achelney's Blog

Triple overtime heroics propels Men's Lacrosse over Army

Syracuse men's lacrosse returned to winning ways following last week's loss to Albany

Thirty-nine seconds into the third overtime of a back-and-forth game, Ryan Simmons scored the game-winning goal to cap a comeback win in a wild game for No. 16 Syracuse Orange (2-1) against No. 9 Army West Point Black Knights (3-1) at the Carrier Dome Saturday afternoon.

Syracuse opened the scoring exactly six minutes into the game. Nate Solomon potted his fourth goal of the season and 40th of his career to give the Orange an early 1-0 lead. Solomon now has goal in six-straight games, dating back to last season.

Army tied the game 92 seconds later for the only other goal of the quarter.

The second quarter started with a bang, and the floodgates opened soon after. Nate Jones scored his ninth of the season and 72nd of his career off the far post to put Army up 2-1 just fifteen seconds in. Army would add four more before the end of the half, including two by Conor Glancy to lead the Orange 6-1 after two quarters.

Heading into the second half against Army, the Orange had scored just four goals in the last six quarters combined.

The second half saw a completely different Syracuse team.

“We challenged some of the guys offensively. I think our guys played very good defense. We were dodging, but we didn’t get a lot of dodges to get good shots off. We took some bad shots when we did get a few opportunities,” Syracuse head coach John Desko said after the game.

Desko also added he wanted the team to challenge Army offensively and make the Black Knights’ defenders slide more than in the first half.

Conor Glancy scored his hat-trick goal early in the third quarter, but the Orange dominated most of the quarter. Capped off by a goal by David Lipka with nine seconds left, Syracuse trailed 8-7 heading into the final 15 minutes of the game.

Army scored early in the fourth to pull ahead by two goals, but Syracuse responded with three of its own, including Nate Solomon’s second of the game with 5:57 remaining in regulation. Solomon’s fifth goal of the season and 41st of his career sent the crowd of nearly 3,955 into a frenzy, the loudest the Carrier Dome was up to that point.

Army would tie the game at 10-all 46 seconds later off a shot by Connor DeWitt. Regulation would end without another goal.

The game needed overtime to determine a winner, and it needed three to do so.

Syracuse only won 9-of-26 total faceoffs in the game, but won all three overtime draws to determine who would get the ball first.

“Especially coming off the Albany game, we talked about not having a lot of possessions,” Desko said after the game. “In the third quarter against Albany, we had the ball for 1:34 out of fifteen minutes. We can’t do that. We worked on being a little bit more patient today…I think we did a much better job throughout the game.”

Each overtime saw great saves from both goaltenders, keeping everybody on the edge of their seats as they held their breaths before every shot on goal.

Early in the third overtime, Syracuse goaltender Dom Madonna had the ball in his stick and threw a laser past midfield to Ryan Simmons, who cut down the middle of the Army zone and scored the winning goal to complete the comeback and secure a victory.

“Army SU, another one goal game, and unfortunate for us, we came out on the wrong end this time,” Army head coach Joe Alberici said after the loss. “I really felt as it progressed through overtime, that it was going to be that broken play that would decide it. Both defenses weren’t giving up much. It was a great play by [Madonna], heads up play by Simmons, a back-door cut, and [Syracuse] won it on a great play,” Alberici added.

Syracuse will head to Virginia to play the No. 6 Cavaliers (4-0) next Sunday. The tilt at Charlottesville starts at 3:00 p.m.

Special Teams Preserve 3-0 Victory for Syracuse Women's Ice Hockey over Penn State

This was Syracuse's second win of the season.

Syracuse killed off all eight of Penn State's penalties and converted on one of its six power play chances to earn a 3-0 victory over the Lions Friday.

Stephanie Grossi scored twice in the first seven minutes and fourteen seconds of the contest for the Syracuse Orange (2-7-1, 1-0-0 CHA) as the team faced off against the Nittany Lions (2-7-4, 0-2-3 CHA) in a special teams battle. There was a combined fourteen penalties called in the game, and Syracuse needed to stay sharp if it wanted to secure its first conference and second overall win of the season.

Defenseman Kristen Siermachesky took four of Syracuse's eight penalties in the game, but her team was able to get the freshman out of trouble. Megan Quinn scored the third Orange goal and solidified the lead by jamming home the puck during a scramble play in front of the Penn State net with 8:41 remaining in the third period while Syracuse was on the powerplay.

