Team Effort Leads SU Past Bobcats, 3-2

Saturday, January 28

Hamden, CT

4 p.m.

Syracuse University

9-16-3, 0-3-3CHA

Quinnipiac

15-10-2, 10-4-2ECAC

Syracuse

Quinnipiac

Kallie Billadeau made 53 saves on Saturday, six shy of a career high.

Photo by: Michael J. Okoniewski

1/28/2012 6:15:03 PM | Ice Hockey

Box Score

Box Score | Season Stats

HAMDEN, Conn. – #Nicole Ferrara#'s goal with 8:38 left in regulation and 53 saves from Kallie Billadeau led the Syracuse ice hockey team (9-16-3) past Quinnipiac (15-10-2) on Saturday at the TD Bank Sports Center, 3-2. SU received goals from three different scorers, and will host Robert Morris in the final two home games of the season next weekend, beginning Friday night at 7:00 p.m.

"It was a great team win for us," head coach Paul Flanagan said. "Billadeau made the saves look easy, the defense moved the puck out of the zone well and we finally cashed in on an odd man rush for the game-winning goal."

Billadeau was tested early and often in the game, making double-digit saves in every period including 18 in the third to preserve the victory. Neither team capitalized on the power play for the second straight game as the Orange was 0-of-1 and QU 0-of-3.

The Orange offense got things rolling early in the game, scoring twice in the first period on goals from Margot Scharfe and Megan Skelly. Scharfe netted her team-tying 10th goal of the season with 6:20 left in the frame on a great individual effort and a wrist shot past QU goaltender Victoria Vigilanti for the score.

The Bobcats answered quickly, however, as Breann Frykas scored her second goal of the weekend just 79 seconds after the Scharfe tally when she took a feed from Regan Boulton and fired a shot past Billadeau to level the score at one.

Skelly, playing in her 127th career game, would bury her sixth goal of the year after taking a pass from Caitlin Roach and rifling a shot past Vigilanti for the score, prompting QU coach Rick Seeley to insert Chelsea Laden between the pipes.

Quinnipiac doubled up the Orange with a 20-10 shot advantage during the second period, and tied the game 2-2 on a goal from Brittany Lyons seven minutes in. Lyons, who took a pass from Melissa Perry, sent a wrist shot past Billadeau for her sixth goal of the season.

Ferrara gave Syracuse the lead for good with 8:38 left in regulation on her fourth goal of the season off a dish from Holly Carrie-Mattimoe and a rocket past Laden for the score.

Syracuse was forced to kill off a penalty with 51 seconds left in the frame after SU was assessed a crosschecking minor, but the Orange weathered the storm in the game's final seconds to earn a split in the weekend series.