With six games remaining in the regular season and crucial conference points up for grabs, the Syracuse ice hockey team (9-16-3, 0-3-3) returns to Tennity Ice Pavilion for the final two home games of the season as the Orange hosts Robert Morris, beginning Friday night at 7:00 p.m. Prior to Saturday’s game, SU will honor its four seniors:
Stephanie Jones,
Taylor Metcalfe,
Lisa Mullan and
Megan Skelly for their four years of dedication to the Orange and the Syracuse community.
Thank You Seniors
Prior to Saturday’s contest against the Colonials, Syracuse will honor its four seniors:
Stephanie Jones,
Lisa Mullan,
Taylor Metcalfe and
Megan Skelly, for their four years of dedication to the Orange program and the Syracuse community. These four student-athletes are the first complete class in program history, and helped lead the Orange to its first 50 victories, back-to-back appearances in the CHA Championship game, and the program’s first-ever national ranking in 2009.
Metcalfe and Skelly both served as co-captains this season, and are the program leaders in career games played (Skelly, 127; Metcalfe, 120). Mullan has played in 117 career games, totaling 49 points on 22 goals and 27 assists, while Jones has served as a viable backup goaltender throughout her four-year tenure on the hill.
Storylines Vs. The Colonials
Robert Morris University holds a record of 17-8-2 coming off a loss Monday to Princeton, 3-2. Off to an impressive start is freshman offensive forward Rebecca Vint is ranked 26th nationally with 1.33 points per game. Vint leads the team with eight power play goals and features 0.67 goals per game.
Sophomore Thea Imbrogno is also having a breakout season for the Colonials with 10 goals and 16 assists, including five power play tallies and two game-winners. Junior Kristen DiCiocco has held down the goalie position this season with a 12-8-2 record, a save percentage of .931 (10th in the nation), and a 1.86 goals against average that is eighth in the country.
Up Next: No. 5 Mercyhurst
Syracuse will close the regular season with four straight conference games on the road, beginning with No. 5 Mercyhurst next weekend in Erie, Pa. The Orange is 0-1-1 against the Lakers this season, including a 1-1 draw on Jan. 7 at Tennity Ice Pavilion, which secured SU’s first-ever point against Mercyhurst.
In the draw against the Lakers,
Kallie Billadeau made 33 saves, while
Lisa Mullan scored the lone goal for SU as the Orange was outshot 35-15 in the contest and limiting the Mercyhurst potent power play unit to a 1-of-6 performance.
Last Time Out: Syracuse Splits Weekend Set At Quinnipiac
SU closed the non-conference portion of its schedule last weekend with two games at Quinnipiac, dropping a 3-0 decision on Friday before responding with a 3-2 victory on Saturday.
Paced by a 38-19 shot advantage on Friday, Quinnipiac scored once in the first period and twice in the third to shut out Syracuse, 3-0.
Jenesica Drinkwater made 35 saves in goal, one shy of her career high, while Chelsea Laden made 19 stops and Erica Uden Johansson contributed a goal and two assists for the Bobcats.
On Saturday,
Nicole Ferrara’s goal with 8:38 left in regulation and 53 saves from
Kallie Billadeau led Syracuse past Quinnipiac, 3-2. SU received goals from three different scorers. “It was a great team win for us,” head coach
Paul Flanagan said. “Billadeau made the saves look easy, the defense moved the puck out of the zone well and we finally cashed in on an odd man rush for the game-winning goal.”
Carrie-Mattimoe Ties Rising's Power Play Goal Record
Junior forward
Holly Carrie-Mattimoe scored her team-leading 10th goal of the season last week against No. 3 Cornell, and her fifth power play tally. Carrie-Mattimoe now has 15 career power play goals in her two-plus seasons with the Orange, which tie Julie Rising’s school record. Carrie-Mattimoe is tied for 17th in the nation, and tied for fourth in the conference.
Scharfe Hitting Her Stride When It Counts
Since the start of the New Year, sophomore center
Margot Scharfe has eight points is as many games (four goals, four assists). She has three multi-point games, including a goal and an assist at Quinnipiac on Saturday. Scharfe leads the team with 21 points on 10 goals and 11 assists, and has 36 points (17 goals, 19 assists) in 84 career games played. Her 19 career helpers are seventh on the all-time SU record list.