Kelley’s historic night ends in overtime heartbreak for Syracuse

It’s been a big weekend for Syracuse’s graduate student goalie Allie Kelley. Entering the weekend, she was looking to surpass the NCAA Division I all-time career saves mark (4,167) set by RPI goalie Lovisa Selander from 2016-2019.

Heading into the Penn State series, Kelley had stopped 4,135 shots across her time at Quinnipiac, St. Anselm, and Syracuse, including 1,912 saves at Syracuse. The Orange faced No. 9 Penn State for the 54th time in series history, looking to rebound from a recent loss to Cornell.

This young team, coached by second-year head coach Britni Smith, is still finding its rhythm. While there are areas to refine, the team’s growth potential is clear as they continue to develop and gain experience. Syracuse fought hard but ultimately fell to the relentless Nittany Lions in overtime, 1-0.

“Tonight was about Allie,” Smith said. “But she also had a great supportive cast in the defensive zone—lots of blocked shots, especially in the third period.”

Fans packed Tennity Ice Pavilion Friday night, hoping to see Kelley exceed the NCAA career saves milestone. The Orange looked strong on the ice against Penn State, who remains unbeaten in 2025. Led by head coach Jeff Kampersal, the Lions are 6-1 on the road and hold a 19-4-1 overall record.

Unlike their strong opening against Cornell, both teams were scoreless through the first and second periods. Although the scoreboard remained empty, the game was a thrilling, fast-paced battle, with plenty of physicality and a flurry of penalties keeping everyone on edge. Syracuse found themselves on the back foot for much of the game, often outshot as Penn State relentlessly pressured the goal.

“We do well with the physical play,” said Head Coach Smith. “I think we did a really good job of maintaining it through 60 minutes. That’s something we’ve been talking a lot about—our consistency. Even against Cornell, it felt like we kind of lost a bit of that in the third period. Tonight, we kept pushing.”

The Orange came to life as the third period unfolded, intensifying their play to close the gap in shots on goal. The Lions, however, remained resilient, continuing to apply pressure on Syracuse’s goal despite the Orange’s efforts to respond. Kelley kept making impressive saves, and with 9:18 left in the period, she was just three saves away from matching the all-time career saves record.

With 5:40 left in regulation, Kelley made the save that would bring her to the milestone, officially breaking the NCAA career saves record.

One of one.

The NEW @NCAAIceHockey Career Saves Leader: Allie Kelley.#ichuSe x #TennityTough pic.twitter.com/bRb06C9fcD

— Syracuse Ice Hockey (@CuseIce) January 18, 2025

After a hard-fought 0-0 stalemate, the historic game went into overtime, adding an extra layer of intensity. In the end, Syracuse put up a strong fight, but Penn State claimed a 1-0 victory thanks to a goal by forward Katelyn Roberts. It was a tough loss, but the Orange gave it their all.

“To be honest, Allie is someone who shies away from the spotlight, but in a big moment like this, she deserved it,” said Smith. “Our team was excited for her, but it was hard to keep emotions in check, especially right before the next whistle. We had to make sure we didn’t let our guard down while still playing a big game.”

Although the team lost, history was made—not just for Allie, but for the program as a whole.

“I knew from my first conversation with Britt when I was in the transfer portal that I wanted to come here and finish my college career,” Allie said. “It’s obvious that I like the culture here, and all three coaches are amazing. I love playing behind this team that values each other so much.”

Syracuse women’s hockey will be back at Tennity Ice Pavilion at 3 p.m. on Saturday to host the Penn State Lions in the second game of the weekend doubleheader.