"It's good to see our kids responding well," Orange head coach Paul Flanagan said following the victory. "They're a little more sure-handed in the zone, getting pucks out and making better decisions. [Penn State] was 0-8 [on the powerplay]. Obviously that was a pretty big key. We have to control [the penalties]. When I see stick penalties...the trips, the hooks...even the body checking penalties...we've got to be more disciplined. Can't be taking eight penalties and expect to win games 3-0."

The Syracuse defense proved stifling for Penn State. The Orange held the Lions to without a shot until six minutes remaining in the first period when Victoria Klimek took an interference penalty, giving Penn State a powerplay opportunity.

Orange goaltender Abbey Miller had to make three consecutive saves off the faceoff, which proved to be her only three of the period. Penn State finished the game with just 14 shots on goal, all of which Miller stopped to secure her first shutout of the season and 10th of her collegiate career.

"It feels pretty good," Miller said with a smile on her face following the victory. "Especially in-conference, it feels good to play well. My team helped me out a lot. I didn't get very many shots. [Penn State] didn't really have a whole lot of scoring opportunities."

Coach Flanagan said that while the team didn't have to rely on the senior goaltender too much, she stood tall when Penn State pushed in the offensive zone throughout the game.

The Orange look for a repeat performance against the Lions as the two teams will rematch Saturday afternoon at 3 p.m. at Tennity Ice Pavilion.

Women's Ice Hockey Picks Up First Win of Season Over Providence

Two early goals proved to be decisive in the team's win.

Goals from Brooke Avery and Kelli Rowswell, coupled with spectacular play from goaltender Abbey Miller, secured a narrow 2-1 victory for the Orange (1-3-1, 0-0-0 CHA) over the Providence Friars (3-2-0, 1-0-0 HE), its first of the season.

Syracuse came out in the first period aggressive, applying consistent forecheck on the Friars' players. With 26 seconds remaining in the period, Kelli Rowswell opened the scoring for the Orange off a broken play in front of the net. The right winger was given just enough room to take a shot right in front of the crease, and she made no mistake, beating Providence goalie Madison Myers glove side.

"Early in the game, our game plan was to get it by their [defense], make the D retreat, make them work and hem them in [Providence's zone]," said Orange head coach Paul Flanagan following the victory. "We were doing a good job, and it was effective."

Syracuse looked to double its lead in the last few ticks of the period as Victoria Klimek had a breakaway and tried to fake out Myers, but she kicked out her right pad to make the save.

Orange goalie Abbey Miller would not be outdone by her counterpart, however, making multiple miraculous saves in the game, including a cross-crease stop less than four minutes into the game to keep the contest scoreless.

"We came in today with a lot of confidence after competing with the number one team in the country [last weekend]. I think that gave us a lot of confidence going into today's game," Miller said. "I think we need to keep building on that confidence and keep it going for the rest of the season.

Syracuse outshot Providence 15-7 in the first period, over the next two periods combined, the Friars outshot the Orange 25-9 and controlled play.

"Coming into the second period, [Providence] seemed like a much more motivated team," Flanagan said. "We got away from the things we did really well in the first period, and we scored that second goal and go up 2-0. After 40 minutes our club thought they had the game in the bag...I thought we got dominated in the third period."

Brooke Avery scored the game winning goal with 2:59 remaining in the second period off a rebound in front of the net. The initial shot went off the post, and she was in front of the crease to finish the play.

A special goal for Avery, scoring her seventh career goal in what was her 100th career game.

"To be honest I didn't think about [the milestone]," Avery said. "It's a cool feeling. I'm really excited and I'm glad to be here. I'll keep that in the back of my head for now."

Syracuse Shut Out Again as #1 Wisconsin Wins 1-0

The women's ice hockey team remain winless this season.

The Syracuse women's ice hockey team (0-2-1) has played three games this season and has scored zero goals in that span.

"We've got to work on our execution," Syracuse head coach Paul Flanagan said following the loss. "Lot of pucks [shot] right at the goalie's breadbasket. I think some of that comes with confidence. With a little more playing time you can start picking corners and creating better rebounds. Hopefully it's gonna come."

Syracuse held its own against #1 Wisconsin (5-0-0) in the first period, but forward Abby Roque broke through for the Badgers 6:35 into the second frame. The freshman dangled past a defenseman and sniped a backhand shot just below the crossbar for the only shot of Wisconsin's 39 to beat veteran Syracuse goaltender Abbey Miller.

Miller's save percentage of .974 is her career best in a single game, and she attributes that to the opponent. Miller is from Anoka, Minnesota, a city located about a four hour drive from the University of Wisconsin campus.

