Syracuse lets up 4 unanswered goals in loss to No. 5 Clarkson
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11 minutes into Tuesday night’s game, Syracuse captain Tatum White gave her team the lead against No. 5 Clarkson. On the power play, Kate Holmes drove a puck to the net which White redirected to give SU the 1-0 lead and a real chance to upset a top team in the nation.
Syracuse held onto the lead and were in front of the No. 5 team in the country for the next 20 minutes.
However, in the final two periods, the Golden Knights outmatched the Orange, scoring four unanswered goals. Clarkson (15-0-2, 5-0-1 Eastern College Athletic Conference) dominated the second period, scoring three goals on 27 shots while Syracuse (3-11-2, 0-5-1 College Hockey America) recorded just one shot in the period, eventually losing 4-1.
Despite the disastrous second period, Syracuse matched up with the highly ranked Golden Knights in the first, leading 1-0 and matching their intensity.
White and the special teams unit made the most of its sole powerplay opportunity in the period and put one home to take the lead. SU won the faceoff battle in the period and put more shots on net.
Once again for the Orange, a familiar tale took place. After an impressive first period, in the second period they could not stay out of the penalty box, affording Clarkson multiple power play opportunities.
Syracuse fought off a Clarkson power play in the first period. Its penalty kill has been impressive thus far in the 2023-2024 season. Entering Tuesday’s match, the Orange ranked No. 18 nationally in penalty kill percentage and led College Hockey America with a .830 mark.
In the second period, Kailey Langefels committed an elbowing penalty, resulting in a Clarkson power play. The penalty kill did its job, but was tasked once again three minutes after Langefels’ penalty expired. This time it was Heidi Knoll, who was called for tripping.
The Golden Knights power play unit went to work with three shots in one minute before their fourth shot beat SU goalie Allie Kelley. The shot was their sixteenth through the first ten minutes of the period.
Kelley faced 71 shots total and 27 in the second alone. After being pulled in the second period in Friday night’s loss to Lindenwood, Kelley did not start Saturday afternoon’s game, her first time not starting a game this season.
Kelley returned to the lineup Tuesday against Clarkson, giving up four goals on 39 shots on goal.
Tuesday’s game looked much like Thursday’s loss to Lindenwood. Following a strong first period, where the teams were relatively even, SU committed multiple penalties early in the second period and its opponent took advantage.
Syracuse’s defense held off Clarkson through the first ten minutes despite the man-advantage opportunities and frequent shots. The defense held strong, blocking 12 shots in total and limiting easy scoring chances.
But like most good teams, the Golden Knights eventually broke through.
With just a few minutes left before the second intermission the game was tied 1-1. Syracuse held on by a thread, struggling to produce much in the offensive zone. In its limited time attacking, SU recorded just one shot in the period.
Alexie Guay attempted to deflect a shot from Jaden Bogen through traffic towards the net. Guey accidentally blocked the shot, hitting it straight down into the ice in front of her. She then fired a wrist shot past Kelley’s glove to give Clarkson its first lead of the game.
A minute later, the Golden Knights doubled their lead. Jenna Goodwin launched a left-handed slap shot just as she crossed the blue line over Kelley’s left shoulder into the top corner of the net.
The middle frame would eventually end, but not without the damage already done. In one of Syracuse’s worst periods of the season, they were outshot 27-1, lost the faceoff battle 15-2 and outscored 3-0.
With SU already on the ropes, the third period was much like the second. The Orange put just two shots on goal in the period and totaled four shots in the final 40 minutes. Clarkson added a fourth and final goal less than a minute into the final frame.
For a team that hasn’t won a game since Oct. 14, more than a calendar month, Syracuse did well to stick with the No. 5 team in the country. However, similar to the past, a second period melt down put a promising first period to waste, ultimately resulting in a 4-1 loss.
