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With time winding down in the third period and Syracuse trailing 1-0 by one against RPI, the Orange needed their power play unit to score now more than ever.

In desperation to salvage a point, SU pulled Allie Kelley for a brief six-on-four advantage before its power play expired. The Engineers eventually returned to full strength, but Jackson Kinsler was one step ahead.

Kinsler worked her way below the goal line and behind the RPI goal, sending a pass in front for Peyton Armstrong. The forward caught RPI sleeping, beating Maelee Ambrass for her first collegiate goal and sent the game into overtime.

In the second game of its series against Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (4-2-0, 0-0-0 Eastern College Athletic Conference), Syracuse (2-2-1, 0-0-0 Atlantic Hockey Association) tied the game at one with just 1:17 remaining in regulation, but ultimately fell 2-1 in the extra frame for its first overtime loss of the season.

Just as it had done the night before, RPI got off to a fast start and set the pace of the contest early on. But the Orange did not shy away from puck battles, forcing RPI wide when it entered the SU zone. This often resulted in low-danger shots toward the goal that Kelley blocked away with ease.

Entering Saturday’s contest, SU’s power play had led the nation with a 60% conversion rate. Given a chance six minutes into the contest though, the unit fell flat and recorded just one shot attempt.

For the majority of the frame, the Orange and Engineers exchanged back-and-forth chances off the rush. But strong goaltending from both sides kept the game scoreless.

In transition, Bryn Saarela sent the puck up through the neutral zone on the breakout to Armstrong. Using the open ice in front of her, she worked her way into the slot and fired a wrister toward the corner of the net, but Ambrass thwarted the attempt.

With six minutes left in the opening frame, the Engineers nearly converted on their best chance of the game so far. After making a spin move around an SU defender, Aylah Cioffi’s initial attempt to center the puck deflected off a body in front and landed back on her stick. Seeing Nina Christof streaking toward the net, she sent a pass her way as Christof looked to slap the puck home on the back-door feed. Though, her shot missed the mark and ended up landing behind the net where the Orange could get a much-needed clearance.

After blocking a shot in the defensive zone, Saarela chased the puck all the way back behind the PRI net, forcing defender Sophia Jones to cough it up. Anticipating Haley Trudeau behind her, she fed the puck to the front of the cage. But Trudeau’s shot just missed the left post and went wide.

To start the second period, RPI’s attack again almost found the back of the net.

Sprinting down the left side of Syracuse’s zone, Christof moved the puck around the right circle and drove toward the goal. She centered the puck in front of Sabrina Beaudoin, but Kelley slid over to make the pad stop and cover up for the whistle.

After scoring twice in RPI’s win over SU the day before, an interference call on the Orange gave the Engineers’ powerplay another chance to make its mark. But Kelley’s flurry of saves kept RPI from converting on the opportunity. Kelley had to be sharp for the remainder of the frame while Syracuse’s offense tried to find its groove again.

Handling the puck on the blue line in SU territory, Taylor Larsen surveyed the ice in front of her and passed the puck over Morgann Skoda. With a clear shooting lane, she fired a blast toward the goal, but Kelley was square to the shooter and made the save look easy.

Minutes later, Skoda was given another scoring chance on a two-on-one with Charlotte Wensley on her right, but again Kelley turned the shot away.

After being dormant for most of the second period, the Orange nearly scored the opening goal in the final moments of the frame. With the puck on the blue line, Armstrong fired it on net through traffic that was saved by Ambrass, but set up a wide open rebound for Saarela. Ambrass somehow dove from right to left to deny the sure goal.

In the third, the two teams went back to exchanging offensive possessions with both goalies refusing to blink. But about seven minutes in, RPI finally opened the scoring.

In the SU zone, Andrea Trnkova held the puck and danced along the blue line. She fired a shot to beat Kelley’s glove-side through the crowd of bodies in front for her second point in two games against SU.

For much of the final period, RPI’s defense continued to give the Orange fits by anticipating plays well in their own zone and making it difficult for SU to set up in the offensive end. But with time dwindling down, Armstrong tied the game on the six-on-five advantage with just over a minute left to force overtime and steal a point for Syracuse.

However, less than two minutes into the extra frame Sophie Helgeson converted on a two-on-one to lift the Engineers’ to victory.

Published on October 12, 2024 at 8:56 pm

Contact Matthew: mgray06@syr.edu