"Playing a team that's close to home gave me an extra incentive to play well," Miller said. "I thought [the team] played well today, especially since [Wisconsin] is the number one team in the country. Keeping them to a one goal game is obviously pretty good."

Despite the victory, Wisconsin's third line center Sam Cogan sees room for improvement.

"I think we came out a little slow," Cogan said. "I think a lot of it has to do with getting used to the other team and their style of hockey. I think in the second and third period we definitely picked it up."

Cogan used a reflective pink stick in the game, a stick she says means a lot to her.

"It's Cancer Awareness Month, so a bunch of girls have them, but didn't use them. I have the name 'O'Leary' on it; that's my boyfriend's best friend's name. He had bone cancer when he was younger, so I did that for him."

Wisconsin and Syracuse are set to rematch tomorrow at 3:00 p.m. back at Tennity Ice Pavilion.

Families stole the show at Five Finger Death Punch and Shinedown concert

Five Finger Death Punch closed a memorable concert that featured As Lions, Sixx A.M., and Shinedown.

A metal concert might not seem like an obvious family outing, but the lead singer of featured act Five Finger Death Punch didn’t shy away from including families in his band’s performance on Tuesday.

In between bringing kids onstage and singing one of the band’s classics in lullaby form (“Remember Everything”) to a sleepy little girl, singer Ivan Moody roared with Five Finger Death Punch’s signature songs, such as “Lift Me Up,” a song originally recorded with Rob Halford of Judas Priest, and “Wrong Side of Heaven,” as well as tracks from their newest album, Got Your Six.

The festivities at the Oncenter War Memorial Arena were started by British rock band As Lions, which feature vocalist Austin Dickinson, son of legendary singer Bruce Dickinson of Iron Maiden. Austin’s impressive vocal range and the band’s inspiring instrumentals were definitely good enough to attract some new fans. Their set was short, but it was a solid preview of what’s to come for the young band. Their debut album, Selfish Age, comes out Jan. 20.

Sixx: A.M. performed next. The hard rock band features former Mötley Crüe bassist Nikki Sixx, former Guns ‘N’ Roses guitarist DJ Ashba, and vocalist James Michael, who has co-written songs for numerous bands such as Scorpions, Halestorm and Mötley Crüe.

The band rocked out with songs from the two new albums it released this year, Prayers For the Damned Vol. 1 and Prayers for the Blessed Vol. 2, as well as some classics, such as the 2007 megahit “Life Is Beautiful.” Featuring backing vocals from Amber Vanbuskirk and Melissa Harding, the group got fans moving and grooving before the main events took the stage.

About a half hour after Sixx: A.M. came off, Shinedown started off with a bang.

The band had a curtain cover the stage that fell to the music of “Adrenaline,” the opening song of the band’s fourth album Amaryllis. The crowd roared with song lyrics as Brent Smith sang popular songs of old and new. Smith and guitarist Zach Myers played one of the band’s biggest hits, a cover of Lynyrd Skynyrd’s “Simple Man.” The emotional acoustic powerhouse moved the entire audience, especially so during the chorus, when Smith asked the fans to sing for him. Smith’s powerful range and the energetic flow of the instrumentals blew people away.

Brianna Esposito and her dad, Todd, said Shinedown was their favorite performer of the night.

“Hell yeah, we’d see Shinedown again,” said Todd, with the approval of his daughter. He gave the concert a nine, and Brianna gave it a “solid 10.”

Five Finger Death Punch closed the concert, although some fans were concerned about the band’s willingness to play following singer Moody’s meltdown last Friday during a show in Worcester, Massachusetts. There, Moody stopped singing after saying his mother was “passing along,” hinting that she wasn’t doing well. However, since then several heavy metal specialty websites have contradicted his statement, reporting everything with his family is just fine.

Moody’s snarl and the rest of the band’s heavy flow crushed the War Memorial Arena as the crowd roared with approval. The biggest question mark in Five Finger Death Punch was easily trampled, with the group rocking just as hard as the three previous acts onstage.

Five Finger Death Punch didn’t just show up to perform, they shattered any doubt the band would be under-par.

No. 4 Syracuse field hockey dominates early, pulls away for victory over No. 2 Duke

SU scores four first half goals as Orange cruises to 5-1 win over Blue Devils.

No. 2 Duke surrendered eight penalty corners to No. 4 Syracuse field hockey in the first half on Friday at J.S. Coyne Stadium. The SU corners led to four unanswered goals in a span of 17 minutes as the Orange pulled away for a 5-1 victory.

