Syracuse falls 3-1 to No. 5 Colgate despite improvements
Leonardo Eriman | Staff Photographer
Syracuse fell 3-1 to No. 5 Colgate Friday. Despite the loss, SU showed vast improvements from its 12-0 loss last January.
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Colgate crushed Syracuse 9-0 when they last played at Tennity Ice Pavillion in December 2023. The last time the in-state foes faced off in Hamilton, the Raiders poured it on even more, pummeling SU 12-0 — one of the program’s worst-ever losses last January.
When Colgate entered Tennity Friday evening for another clash with the Orange, it had reason to believe it’d get a similar result. The Raiders entered the game ranked fifth in the country and had won 13 straight against Syracuse. SU showed signs of life recently with wins over RIT and Merrimack, yet still lost 10 of its last 13 dating back to early October.
While Friday night’s result had the same significance in the win column, the Orange had many more positives to take away from it. Syracuse (5-11-0, 3-3-0 Atlantic Hockey America) narrowly fell to No. 5 Colgate (15-4-0, 7-1-0 Eastern College Athletic Conference) 3-1. SU stayed sharp defensively and created strong offensive chances all night long but couldn’t keep a Raider offense averaging 4.2 goals per game out of the net.
The Raiders’ offensive opportunities in the first period indicated another blowout could be in the works. Colgate outshot the Orange 26-8, 14 of them on goal. Though the Raiders dominated possession and offensive chances early on, SU held strong for the first 12 minutes.
However, Syracuse’s fortune changed when faced with a penalty kill. The Raiders entered the matchup with the nation’s third-best power play, scoring on 35% of all chances this year. Colgate displayed its efficiency after Celia Wiegand was sent to the box with just under seven minutes to play in the period.
Neena Brick received a cross-ice pass from Elyssa Biederman in the left circle and played the puck to Emma Pais in the high slot. Pais ripped a first-time shot past SU goaltender Allie Kelley to open the scoring for the Raiders. Colgate fired eight more shots before the conclusion of the period. The Orange defended well throughout the period but failed to establish themselves in the offensive zone, remaining scoreless.
Despite spending the first period defending its own net, SU opened the second attacking the Raiders’. The Orange created their best chances of the night early in the period. Charlotte Hallett got a one-on-one opportunity with 14 minutes to play but was denied by Hannah Murphy from close range.
Nea Tervonen had another pristine opportunity to level the game a few minutes later, but her first-time shot from the slot also met Murphy’s glove. Syracuse got the opportunities, yet the issue was finding a way past Murphy.
With just over five minutes to play in the period, SU stunningly found its answer. Laura Leitner received the puck just inside the blue line and uncorked a long-range effort. The puck flew past Murphy and nestled into the back of the net. After not scoring against Colgate since January 2023, the Orange found a way to level the game 1-1.
Their celebrations didn’t last long, however. Just a minute and a half later, a giveaway in the defensive zone prompted a quick shot from Pais. Kelley scrambled to recover at her far post, and a crowd in the crease battled to push the puck over the goal line. Eventually, Kristýna Kaltounková was the beneficiary, poking in a go-ahead goal for the Raiders. They led 2-1 at the end of the period.
Nonetheless, Syracuse remained in the game. SU outshot Colgate 19-14 in the final period, firing 11 on goal. Chances came and went for the Orange. Despite earning a power play, controlling possession for most of the period and creating decent looks, Syracuse couldn’t find its equalizer.
Instead, the Raiders found the net. With a minute and 40 seconds remaining, Sara Stewart fed Kaltounková from behind the net. Colgate’s leading scorer then tapped home her second goal of the contest. Despite SU’s final chances with the goalie off, Kaltounková’s two goals proved to be the difference in the 3-1 final.
Still, it was a loss the Orange seemed to display more good than bad; they defended well in the first period, attacked more efficiently in the second and meshed the two fairly well in the third. All season, head coach Britni Smith has made it clear that when her team does the right things, wins will follow. On Friday, Syracuse did many things right and took a small step away from last year’s nightmares suffered at the hands of the Raiders.
Published on November 29, 2024 at 9:51 pm
