SU Fights To 1-1 Tie Vs. No. 5 Mercyhurst

Saturday, January 7

Syracuse, NY

2 p.m.

Syracuse University

8-13-2, 0-2-2CHA

#5 Mercyhurst

15-4-1, 1-0-1CHA

Team	1	2	3	OT 1	F
Mercyhurst	0	1	0	0	1
Syracuse	1	0	0	0	1

1/7/2012 4:32:58 PM | Ice Hockey

Box Score

Box Score | Season Stats

SYRACUSE, N.Y. -- Behind 33 saves from sophomore goaltender Kallie Billadeau, the Syracuse ice hockey team skated to a hard fought 1-1 tie with No. 5 Mercyhurst (15-4-1, 1-0-1 CHA) on Saturday afternoon at Tennity Ice Pavilion. Lisa Mullan scored the lone goal for the Orange (8-13-2, 0-2-2 CHA), which earned its first point against the Lakers in program history. SU will return to the ice on Jan. 17 to host No. 3 Cornell at 7:00 p.m. from Tennity.

Billadeau made more than 30 saves for the fourth time this season on Saturday while Hillary Pattenden made 15 saves in goal for the Lakers. Mercyhurst outshot the Orange for the second straight game, 34-15, and faceoffs were level at 29 a piece. The Orange went 0-of-5 on the power play while the Lakers were 1-of-6.

Mullan led the charge for the Orange in the first period, with half of SU's six shots coming from the Victoria, British Columbia native's stick. She had Syracuse's first scoring chance early in the period when she pounced on a loose puck in the slot following a Laker miscommunication in their own zone. Mullan quickly settled the puck before rifling a shot that Pattenden just got a glove and sent the puck off the glass.

Mullan would get retribution later in the frame, however, during four-on-four play resulting from coincidental minor penalties. After SU won the faceoff in the defensive zone, Brittney Krebs controlled the puck and chipped it up to defensive partner Kaillie Goodnough. Goodnough then sped down the right side, and hit Mullan in between the hashmarks as she joined the play. Mullan got Pattenden to commit to the left side of the net before swiftly shifting the puck to her backhand and tossing it in the right side of the cage for her second goal of the season.

Syracuse weathered the storm in the second period as Mercyhurst held a 13-5 edge in shots on netted the game-tying tally just 1:16 into the period. With the Lakers on the power play, Christine Bestland hammered home a shot from atop the crease after Molly Byrne's initial shot was blocked by the Orange penalty killing unit.

SU would kill off two other Mercyhurst power plays during the second stanza as Billadeau had four saves during the man advantages.

The Lakers continued to pepper Billadeau in the third period, throwing 13 shots on goal. The SU defense, however, was able to keep the Mercyhurst chances along the perimeter and Billadeau froze any Laker chances to take the lead.

Syracuse nearly took a 2-1 midway through the frame as Goodnough's shot from just inside the blue line ricocheted off the right post and into the corner. Later in the period, Krebs' dump in almost caught Pattenden sleeping as the puck hit the knob of her stick as it was heading towards the top right corner.

In overtime, the Orange was awarded a power play as the Lakers were sent to the box for hooking, but the Mercyhurst penalty killing squad limited SU's chances on the power play.