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On Syracuse’s first power play of the game, senior Abby Moloughney sent the puck around the right-side boards and into Penn State’s zone. Emma Polaski rushed in and comfortably controlled it behind the net, but her initial wrap-around effort was denied. 

She quickly fought for the rebound and jammed the puck past PSU goaltender Josie Bothun’s right pad just under three minutes into the third period. Polaski entered Saturday afternoon’s game with two goals on the season, both on power plays. 

Syracuse’s aggressiveness in front of the net wasn’t just limited to Polaski’s game-winning goal, however. The team used quickness to take control of loose pucks and rebounds, which led to three goals. Coming off a three-game winless streak against the Nittany Lions (4-1-1, 4-1-1 College Hockey America), Syracuse (2-4-1, 2-2-1 CHA) secured a 4-2 win.

The Orange blew a two-goal lead Friday night and lost on a backhanded Kiara Zanon overtime goal. Syracuse trailed early on Saturday but continued to generate strong offense through the third period, crashing Penn State’s net to score three consecutive goals. 

“The kids really took the momentum and went with it,” head coach Paul Flanagan said. “For once we came out in the third, so that’s really good to see.” 

Polaski’s power-play goal was the perfect combination of the net presence and offensive zone possession that Syracuse maintained throughout the game. In prior games, Syracuse’s momentum would usually dwindle after the first period — the Orange have scored 10 of their 16 goals during that frame this season, before Saturday’s matchup. But postgame, Flanagan said he believed the team’s energy kicked in during the 20-shot second period.

Syracuse totaled a season-high 46 shots on goal, many of which stemmed from rebounds in front of Bothun. The freshman goaltender’s vision was blocked at many times as the Orange lined up shots from all angles, often leading to hectic scrambles inside of the crease.

On Syracuse’s first goal in the first period, Bothun saved Victoria Klimek’s wrap around shot, but she was unaware that the puck wasn’t frozen. Three Orange forwards and Penn State defensemen crashed the crease to take control of the loose puck. Sarah Thompson did just that, collecting the puck just to the right of the net and burying it for her first collegiate goal. 

“You could tell they just didn’t get to the loose pucks like they had been in the three previous games against us,” Flanagan said of Penn State.

Moloughney’s second period equalizer was similar. Anna Leschyshyn picked up a loose puck at Syracuse’s blue line, racing down the ice with Moloughney in a 2-on-1. Bothun was well-positioned for Leschyshyn’s initial wrist shot, but the Penn State goaltender spilled the rebound onto Moloughney’s stick for a one-time finish, her fourth of the season. 

Jessica DiGirolamo, who scored in Friday’s loss, used her speed to beat Penn State down the wing and rifle long shots at the net. Before Penn State’s second goal in the second period, DiGirolamo fired a slapshot from the blue line straight at Bothun. The puck deflected off the goaltender’s pads, and the rebound landed right in front of her. 

Syracuse’s Madison Beishuizen scrambled for the loose puck, diving on the ice in an attempt to gather the rebound. The Nittany Lions picked it up and cleared, but Flanagan said his team’s ability to carry that kind of offensive momentum through a full 60-minute game will allow the team to be a CHA threat going forward.

“That’s kind of the story for us, and we need to bottle up that momentum and know that’s the way we have to play,” Flanagan said. “We’re capable of it.”

Published on December 12, 2020 at 8:03 pm

Contact Alex: ahcirino@syr.edu