Vibes are High as Syracuse Ice Hockey Enters the Postseason
By Ben Chadwick | @BChad214
It’s crunch time for Syracuse Ice Hockey (13-21, 11-9 in AHA). SU wrapped up the regular season in Erie, Pennsylvania with a weekend series against Mercyhurst, the #2 team in the Atlantic Hockey America standings. The Orange put up a fight in game one but fell just short in a 5-3 loss thanks to a late-game empty net goal for the Lakers. The defeat increased SU’s winless streak against Mercyhurst to 13, its last win coming in February of 2022. However, ‘Cuse Head Coach Britni Smith’s confidence in her team to finish the job never wavered.
“Yeah I think it was a good conversation we had in the locker room after the game just exactly about that,” coach Smith said. “You know, what’s it gonna take for us to get over the hump. Again, we allow our players to speak up and hear from them and I think that they know exactly what it takes at this time of the year. “Knowing” and “doing” are two different things and obviously it’s a lot harder to do it than it is to just talk about it. So, it’s gut check time.”
Well, the Orange “knew” and “did” get the job done in game two. Syracuse walked away with a 4-2 win over Mercyhurst, breaking that three-year dry spell. To no one’s surprise, SU’s star goalkeeper Allie Kelley showed up once again for her squad.
“Like I said in the third period they’re chasing it a little bit,” said coach Smith. “So they’re pushing a little bit more and you expect to have to kind of face a couple more shots, a higher shot volume. But you know, as always, Allie Kelley up to the task when we’re needing her to kind of make those big saves late in the game. She’s finding ways to do it.”
Kelley, the NCAA’s all-time leader in saves, posted her 10th 40+ save game to lead her team to victory. While celebrations were in order after a monumental win like this one, all eyes are on this upcoming weekend. The AHA Quarterfinals.
“I thought this weekend we played really good hockey and to be rewarded with a win, like I said yesterday going into playoffs feeling like we’re playing our best right now, is important to us. Nice little opportunity as well with just a single game next week, a longer week of practice so you know for them to be able to kind of have a fun practice but obviously be dialed in ready to go for next weekend.”
After finishing with its best regular season record since the 2019-2020 season, Syracuse hosts Robert Morris (8-23-3, 2-16-2 in AHA) in a single win or go-home matchup. The Orange won all four regular-season games against the Colonials by a combined 13 goals and look to get their sixth straight win over RMU. With a win, SU heads right back out to Erie to compete in a three-game series against Mercyhurst in the AHA Semifinals.
But first things first, Syracuse hosts Robert Morris in the AHA Quarterfinals this Saturday. Puck drop is at 3 p.m.
