Syracuse Hockey caps senior weekend with 5-0 win, sweeps Lindenwood
Syracuse Hockey caps senior weekend with 5-0 win, sweeps Lindenwood
A home sweep for Syracuse Women’s Ice Hockey helps them reach .500 conference record

Syracuse ice hockey (8-8 Conf.) defeated the Lindenwood Lions (2-12-1) with a dominant 5-0 home victory on Saturday afternoon. Back-to-back senior weekend wins bring Syracuse to an even .500 conference record heading into the final stretch of the season.
“We’re excited to see our underclassmen really stepping up. When you play for your seniors, everyone’s just ready to go,” head coach Britni Smith said.
Goalkeeper Allie Kelley set the tone early with a crucial double save to deny Lindenwood the opening goal. Kelley came to SU’s rescue on multiple occasions in the first period, making nine saves to keep the game scoreless. Minutes later, SU freshman forward Stella Costabile broke the deadlock off an assist from forward Jackson Kinsler.
Syracuse earned its first power play with 10:38 remaining in the first period. The Orange failed to capitalize prior to the play expiring, but momentum seemed to be building. That paid off when Nea Tervonen found the back of the net, assisted by defender Jocelyn Fiala, extending SU’s lead to 2-0.
Lindenwood looked to respond early in the second period, forcing Kelley to make several key saves. SU’s Jackson Kinsler dazzled with a series of spectacular skills, nearly netting a solo goal.
Despite a 15-minute stalemate, Syracuse showed no signs of slowing down. Freshman forward Carly Sardine, assisted by Heidi Knoll, scored her first collegiate goal to push the lead to 3-0. Shortly after, a tripping penalty on Lindenwood’s Chloe Corbin gave Syracuse another power play. This time, the Orange took advantage as Kinsler scored her sixth point of the weekend, following a four-point performance on Friday.
In the final period, SU kept their shutout intact with huge stops in front of goal from Kelley. SU’s captain made a critical save against Lindenwood forward Morgan Neitzke after the Lions were awarded a penalty. It was Kelley’s first penalty save of the season. Lindenwood then appeared to break the deficit with an extra-attacker goal, but the referee overturned the goal due to goaltender interference.
Orange defender Sami Gendron‘s empty-net goal sealed the Orange win—her second in as many games. At the final buzzer, SU players rushed to embrace Kelley after her 30-save performance, as chants of “AK” echoed from the home crowd. The standout goalkeeper finishes her final regular season home game having tallied the third-most saves in program history.
“I wanted to get it done for my teammates,” Kelley said postgame. “You can tell how much they care about us on and off the ice, and they made this day pretty special.”
Coach Smith touched on the immediate impact her seniors made this season.
“For them to come together as quickly as they did this season was something quite special for us,” Smith said. “The team looks to them as leaders, even though some of them have only been here for a year.”
Following the win, Syracuse honored graduating seniors Klára Jandušíková, Bryn Saarela, Tatum White, Charli Kettyle, and Kelley. The Orange now look to wrap up their season on the road with two-game trips to Robert Morris and Mercyhurst still to come.