Syracuse Ice Hockey loses a close one in overtime to RPI

John Boccio I @JohnBoccio23

Syracuse Women’s Ice Hockey gets swept in the home-and-home after an overtime 2-1 defeat at RPI. The Orange and Engineers held each other scoreless for nearly 50 total minutes. That was before RPI defender Andrea Trnkova struck to break the deadlock. The Czechia native fired a wrister from 60 feet out. 

SU was in desperate need of a response, and they got it. With just 37 seconds left in the game, freshman Peyton Armstrong stroked in her first score as a member of the Orange. That was off a beautiful backhanded find next to the right pipe by BU transfer Jackson Kinsler. The sophomore is tied for first on the team in points with four in five games. The equalizer brought the game to overtime. 

Almost two minutes passed before Engineer graduate transfer Sophie Helgeson knocked in the game-winner. Forward Sabrina Beaudoin took the puck in transition after a turnover. RPI and SU were in a two-on-two attack. However, Helgeson had the advantage on her defender. The Wisconsin transfer skated past, took in a centering pass from Beaudoin and slammed it into the Syracuse cage to light the lamp. That was the Minnesota native Helgeson’s first goal as an Engineer. 

The rest of the game was filled with back-and-forth hockey. SU and RPI were dead even in shots on target after the first period. Attempts on target when the game finished were extremely even as well. RPI registered just two more shots on goal than SU. Then the beginning of the second was when the goaltender battle became relevant. At the end of the second frame, SU 6th year Allie Kelley and RPI netminder Maelee Ambross had combined for nearly 40 saves. By the end of the game, that combined save number was up above 50. Ultimately, even statistics made for an extremely even game where RPI finished on top.