Final period flurry seals Orange’s impressive victory over RIT
Final-period flurry seals Orange’s impressive victory over RIT
Four unanswered goals propel Syracuse to a thrilling comeback victory over RIT at Tennity.
In a wild turn of events, Syracuse Ice Hockey blew by RIT with a 4-2 win at Tennity. The Orange scored four unanswered goals, three of which came in the final period. Even though SU got its way tonight, the girls have come a long way since the start of the season.
Syracuse started the 2024-25 campaign by winning its first two games against Stonehill. Both contests resulted in 4-0 shutouts in favor of the Orange. However, as momentum started to arise, the season began to decline.
After a solid start to the season, SU would lose its next nine games.
In some games, the Orange had a shot at winning; others were against much tougher teams that gave them the work on offense. After its previous series at No. 12 Penn State, SU had two weeks off before the contest tonight. During that time, players got to go home and reconnect with their friends and families.
That break seemed to do the trick for the Orange.
After giving up a first-period goal by Senior Forward Kylie Aquaro, SU decided to put its foot on the gas. Throughout the next two periods, SU went on to score in every way possible.
The first goal was off a power play graduate defender Charli Kettyle scored it off a Jackson Kinsler assist. However, SU set up its own goal before the end of the period.
The score was 2-1 heading into the final period of play, and Syracuse knew what it had to do. Right off the gate, forward Brynn Sarela scored an unassisted goal to tie the game. The fun did not stop there for her, as she went on to score another goal in the same period to give the Orange the lead; this one came shorthanded off an assist by forward Tatum White.
The ‘Cuse went on to score one more goal before time expired, all thanks to forward Rylee McLeod.
When the clock hit zero, the rink was full of eruptions by the SU faithful. The team got a much-needed win over a very competitive program. Head Coach Britini Smith was proud of her squad for stepping up when needed.
“Our special teams did a good job tonight,” Smith said after the game. “They helped us win this one, and I’m proud of the team as a whole for coming back after the break and getting the job done at home.”
Tomorrow, the Orange head to Rochester for a rematch at 3. A series sweep would give SU a strong chance at regaining its postseason goals.