Orange Battles to the Final Horn in a Physical Battle against Wayne State

Friday, January 23

Syracuse, NY

7:00 p.m.

Syracuse University

#11 Wayne State

Sophomore co-captain Julie Rising lit the lamp for the Orange just 45 seconds into the third period for her second extra-man marker this season.

Orange Battles to the Final Horn in a Physical Battle against Wayne State

1/23/2009 10:34:38 PM | Ice Hockey

Box Score

Wayne State 3, Syracuse 2

Season Statistics

SYRACUSE, N.Y. – In a physical, back-and-forth battle, the Syracuse women's hockey team (3-14-3, 0-10-3) exuded a great offensive confidence paired with solid defense against the CHA leader, rv/rv Wayne State, (16-3-2) scoring two powerplay goals in a 3-2 CHA setback on Friday night at Tennity Ice Pavilion.

Sophomore co-captain Julie Rising (Anchorage, Alaska) put away her second-career powerplay goal on Friday, fifth of the season, while second-year winger Cheyenne Bojeski (Hamilton, Ontario) did the same, securing her second-career powerplay marker, fourth on the year.

The Orange's three top-point getters through 20 games, freshmen Megan Skelly (Taber, Alberta) and Lisa Mullan (Victoria, British Columbia) and sophomore co-captain Stefanie Marty (Nussbaumen, Switzerland), all accounted for an assist in SU's third game of the season against Wayne State. Skelly and Marty buddied up on Rising's first tally while Mullan, the team leader in assists with 11 in all, locked up her 14th career point on Bojeski's lamplighter.

Junior goaltender Lucy Schoedel (Ithaca, N.Y.) kept a cool head in net all night, stopping 32 overall saves in her 20th consecutive start for the Orange. Schoedel made numerous stops in times of heavy turmoil, either in front of the net or from point blank range, extending her season total to 542 saves. The third-year netminder has allowed compiled an 89.3 saves percentage (542-607), surrendering 3.45 goals per game.

"We didn't know where we'd stand back in October," head coach Paul Flanagan stated. "This is one of the top teams in the country, and we stayed right with them the entire contest. I think our performance tonight speaks volumes of how far we've come; despite of what the scoreboard reads."

WSU's Alyssa Baldin broke open the scoring in front of the next on a dish from Sam Poyton with just 15 ticks on the clock in the first frame. Schoedel was in position to make the stop, but Baldin bashed home the puck on the near side underneath Schoedel's pad for the 1-0 lead. Lindsay DiPietro was awarded the second assist on the play.

The second period was an evenly fought, scoreless mêlée, as the Orange outshot Wayne State 8-7.

Natalie Payne was sighted for hooking with 50 seconds left in the second period, enabling Syracuse with an extra skater in the last period of play. The Orange took immediate control off the draw and contrived the powerplay tally perfectly. Marty redirected a pass down to Skelly behind the net. Skelly discovered a flanking Rising down the far left side and delivered a pinpoint pass. Rising got good lumber on the puck and buried a one-timer, top right shelf over Delayne Brian's shoulder to knot the game at 1-1, 00:45 seconds into the third stanza.

Melissa Boal, the nation's leading goal scorer per game heading into Friday's contest with 1.15 gpg, took the advantage back in similar fashion as SU's first goal. Poyton doled out her second helper of the game from behind the net to Boal, who had a wide open look of the left side of the net at 4:20 of the third. DiPietro coupled with Poyton again for the second time of the night.

Syracuse was awarded a powerplay situation at the 11:06 mark of the third session. SU wasted no time as the Orange worked the puck around to a wide-open Mullan from the top of the slot. Mullan let loose a fierce slapshot that was eyed down by Bojeski in the crease. Bojeski ricocheted the laser to the back of the net just eight seconds into the extra-man advantage at 11:14 to lock the game at 2-2.

Wayne State dispensed the final blow at 15:43 of the final period. Poyton took the puck out from behind the net in heavy traffic and found a tiny hole in Schoedel's armor on the near left side of the post. DiPietro received her third assist of the night while Payne recorded her first.

Poyton's game-winner and third-point of the night was just enough to keep SU off the board despite several scoring chances down the stretch.

Syracuse and Wayne State renew their blue-collar styles on the ice for the fourth and final time of the regular season on Saturday, January 24 at Tennity Ice Pavilion. The first drop of the puck is slated for 2 pm.