both sides, the Orange eventually gave Gilligan some insurance with another goal. Sophomore Emily Costales collected a pass from freshman Allie Munroe, blasting a shot past McDonnell to make it 2-0 with 7:27 left. With the stellar play of Gilligan in net, Syracuse eventually shut the door to beat the Lakers in the first game of four.
McDonnell made 26 saves in between the pipes, but the consistency of Syracuse’s offense proved to be too much.
The Orange will face off again versus Mercyhurst tomorrow at 3 p.m. at War Memorial Arena. Both live video and live stats can be accessed via Cuse.com.
