Syracuse was 20 minutes away from getting it done. Coming off the best season in program history, the Orange had an opportunity to start the year with a win against the 2018 National Champions. Up 3-2, SU was a period away from pulling off the upset.

But that hope didn’t last long. Two goals in the third period led No. 3 Clarkson (1-0) away to an all too familiar victory against the Orange (0-1). Despite playing them twice a year, Syracuse has failed to beat Clarkson since 2010, including an overtime loss last season. A victory against Clarkson would’ve shown that this year’s team, and the program overall, was ready to take another step forward following its first College Hockey America title last season. But it didn’t. 

 “We were right there the whole time,” defender Lindsay Eastwood said. “We just let it slip at a couple points.”

The back-and-forth game started with Syracuse striking first. After a Clarkson power play goal, Syracuse winger Kelli Rowswell found herself with only one to beat in the Clarkson end. Instead of waiting for help, she turned a one-on-one into a breakaway by “dangling the defense a little bit,” she said, before depositing the puck high blocker side on the Clarkson goalie.

A shorthanded goal by Clarkson deflated the Syracuse crowd before being brought back to their feet by a tying goal, a top-shelf slap shot by Eastwood.

Only 24 seconds into the second period, forward Emma Polaski decided to keep the puck on a two-on-one and shot it beneath the Golden Knights’ goalie, squeezing the puck across the goal line. The goal was confirmed after a replay review. 

Syracuse nearly added a few more goals in the opening minutes of the period, but could not capitalize, leaving no room for error heading into the third up 3-2. Syracuse’ top players, after being forced into extended ice time on the power play and penalty kill, became casualties of “too much special teams,” head coach Paul Flanagan said.

“I think we really did tire ourselves out,” Flanagan said. “Taking too many penalties.”

Clarkson knotted the game up 3:35 into the third after a turnover deep in the Syracuse end found Clarkson freshman forward Gabrielle David alone in front. Then during a scramble in front, a loose puck behind goalie Ady Cohen gave Clarkson a 4-3 lead, one that would stick for the rest of the game.

Syracuse had its chances in the waning minutes of the game, and a Clarkson penalty with 1:20 remaining gave Syracuse a chance at a six-on-four. With Cohen pulled for an extra attacker, and seconds ticking off the clock, Syracuse failed to find the equalizer.

Despite the loss, Flanagan said there was “a lot of positivity” in the locker room following the game. Even if SU didn’t win their first game, at least it hung around with a top-tier team in Clarkson.

“It was a close game right to the very end,” Flanagan said. “But at the same time we’re 0-1, so you can’t be satisfied with that at all.”

Published on September 27, 2019 at 11:12 pm

Contact Mitchell: mbannon@syr.edu