Forward Emma Gnade Leads Syracuse Ice Hockey to 2-0 Win Over RPI
By Jared Valentin | @JaredValentin_
TROY, N.Y. — Behind a hat trick from forward Emma Gnade, Syracuse ice hockey (8-10-2, 4-5-1 Atlantic Hockey America) never trailed in its 2-0 win against RPI (4-15-0, 1-7-0 Eastern Collegiate Athletic Conference Hockey) to wrap up play over Thanksgiving Break. The Orange swept their two-game series over the Engineers and earned their fourth in non-conference action this season.
It didn’t take long for Gnade to find her rhythm. Three minutes into the first period, the freshman capitalized off of a feed from defender SU Jessica Cheung to put Syracuse on top first. On the other end, RPI’s offense got good looks with seven shots in the first period, but none could sneak past Orange goalie Ava Drabyk. The netminder had 17 saves and recorded the second shutout of her collegiate career.
While neither team scored in the middle period, Syracuse again racked up two goals in the third. With seven minutes remaining, Gnade scored off an assist from forward Peyton Armstrong and defender Jocelyn Fiala. Then, the freshman again got the puck from Armstrong and Fiala and found the net with four minutes left to put the cherry on top. The three-goal outing marked the first for the Orange since forward Bryn Saarela’s hat trick last December.
SU wraps up the first-half of its campaign when it welcomes Robert Morris (7-12-1, 5-6-1 AHA) Friday to begin a two-game series. Puck drop is at 6 p.m. EST from Tennity Ice Pavilion in Syracuse, N.Y. For coverage of the Orange’s next series and the entire first-half of SU’s 2025-26 season, follow @JaredValentin_ and @CitrusTVSports on X/Twitter!
