The Orange used excellent defense and an up-tempo offense to defeat No. 4/3 Boston College, 4-1, on Friday night at Tennity Ice Pavilion. Kallie Billadeau made 43 saves for the Orange, allowing only one goal from the nationally-touted Eagles (5-2-0).
“We talked all week about relishing the opportunity to play a team like this,” Head coach Paul Flanagan said. “Win, lose or draw, to get ready for it, to be prepared and just go after it. That was our M.O. tonight, just go after them. More than anything, go hard and if you make a mistake come back hard.”
Syracuse (3-4-0) was efficient on offense, needing only 25 shots to claim victory over BC, who took 44 shots on net. The Orange were 1-6 on power play opportunities and the penalty kill unit continued its excellence, holding off the Eagles in eight man-up chances including a five-on-three situation.
SU netted its first goal of the game early in the first period when Jessica Sibley scored her third goal of the season. Nicole Ferrara gained control of a faceoff and slid the puck to Danielle Leslie who then passed it to Sibley at the bottom of the left circle. She navigated around two defenders and flung it into the net to put Syracuse up 1-0.
Allie LaCombe was responsible for the game-winning goal for the second straight game, sending one in on the power play. She tipped in a Kaillie Goodnough slap shot from the blue line in front of the goal and gained the 2-0 advantage at the beginning of the second period that would ultimately be enough to defeat the Eagles.
Margot Scharfe also had a tip in late in the second stanza to increase the Orange lead to 3-0 going into the final period of play. Scharfe took a faceoff and quickly positioned herself in front of the net to chip in a shot from the top of the right circle by Nicole Renault.
Boston College ended the shutout in the middle of the third period when Lexi Bender brought one down the ice and gave it to Melissa Bizzari, who attempted a shot on goal but Kate Leary was able to send the rebound into the net, cutting the SU lead to 3-1.
Sadie St. Germain had the last say in the contest, taking back the three-goal lead just 48 seconds later. St. Germain hit her mark 10 feet in front of the goal in time to accept a pass from Leslie, who controlled the puck after Julie Knerr won a faceoff. Neither team would add any more to the board in the last nine minutes of play and the game ended in a 4-1 victory for Syracuse.
