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Two seasons ago, Allison Small and the rest of the 2018-19 Syracuse squad defeated Lindenwood 4-1 in the quarterfinal matchup of the College Hockey America postseason tournament. The third-seeded Orange went on to win their first CHA championship.

Small got the nod to face Lindenwood again Thursday in the 2020-21 quarterfinals, and she fueled the team’s overall momentum. After stopping a quick Thea Jørgensen wrist shot off a 3-on-1 opportunity just nine seconds into the game, momentum shifted toward Syracuse, and the Orange scored just five minutes later.

“When we’re firing on all cylinders offensively, sometimes you get a little loose defensively,” head coach Paul Flanagan said.

Small’s 21 saves in 46:11 of ice time led to her second shutout of the season, holding back Lindenwood in Syracuse’s 6-0 win to advance to the semifinals. Small was replaced by freshman netminder Amelia Van Vliet with 13:49 remaining in the game.

Despite Syracuse’s early 2-0 lead, Small still had to make the period’s toughest saves. The Orange left plenty of gaps in front of the net and in the high slot that Lindenwood took advantage of, firing close-range, one-time shots that forced Small to react quickly. Small, who has struggled occasionally with her stick play this season, was able to generate quick breakouts out of the defensive zone, leading to numerous scoring chances at the opposite end.

Small started all three meetings against Lindenwood this season, a series in which she made 65 saves — including her 1,000th career save — while giving up just four goals. Despite Small’s career-high 0.925 save percentage, Lindenwood head coach Shelley Looney still thought she could expose the vulnerabilities of the reigning CHA Goalie of the Month.

“We watched some games where we scored on (Small). She gave up a lot of rebounds,” Looney said.

Aside from early high-slot pressure, Lindenwood’s forecheck nearly provoked the game’s opening goal. After a Meara Ryan trip 1:48 into the game, Syracuse had just spent over a minute on the power play in Lindenwood’s zone before the Lions found an open lane to clear the puck. They sent the puck behind Small’s net, with Syracuse’s Mae Batherson calmly skating into the Orange’s zone to retrieve it.

Lindenwood’s Lokelani Antonio was parked in front of Small, anticipating where Batherson’s pass may go. Antonio pressed Batherson unexpectedly behind the net, stealing the puck and going straight in on goal for a spinning wrist shot. Small covered it up with no rebound.

A nearly identical play occurred early in the second period. This time, Kambel Beacom gave up the puck behind the net, leading to a shot that Small couldn’t freeze on the initial attempt. Small was forced to scramble on top of the loose puck and compete with multiple bodies within her crease.

“When it was still 2-0, they still got good chances, Allison still had to bail us out,” said Flanagan.

With a six-goal lead, Flanagan opted to rest Small and give Van Vliet her first taste of playoff action. Van Vliet was immediately put to the test as Syracuse fell shorthanded, making her first save on a Megan Wagner wrist shot just outside the crease that she stopped comfortably with her chest.

Van Vliet’s ability to step into any given circumstances and perform well has given Small full confidence that the freshman can be a reliable starter for the few seasons.

“She’s actually really improving,” Small said ahead of the series. “She’s gotten more confidence, she’s finding her own little technique and how to get comfortable in the net. I’m just trying to help her get more comfortable in that role.”

But Small’s main focus is winning her second CHA championship. She believes she has the right group behind her to achieve her goal.

“You can feel it in the locker room,” Small said. “Especially since we’ve been on such a hot streak lately, we know that we can do this.”

Published on March 4, 2021 at 11:36 pm

Contact Alex: ahcirino@syr.edu