The Syracuse University women’s ice hockey team fell to 7-8-2 on the season after losing to the Lindenwood Lions Friday night at Tennity Ice Pavilion by a score of 2-1. Senior Caitlin Roach [11] scored the Orange’s loan goal and Jenesica Drinkwater [12] made 20 saves in the loss. Lindenwood recorded just its second win of the season, improving to 2-13-2 on the year.
In a game filled with penalties, SU made the final mistake. With 34 seconds left in the third period, SU’s Jessica Sibley [13] took a high sticking penalty, giving the Lions a man-up in the game’s final seconds. During the power play, Lindenwood won a faceoff, and Katie Erickson took a slapshot, that flew past Drinkwater with 6 seconds left in the game.
SU head coach Paul Flanagan did not agree with the penalty that led to the game-winning score.
“You can’t point fingers, you know,” Flanagan said. “I think if I point any fingers it was just an undisciplined one - that’s a penalty we just shouldn’t take, an offensive zone penalty.”
The Orange had 7 power play chances of its own, and only cashed in once. With 1:03 left in the second period and Syracuse down one, Roach tallied on the man advantage to tie the game at one. It was Roach’s third goal of the year, with the assist going to Sibley.
The goal was nice, Roach said, but did not do much to change the momentum of the game.
“There was no feeling of momentum on our side,” Roach said. “I feel like Lindenwood still had the momentum on their side of the puck, and we just didn’t take our chances and capitalize coming into the third period.”
Perhaps because of Lindenwood 1-13-2 record going into the game, Roach said she believes some of the team overlooked the Lions.
“Mentally, we just didn’t prepare ourselves for how hard of a working team they are,” Roach said. “I feel like in a way some girls took it as we had the step up on them. And that hurts us when it’s time to come out and play.”
On the stat sheet, it would appear Syracuse would run away with the game. The Orange nearly doubled the Lions with a 40-24 shots on goal advantage. Flanagan compared this game plan to a boxing match, and said it was the team’s intent to shoot that many times on goal.
“A little jabs early in the bout. Start giving her some early jabs, and get after her. Enough little jabs will add up,” he said. “We didn’t do that.”
On the final goal Flanagan credits the Lions’ Erickson with a good, hard shot, but felt his team could’ve blocked it.
“That’s a puck you gotta block though late in the game. Off that draw, you gotta block that shot,” he said. “We had a chance, we just didn’t do a good enough job there.”