Overall, the Blue Devils (10-2, 3-2 ACC) relinquished 10 penalty corners, five of which ended up as goals against. 

Syracuse (11-1, 4-1 ACC) was relentless in the first 35 minutes, dominating play and possession. It managed 11 shots, while Duke managed only two.

"I think getting the first [goal] is huge, because it's such a confidence booster," SU goaltender Regan Spencer said. "I think the last few weeks we've been up and down. It's given us perspective on what we need to improve on. We had a really solid week of practice and focused on what we needed to fix."

Spencer, who has allowed just 15 goals in the 11 games she's played this season, was close to her third shutout of the year, but it was snapped with less than seven minutes to go off a penalty corner.

Sophomore Roos Weers scored twice for the Orange in a span of less than 10 minutes in the first half. The back/midfielder now has 20 career goals as she continues to improve on what has been an impressive sophomore season.

“We had confidence going [into the game],” she said following the victory. “We executed well. We believed in each other and it’s just the little things that went well today. I think the only team we can lose to is ourselves. If we play as a team we are one of the best in the country.”

Duke battled back in the second half, winning more 50/50 battles and ramping up the pace late in the game. But it was too little too late. By the time the Blue Devils finally put one on the board, there was less than six minutes to play in the contest. Forward Elaine Carey would add another goal for the Orange two minutes later to seal the victory.

“I was really pleased with our corner execution,” Syracuse head coach Ange Bradley said. “[In the] first half I thought we played a really good game of hockey.”

Syracuse has won every game against Duke in the series history, compiling a 4-0 record. The last time the two teams faced off, the Orange came out on top, 1-0, in October 2015.

Syracuse travels to Ithaca to face Cornell (5-5, 0-2 IVY) on Sunday at 3 p.m. The Orange cruised to a dominant 9-1 victory over the Big Red last season in the teams’ previous matchup.

Juice Jam 2016: What to know before you go

Haven't heard of every artist who's performing in our backyard on Sunday? Look no further; here's an introductory course on all the amazing sounds that'll be heard in a couple days.

Before classes even began, new and returning students alike were counting down the days until Juice Jam 2016. With buses starting to take students to Skytop Field at 11 a.m. on Sunday, the day has finally come. Headliner Fetty Wap, a New Jersey rapper best known for his hit single “Trap Queen,” will take the stage with Monty alongside other performers including pop artist Tove Lo, DJ and producer Marshmello, rapper D.R.A.M., indie electronic artist Stephen, and rock artist LOLO.

Headliner Fetty Wap exploded in popularity after his debut in 2014. His first song "Trap Queen" has more than 130 million plays on SoundCloud and has been on repeat on the radio since then.

Another hit that Fetty released is "679.” If you're heading into Juice Jam without hearing Fetty's sound before, here's a sneak peak.

Another brand new artist that has risen to the top of the charts is Marshmello, who bursted into the EDM scene in 2015. His identity remains hidden behind a gigantic white mask, but due to similarities such as tattoos and music styles, many think this is an alternate persona created by Dotcom, a DJ who has been around since 2006. Regardless of who the man behind the mask is, Marshmello is a dope artist that Syracuse University will love.

Swedish performer Tove Lo has been around since 2006, but the electro-pop singer's breakthrough single "Habits (Stay High),” which was re-released in 2014, spawned numerous remixes from top DJs and artists from around the world, making her a more well-known name. Her 2015 single "Talking Body,” which was also remixed mercilessly, is a great song to open an opinion of her.

Next up is electronic artist Stephen. Around since 2012, he got his big break covering Adele's monster hit "Hello.” He released his debut album, Sincerely, which featured the song "Crossfire,” this past May. The song deals with the current conflict and subsequent hostage crisis in Syria. It's a magnificent track that definitely deserves attention.

D.R.A.M. is a German-born rapper who is another new face in the music industry. Following his debut in 2014 and first single "Cha Cha" in 2015, he received major radio play for hit single "Broccoli" featuring rapper Lil Yachty. This song has been everywhere, but if this is the first you're hearing D.R.A.M.'s name, here is Broccoli.

Last but not least, LOLO is an alternative artist who received her big break in 2010, when rapper Talib Kweli remixed her song "Painkillers.” It debuted at No. 84 on the top 100. LOLO also appeared in the Panic! At The Disco song "Miss Jackson” in 2013. The Tennessee native frequently opens for the band, so it was only fitting they would invite her to feature.One of her best standalone records is the 2013 "Heard It From a Friend.”

