Orange Score A Big Win on the Ice

Friday, November 27

Syracuse, NY

7 PM

Syracuse University

RIT

Emma Polaski and Lauren Bellefontaine celebrate a goal

Photo by: Michael J. Okoniewski

11/27/2020 11:28:00 PM | Ice Hockey

Box Score Photos

Syracuse, N.Y. – Syracuse opened conference play with a big win against RIT, finishing 7-1 at Tennity Ice Pavilion. The Orange (1-2 overall, 1-0 College Hockey America) jumped out to a 4-0 lead in the first period on goals by four Orange skaters. After the teams traded goals in the second period, the Orange added two insurance goals in the third for the 7-1 victory. Syracuse senior Emma Polaski scored two goals, junior Lauren Bellefontaine tallied a goal and three assists and junior Abby Moloughney added a goal and two assists. Syracuse will host RIT (0-1, 0-1) on Sunday, Nov. 29 at 3 pm. The game will be streamed on Cuse.com.

"Tonight was a good team win. We will accentuate the positives from this win and go to work to fine tune some things we need to work on," said head coach Paul Flanagan. "We know that our opponent is going to be ready on Sunday so we have to be prepared. We want to get better each and every time out. We will take the win and build on it. It is one thing for the standings, but it is also for camaraderie. After the win they are in the locker room singing. We had not done that yet and it's new to the freshmen. Just having some of those things happening behind the scenes is really important. It goes back to team culture and having the kids believing in one another and supporting one another."

Polaski opened the scoring just more than two minutes into the game scoring on a 5-3 power play. Senior Jessica DiGirolamo and Moloughney registered the assist. Four minutes later Bellefontaine made the score 2-0, scoring on assists from Moloughney and Polaski. The Orange scored two goals within a minute of each other later in the first period when senior Victoria Klimek scored an unassisted goal at the 13:47 mark and then Moloughney scored Syracuse's four goal of the period, assisted by Bellefontaine, 14:41 into the first period. The last time the Orange tallied four goals in the first period was Dec. 6,, 2019, at Lindenwood in a 7-0 'Cuse win.

Both teams scored in the second period. Polaski tallied her second goal sliding a loose puck into the back of the net to give the Orange a 5-0 lead. Sophomore Mae Batherson and Bellefontaine notched the assists on the goal. RIT erased the shutout when Orange goaltender Allison Small got pinned behind the goal and RIT's Carissa Hlywa scored on the open net with 6:39 remaining in the period.

Syracuse closed the game strong adding two more goals in the third period. Freshman Sarah Thompson scored her first collegiate goal at the 16:16 mark in the third. Freshman Kambel Beacom and Bellefontaine were credited with the assists. Redshirt sophomore Marielle McHale capped off the win with a goal to make the final 7-1. Small finished the game with 15 saves.

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