Syracuse ice hockey used a dominant overall performance to beat Lindenwood, 4-1 at the Tennity Ice Pavillion on Saturday afternoon. Four Orange provided two-point games to spearhead the offense as Nicole Ferrara andMargot Scharfe totaled a goal and assist each while Larissa Martyniuk and Caitlin Roach secured a pair of assists apiece.
“Our mental preparation was a lot better,” head coach Paul Flanagan. “Today I think we outworked them and that’s what set the tone was our work ethic.”
Kallie Billadeau shut out Lindenwood over the opening two periods, recording 11 saves, to earn her fifth win of the season. Julie Bengis replaced Billadeau between the pipes at the start of the final period, providing nine saves while allowing one goal.
Syracuse controlled the faceoff circle during the opening period, winning 19-of-23 chances (82.6 percent) to help the team take a 1-0 lead into the first break.
With Lindenwood on the power play, the Orange used a short-handed goal to go in front. Jessica Sibley won a faceoff battle with Lindsay Kirkham before Kaillie Goodnough sent the puck into the offensive zone, forcing Lady Lions netminder Nicole Hensley to re-direct it away from Lindenwood’s goal. Scharfe challenged Hensley at the crease, took possession and used a quick back-handed shot in front to record the tally with 8:32 remaining in the period.
Sibley doubled the Syracuse lead during the second period as the Orange outshot Lindenwood, 22-4 in on-target attempts during the frame to continue the home side’s offensive dominance. Sibley stationed herself to the right side of the net during a power play chance and fired in a shot with 15:20 to play in the second following passes from Martyniuk and Roach.
The Orange extended its lead to 3-0 later in the second period when Ferrara netted her seventh goal of the season. Martyniuk fired a pass to Scharfe, who redirected the puck to Ferrara in front of the net. Ferrara shot over Hensley’s right shoulder into the top-left corner at the 13:46 mark to push the lead to three.
Lindenwood ended the shutout when Alyssa West rebounded a hard shot from Katie Erickson that Bengis initially saved but the sophomore net minder was unable to prevent the second attempt from slipping past her. The Lady Lions cut the lead to 3-1 with 8:12 left in the game.
Syracuse capped scoring with an empty-net goal during the final minute of regulation. Melissa Piacentini skated into Lindenwood’s end and kept an LU defender at bay to push the puck into the goal with 49 seconds left to play. Ferrara and Roach earned assists on the tally.
The Orange continues their season with a trip to the University of Vermont for 2 p.m. games on Saturday, Jan. 4 and Sunday, Jan. 5.
