SU Downs Rensselaer, 4-3, On The Road

Friday, November 25

Troy, NY

7 p.m.

Syracuse University

6-9-0

RPI

3-10-4

Syracuse

Rensselaer

Julie Knerr scored her third goal of the season on Friday night.

Photo by: Stephen Parker

11/25/2011 9:20:42 PM | Ice Hockey

Box Score

Box Score | Season Stats

TROY, N.Y. -- Behind a three-goal second period and goals from four different skaters, the Syracuse ice hockey team (6-9-0) defeated Rensselaer on Friday night in the first game of a weekend series, 4-3. Jenesica Drinkwater made 28 saves in goal for the Orange, including an eight stop third period to stave off an Engineer comeback. The teams will meet in the series finale tomorrow afternoon at 4:00 p.m. at Houston Field House.

"It was a really good road win tonight," said head coach Paul Flanagan. "Being down 1-0 after the first period and fighting back to take a 4-1 lead was a result of a lot of hard work."

With only 16 shots on goal throughout the game, the SU offensive attack capitalized on the opportunities afforded by the Rensselaer defense. RPI had 31 shots on goal, and was 1-of-4 on the power play, while Syracuse was 0-of-4. Faceoffs were even at 26 apiece.

Rensselaer came out of the blocks in the first period outshooting the Orange 9-5 and taking a 1-0 lead on a goal from Jill Vandegrift with 6:36 left in the frame. Vandegrift, who took a pass from Kathryn Schilter, buried a shot past Drinkwater for her fourth goal of the season.

Syracuse would respond in the second period as SU scored three goals on only six shots during the middle frame. The first came 3:23 into the stanza when Holly Carrie-Mattimoe scored her fourth goal in as many games after Caitlin Roach fed the puck down low after receiving a pass from Margot Scharfe. Carrie-Mattimoe then settled the puck before beating Rensselaer goaltender Kelly O'Brien for her seventh goal of the season.

Julie Knerr recorded her fourth goal of the year midway through the period when she received a pass from Taylor Metcalfe, and fired a shot through O'Brien for the score. Megan Skelly would give the Orange a two-goal cushion with 4:13 left in the frame with her third goal of the season off a pass from Kaillie Goodnough.

Goodnough gave the Orange a commanding 4-1 lead 7:38 into the third period on a goal from a Casey Hirsch pass that beat O'Brien for Goodnough's third of the season.

The Engineers began to apply heavy pressure with the extra attacker in the final minutes of the game, and cut the Syracuse lead to two goals with 3:09 left in regulation as Jordan Smelker scored her fifth goal of the season before RPI would make it a one-goal game after another goal from Smelker with 1:13 left. Rensselaer would keep backup goaltender Brianna Piper pulled in favor of the extra skater in the game's final minute, but the SU defense was able to keep the Engineers out of the prime scoring areas of the ice and preserve the win.

"They came at us hard late," Flanagan said. "But we managed to hold on. It should be another exciting game tomorrow."