Cardiac ‘Cuse on Ice

By Ben Chadwick | @BChad214

When it comes to winning conference playoff games, Syracuse Ice Hockey (14-21, 11-9 in AHA) seems to only know one way how. SU’s last three AHA/CHA postseason wins have come in overtime, spanning all the way back to the 2022 CHA playoffs. Looking even further back, their last five conference postseason games have been decided by just one goal. In the most recent edition of this trend, #3 seed Syracuse edged past #6 seed Robert Morris 3-2 in double overtime of the AHA Quarterfinals on Saturday.

“RMU came and they gave us a good game today” ‘Cuse Head Coach Britni Smith said after the win. “They fought hard and they put us on our heels a number of times, but it was great to see our response and our ability to really just got the job done. We stuck with it and I thought as the game went on, especially in the first and second overtimes, I felt like we really started to come to life.”

One player who specifically came to life was forward Peyton Armstrong. The freshman fired in the game-winning goal two minutes into the second OT, however, she struggled to recall the actual shot itself.

“It landed on my stick and I honestly blacked out a bit” Armstrong remarked. “I didn’t even know I scored until everyone came on the ice. But apparently it went in and it was so hype to celebrate with the team after.”

While that shot was the only one to matter in the overtime periods, the freshman did have a very similar breakaway opportunity in the first OT. So although Armstrong might still be riding that unforgettable high, Coach Smith made sure to eventually bring her forward back down to Earth.

“I question why she didn’t just do that on her first breakaway and save us all a lot of time” Coach Smith joked. “But no, she’s a player, you know, she’s been growing all season and is someone who we really look to for some offense and for her to be able to find the back of the net as a freshman in a moment like that is pretty special.”

It seems like the majority of Armstrong’s growth this season has been against the Colonials. The forward has three goals and two assists against RMU this year, making up over half of her nine total points this season. In a similar tone, Syracuse has dominated Robert Morris this year. The Orange swept the Colonials winning all five games by 14 combined goals. But flexing your muscles on the bottom of the AHA is one thing, doing so against the upper echelon of the conference is another.

After capping off its regular season in Erie just over a week ago, Syracuse heads right back for a three-game series against #2 seed Mercyhurst in the AHA Semifinals. While the Lakers claimed the season series over the Orange, SU got the last laugh in the regular season with a 4-2 win over Mercyhurst on its Senior Day.

Syracuse looks for its first non-quarterfinal win since 2022, when the Orange defeated the Lakers 3-2 in overtime for the CHA Championship. Game #1 is this Friday in the Mercyhurst Ice Center. Puck drop is at 3 p.m.