Juice Jam 2016 sold out rapidly, and for good reason; this year's lineup is incredible, and spectators are in for a phenomenal show.

No.1 Syracuse field hockey tops Boston College in home opener

Orange scores two goals in second half to remain undefeated in 2016

The top-ranked Syracuse Orange field hockey team scored two goals in the second half of play following a 1-1 tie to edge past No. 18 Boston College on Friday afternoon, 3-1. This was Syracuse's first time playing on its new field, which was upgraded this past summer.

Before the opening seconds ticked off the scoreboard, the Orange (5-0, 1-0 ACC) unveiled their 2015 NCAA Championship banner to a loud crowd. At halftime, Alyssa Manley, a 2016 graduate, was presented the 2015 Honda Award, which recognizes the top collegiate female athlete in their respective sport. 

Senior Liz Sack put the Orange ahead less than five minutes into the second half and senior goalkeeper Regan Spencer came up huge with less than six minutes to go in the contest to preserve the victory.

The Eagles were on a 2-on-0 break, but Spencer stood tall, preventing the potential tying goal from finding the back of the net. 

"[Spencer] is really stepping up", said teammate Lies Lagerweij, who scored Syracuse's first goal, her seventh on the season. "We needed someone to step up and I really think she did that. Her confidence grew a lot compared to last year, and I think she's a really selfless player, so it's paying off for her."

In the first half, a strange deflection caught Lagerweij in the side of the head. She was escorted off the field, but later returned. After the game she said she was fine, besides a minor bump.

Boston College’s Brittany Sheenan opened the scoring a third of the way into the first half, stunning the fans. Lagerweij stepped up and tied the game 13 minutes later, and the team never looked back. The Orange, however, looked sloppy in the opening 35 minutes, with many of their passes not connecting and Boston College (1-3, 0-1 ACC) seemingly winning more 50/50 battles.

"We weren't smart with our circle entries," Orange head coach Ange Bradley said about the opening minutes of play. "We put ourselves into a lot of unnecessary turnovers and we gave up a lot of control of the tempo. We played into our opponents hands."

Syracuse came out much crisper in the second half, dominating most of the play en route to its victory in the ACC opener.

Lagerweij said in the post-game that the team feels they have a strong home field advantage.

"We refuse to lose,” Lagerweij said. “This is our field, we don't lose here."

The Orange return to J.S. Coyne Stadium on Sunday to face off against No.14 Stanford at 2 P.M. Syracuse currently holds a 7-0 all-time record against the Cardinal. 

 

Piacentini and Renault break assist record as the Orange sweeps doubleheader vs Lindenwood

The Syracuse women's ice hockey team finishes the regular season on a high note, winning both games this past weekend. The Orange heads into the playoffs riding a seven game win streak.

Melissa Piacentini assisted on SU’s third goal in Friday’s 6-1 win against the Lions, giving the senior a total of 58 assists in her career, surpassing Holly Carrie-Mattimore for the most helpers in program history. Later in the game, fellow senior Nicole Renault tied Piacentini's mark with an assist on the sixth and final goal. Piacentini added one more assist in Saturday's game to edge out Renault by one for the program lead.


The senior forward capped off her collegiate regular season career with 112 points (53 goals, 59 assists) in 142 games. Renault ended with 76 points (18 goals, 58 assists) in 143 regular season collegiate games. The Orange finished the season 18-13-3.

 

“I didn’t even know about it, you have to be focused on the team especially in this time of year," Piacentini said. “I don’t feel any different than before, you just have to keep playing.”

 

Her teammates refer to her as just “Tini.” And they were thrilled with her accomplishment.

 

“She’s been my roommate for four years, and we congratulated her. It’s a huge accomplishment, and I’m really happy for her,” said defenseman Nicole Renault. 

 

Head Coach Paul Flanagan added some praise of his own.

 

“This is the kind of kid she is, I just asked her how many assists she had and she didn’t know. That’s her. She’s a kid that just shows up every day to work. She’s gonna go down, in the record books, yes, but as one of our all-time best players just by the way she showed up every day for practice.”

 

With senior goaltender Jenn Gilligan out with an undisclosed injury, sophomore Abbey Miller got the start in net. She made 20 saves and almost recorded a shutout, until it was ruined with just 3:50 to go in the third period. This was her first appearance since November 28th, when she stopped 13 saves en route to a 5-2 win against No. 9 South Dakota. That performance was good enough to earn her CHA Goaltender of the Week.

