Orange, Tigers Meet in CHA Quarterfinals

BUFFALO, N.Y. – The Syracuse ice hockey team takes to the ice on Thursday, March 1 in the quarterfinals of the College Hockey America Tournament. The Orange square-off with in-state rival RIT with the winner advancing to the semifinals to take on Mercyhurst.

LAST TIME OUT
The Orange closed out the season with a pair of losses to No. 9 Robert Morris on Feb. 23 and 24. Syracuse outshot the Colonials 28-10 in the first periods across both games but could not find the back of the net, giving up three goals in the second periods each day. Netminder Abbey Miller made 25 stops in between the pipes for the Orange.

TOURNEY TIME
The Orange are set to make their 10 apperance in the CHA Tournament this weekend, taking on the RIT Tigers in the quarterfinals. Syracuse has only played in two quarterfinal rounds before, posting a 2-1 record across the three games. Overall, the Orange boast an 8-9-0 record in the CHA Tournament and have appeared in three consecutive Championship Games.

Syracuse and RIT have faced-off three times before in the CHA Tournamnet with the Orange holding the 2-1-0 advantage. The teams have met twice in the semifinals (Orange victories) and once in the Finals, a game in which RIT emerged victorious after a double overtime battle. Two of the three games between the squads have one to overtime.

Five different members of the current Orange team have posted goals in the postseason including Kelli Rowswell, Megan Quinn, Allie Munroe, Steph Grossi and Alysha Burriss. Grossi has had the most success in the Tournament tallying four assists and two goals in six Tournament games.

ORANGE IN THE CHA TOURNAMENT

POSTSEASON ACCOLADES
Grossi and defensemen Munroe and Lindsay Eastwood were tabbed to the All-CHA Second Team, while freshman Jessica DiGirolamo earned CHA All-Rookie Team honors.

Additionally, Grossi was named the Best Defensive Forward in the College Hockey America and earned the Individual Sportsmanship Award. The senior is just the third Orange in program history to be tabbed with the Individual Sportsmanship Award and first since the 2012-13 season (Holly Carrie-Mattimoe). Grossi has earned regular season honors in all four season with the Orange, including All-Rookie, First Team and the Scoring Trophy.

Munroe and Eastwood make up the blueline pair on the All-CHA second team, each earning regular season honors for the second consecutive season. Munroe is third on the Orange defense in points (13) and sits second for blocked shots with 47 on the season. Eastwood follows up her redshirt freshman season with a breakout year, leading all Orange defensemen in points at 20 (three goals, 17 assists) and coming in at second on the team.

The only freshman to garner regular-season accolades, DiGirolamo has made a huge impact for the Orange this season tallying 14 points (two goals, 12 assists) in her first year with the program. She becomes the second consecutive Orange to earn a spot on the All-Rookie Team as current sophomores Savannah Rennie and Eastwood did so a year ago.

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Players Mentioned

Alysha Burriss

Jessica DiGirolamo

Lindsay Eastwood

Abbey Miller

Allie Munroe

Megan Quinn

Savannah Rennie

Kelli Rowswell

Syracuse University Athletics