Syracuse Shut Out Despite Scoring Chances Against Mercyhurst

By Eric Moon

CitrusTV Women’s Ice Hockey Reporter

Syracuse, N.Y. – Saturday afternoon at the Tennity Ice Pavillion, Syracuse (0-3, 0-2 College Hockey America) not only got scoring chances, but high quality scoring opportunities too. Yet, the Orange couldn’t repeatedly failed to convert, as they fell to Mercyhurst (2-4, 2-0) 1-0.

Two notable opportunities came in the first second periods, respectively.

With less than eleven minutes remaining in the first, Forward Brooke Avery took a pass near the top of the circle in the offensive zone down towards the near side of the net. Avery then found teammate Emma Polaski at the far post on the back door.With a gaping cage in front of her, Polaski partially whiffed on the shot and the puck bounced wide of the net on the opposite side.

In the second, forward Abby Moloughney blocked a shot and got a short-handed breakaway down the center of the ice.

Moloughney’s wrist shot sailed just wide of the blocker of Sarah McDonnell and the net.

“We were right there so many times and it’s right at our fingertips,” senior Lindsay Eastwood said. “We just got to figure out a way to get it in the back of the net next time.”

SU head coach Paul Flanagan also said it wasn’t a “complete 180” in terms of improvement on offense from Friday night when the Orange scored twice, but Saturday’s game shows the Orange can produce on offense despite being shutout against the Lakers.

“So the execution is there,” said Syracuse Head Coach Paul Flanagan. “Now let’s just throw another term in there, we didn’t finish.”

The 1-0 final shows the goaltenders on both ends played excellent. For the Lakers, Senior Sarah McDonnell recorded a 24-save shutout, her first shutout of the season. For the Orange, Junior Ady Cohen stopped 23 of 24 Mercyhurst shots in her first career collegiate start.

“I just thought she looked confident, she handled the puck well, and she was moving well,” Flanagan said.

In SU’s exhibition against Quebec Montreal two weeks ago, Cohen was pulled after allowing four goals in half a period of play. Three of the four goals against came on rebounds. Cohen added Saturday’s game was a nice bounce back for her as a goalie.

Next up for the Orange is a weekend series against Lindenwood (1-3, 0-0 CHA) in St. Charles, MO.

ewmoon@syr.edu | @ericmoon22