SU Settles For Stalemate With #9/8 RMU

Friday, February 7

Moon Township, PA

7:00 p.m.

Syracuse University

15-11-3 (6-6-3CHA)

#9/8 Robert Morris

21-5-3 (10-3-2CHA)

OT 1

Syracuse

RMU

Photo by: Michael J. Okoniewski

2/7/2014 9:47:00 PM | Ice Hockey

Box Score

Box Score

MOON TOWNSHIP, Pa.—The Syracuse ice hockey team (15-11-3, 6-6-3) and No. 9/8 Robert Morris (21-5-3, 10-3-2) ended Friday night's contest in a 3-3 stalemate at Lumber Arena. Melissa Piacentini extended her program-record point streak to ten games with two goals to open SU scoring.

"We came out and we played determined," head coach Paul Flanagan said. "We came out strong in the first period but gave up two goals and then came out strong again in the second and tied it up. It was a really good hockey game both ways. Allie LaCombe, Piacentini and Margot Scharfe all did a great job making plays tonight."

Three Orange had multi-point games with Scharfe and LaCombe assisting on all three goals and Piacentini scoring the first two goals of the game.

The Orange outpaced the Colonials on offense, getting 20 more shots on target (46-26) with Margot Scharfe and Allie LaCombe contributing seven attempts on net each. Syracuse also had 27 shots blocked by Robert Morris defenders. SU net minder Jenesica Drinkwater made 20 saves while RMU's Jessica Dodds stopped 40 Orange shots.

Syracuse had some good looks throughout the first 20 minutes to cause some excitement in the RMU end. Piacentini nearly scored when Dodds went behind the net to retrieve the puck and the Orange had another opportunity when Dodds came out to the faceoff dot to put the puck back in play and an SU skater nearly stripped it with an open net.

Robert Morris got on the board first, however, when Drinkwater couldn't control the rebound off a shot from the point and a Colonial was able to shovel it in to take a 1-0 lead with 2:17 remaining in the first period. Just one minute later RMU scored again to take a 2-0 lead going into the locker room when RMU's Brittany Howard went one-on-one with Drinkwater. Howard skated left and flipped the puck up and over Drinkwater's glove hand for the score.

Syracuse was quick to get on the board coming out of the first intermission. Margot Scharfe centered the puck from the left side and Piacentini was positioned in front of the net to wrist it in on Dodds' far side to cut the Colonial lead to 2-1 just 2:44 into the second stanza.

The Orange redeemed its two-goal deficit when Piacentini scored again just four minutes later to tie the game at 2-2. She again positioned herself in front of the goal and was able to send one past Dodds on a give-and-go play with Scharfe after a flurry of SU shots on net.

The Colonials capitalized on a five-on-three situation with Howard scoring the go-ahead goal off a slap shot from the point that got past Drinkwater and gave RMU a 3-2 advantage with 7:41 remaining in the second period, which would hold into the second break.

Brittney Krebs tied it at 3-3 with 8:32 to go in the third period when Margot Scharfe corralled a rebound and slipped it behind her to the senior defender who was trailing and slapped it from the right faceoff circle, putting it between the pipe and Dodds.

After neither team scored to finish the third period, the game was extended five minutes but RMU and Syracuse were unable to notch a goal in overtime and the result was a 3-3 tie.