 

In Saturday’s tilt, the game was much tighter, with neither team giving the other much. It was "Senior Day" for Syracuse, with a special ceremony honoring the soon-to-be graduates before the match.

 

Maddi Welch was in goal for the Orange, and the 2-0 win gave the freshman her first collegiate victory as well as her first shutout. She lost her only other start 4-3 to the UConn Huskies on October 17th.

 

Welch’s shutout was also almost spoiled in the third period on a breakaway, however Welch stood tall and made a big blocker save.

“It’s definitely exciting”, Welch beamed following the game. “I was trying to play as confidently as I could. I try to read shots as well as I can, and I could tell she was gonna deke and go far side on me. I tried to follow her as much as I could.”

 

Stephanie Grossi opened the scoring about 10 minutes into the game. The sophomore forward has been on fire the entire season, scoring 12 goals and adding 21 assists in 34 games. Jessica Sibley padded the lead with 7:41 to go in the second period off an incredible backhand snipe that beat Lindenwood goaltender Nicole Hensley blocker side.

 

“It was a good win for us and a good way for our seniors their regular season,” Flanagan said on Saturday. “I thought Lindenwood had a lot more energy, you can tell right from the get-go. I thought it was a much better game overall. You can win 8-0 and think you played alright, and you can lose 2-1 and think you played way better.”

 

The Orange earned a first round playoff bye and won’t play again until the CHA Semifinals in Buffalo, NY at the Harbor Center on March 4th. While it’s unknown whom Syracuse will play, the winners of the semifinals square off the next day in the CHA Championship on March 5th. 

 

Derrer pots early goal as Orange Cruise Past RIT in 3-0 win

A double-header loaded with penalties; the Orange could handle the rough-housing.

Sophomore defenseman Dakota Derrer opened the scoring just 1:39 into the game as Syracuse (11-12-3) avenged Friday’s 2-1 OT loss to the Tigers (6-19-1) with a solid 3-0 victory on Saturday.

“I had a lot of shots blocked last night and I was trying for that not to happen,” Derrer said following the win. “Right off the face-off I got my feet moving, saw an opening, shot the puck [on net], and it trickled in.”

The Orange heavily outshot the Tigers in Friday’s game 42-18 but only came away with one point. A similar total resulted on the ice on Saturday, however senior goaltender Jenn Gilligan stopped all 14 shots as she collected her fourth shutout of the season.

“It’s a big moment for us as a team,” Gilligan said. “It was huge for me individually, especially after going off of what happened last year, or even last night. I think we just got back to the basics, we really took it to [RIT], we were aggressive, and we didn’t give them time and space to do anything.”

The Tigers’ senior goaltender Jetta Rackleff appeared to be shaken up following an awkward save late in the first period that saw her getting up slowly. She seemed to be shaking it off the rest of the match, trying to play through what was bothering her instead of taking a seat on the bench. After Orange junior left wing Heather Schwarz netted her third goal of the year with 7:32 left in the second period to make it 2-0 Syracuse, Rackleff was once again noticeably in discomfort, but continued to guard the crease.

The back-to-back matchup was certainly physical, with both teams combining for a whopping 27 penalties in the 2 games; 12 in Friday’s matchup, and 15 on Saturday’s showdown. Syracuse’s head coach Paul Flanagan wasn’t pleased with the officiating and over-abundance of special teams play.

“We coaches get frustrated because they don’t know what [the referees] are going to call,” Flanagan said. “One second something’s a trip, then the next second the trip isn’t a trip. I think our referees have to work for some consistency. Just think how the players feel, you’ve got the puck and you get tripped, they pull your feet right out from underneath you, the puck goes to the other team and there’s no call. And then you might get a penalty because you’re in a little melee in front of the net and your arms come up and they call you.”

“Twenty-seven power-plays in two games. We’ve played two-game series with other teams and there might be six or seven combined. Twenty-seven power-plays in two nights, and they probably could’ve called more. Twenty-seven power-plays, that’s a lot, wow.”

Flanagan also noted that he’ll devote more time to special teams in practice to further sharpen the power-play and the penalty kill. Syracuse was 1-9 on the power-play on Saturday and just 2-15 in total in the back-to-back. The Tigers were 0-12 on the 5-on-4 advantage.
The Orange play their next two games in a doubleheader at Mercyhurst on Jan. 29 and 30. Then they battle the Nittany Lions at Penn State on Feb. 5 and 6 before finally heading home to face the RMU Colonials twice at Tennity Ice Pavilion on Feb. 12 and 13.