Syracuse Sweep: Orange Nixes Niagara, 3-1

Saturday, January 31

Syracuse, NY

2:00 p.m.

Syracuse University

Niagara

Junior netminder Lucy Schoedel played a vital role in Syracuse's sweep of Niagara this weekend. The third-year goalie stopped 62-of-64 shots she faced this weekend.

1/31/2009 5:42:42 PM | Ice Hockey

Box Score

Syracuse 3, Niagara 1
Season Statistics through Jan. 31

SYRACUSE, N.Y. – Feeding off of last night's first conference victory in program history, the Syracuse women's ice hockey team (5-15-3) chalked up its second two-game win streak of the season after overpowering Niagara, 3-1, on Saturday afternoon at the Tennity Ice Pavilion. The Orange's triumph adds a little more distance in between the Purple Eagles and itself, as SU's sweep against Niagara earned Syracuse four points in the CHA standings. Syracuse has amassed seven points in the league to Niagara's four.

The Purple Eagles have yet to face No. 4/4 Mercyhurst and still has a two-game skirmish with No. 10/10 Wayne State.

Freshman winger Janelle Malcolm (Edmonton, Alberta) answered the call of duty with her first-career game-winning goal on Saturday, netting her seventh overall goal of the season, second most on the team. Sophomore center Rebecca Gordon (St. Catharines, Ontario) set up the play for her fifth assist of the season, seventh point overall.

Fourth-year blueliner Nikki Leone (Trenton, Onatrio) joined five of her teammates in the two powerplay goal club on Saturday, notching the first goal of the game in extra-man fashion in the second period. Leone is Syracuse's leading scorer on the defensive unit with eight points (4 G, 4 A). Freshman Lisa Mullan (Victoria, British Columbia) keeps on executing all the behind-the-scenes work with her team-leading 12th assist on Leone's marker.

Sophomore co-captain Julie Rising (Anchorage, Alaska) lit the lamp late in the third on the Orange's first empty net goal in program history to help seal Syracuse's second-consecutive conference win.

Junior goaltender Lucy Schoedel (Ithaca, N.Y.) held up her end once again, thwarting 26-of-27 shots she faced on Saturday afternoon. In Schoedel's victorious weekend, the local netminder made 62 total stops, upping her career saves total to 632. In 1309:47 of play, Schoedel is allowing 3.21 goals per game and has stopped 90.0 of opposing attempts (632-702).

"I give a lot of credit to these past couple of wins to Lucy and to everyone else out on the ice that has done a great job of preventing second-chance opportunities of our opponent," head coach Paul Flanagan said. "Those sorts of goals were killing us earlier in the season. It's good to get these two victories to boost the team's confidence a little bit and we hope to use these next few weeks as tune-up before we take to the competition at the CHA Tournament."

The first period did not give way to any scoring, but Leone opened things up at 10:17 of the second period after Emilie Castonguay was whistled for a hooking infraction. Syracuse controlled the tempo on the powerplay opportunity and the scoring play was once again generated through Mullan's aid. Mullan supplied the puck to Leone who had a perfect angle on net. Leone wound up and released a slapshot NU's Jenni Bauer never saw as it meandered through traffic and underneath her right pad for the early 1-0 lead.

The Orange doubled up after the puck was worked down to Gordon in early moments of the third stanza. Gordon waited for the right opportunity and discovered a wide-open Malcolm directly in front of the crease. Malcolm was furnished with a perfect pass as she one-timed it right past Bauer's mitt at 2:22 for the 2-0 advantage.

Niagara countered a few minutes later when Ashley Riggs streaked down the right side of the sheet and made a marvelous dish through traffic to Frances McPhail at 5:44 to slash into SU's cushion, 2-1.

The Purple Eagles controlled the remainder of the period, outshooting Syracuse 9-5 in the third, but NU was not able to cash in on its incessant peppering of Schoedel. Once the clock read 1:00, Niagara pulled Bauer for the extra man, but right off the faceoff, Rising flung a shot down the ice that canvassed the entire sheet and found the back of the net with 14 ticks in the game to cap the victory, 3-1.

Following the Orange's third to last home game, Syracuse will be given the weekend off and then return to the rink in Fairfield, Conn. for a two-game set again Sacred Heart on Friday, Feb. 13 and Saturday, Feb. 14. Friday's game is slated for 7 pm while the Saturday matinee will be at 2 pm. In the previous matchup between the Orange the Pioneers, Syracuse outscored SHU 17-3 in two games. Once the Orange returns, SU will host Division II program St. Anselm on Friday, Feb. 20 for the final showing at Tennity Ice Pavilion in the inaugural season. Saturday's game will take place at the Onondaga County War Memorial at 2 pm.