Orange Lose Game One of CHA Semifinal Series; Game 2 is Saturday

Friday, February 24

Erie, PA

1 PM

Syracuse University

10-23-2

Mercyhurst (No. 2 seed)

20-13-2

Syracuse

Mercyhurst

Photo by: Tracey Edson

Orange Lose Game One of CHA Semifinal Series; Game 2 is Saturday

2/24/2023 4:55:00 PM | Ice Hockey

Box Score

Game Details: CHA Semifinals (Best-of-three series)
at Mercyhurst (Game 2: Feb. 25 at 2 pm; Fame 3: Feb. 26 at 1 pm (if necessary)
Watch: FloHockey Saturday, Feb. 25 | Sunday, Feb. 26
Live Stats
Twitter: @CuseIce
Syracuse: News | Roster | Schedule | Notes

Syracuse will come back the Mercyhurst Ice Center for game two of the College Hockey America semifinals in a win-or-go-home scenario after a 5-3 loss to the Lakers in the first game of the series on Friday. Puck drop on Saturday is 2 pm. Tickets for each game are $15 for adults and $10 for youth, military and senior citizens.

"We did a good job creating opportunities offensively today," said head coach Britni Smith. "Our special teams gave us life in the second period and gave us a chance to get back in the game. The team battled hard to cut the lead in the second. We will need the same battle mentality tomorrow."

The Orange scored all three goals on special teams, including two power play scores and a shorthanded goal. Syracuse junior Tatum White tied her career-high with two assists, graduate student Lauren Bellefontaine had one goal and one assist, freshmen Charlotte Hallett and Rhéa Hicks each tallied goals and junior Sarah Thompson had one assist.

Orange goaltender Arielle DeSmet had 27 saves, increasing her Syracuse total to 1,649, which is fourth in program history. The graduate student has 2,298 career saves (Syracuse and Robert Morris), which ranks ninth in CHA history.

Mercyhurst opened a 2-0 advantage after the first period and then each team scored three goals in the second for the final score.

Six minutes into the second period Hallett scored her first career goal on assists from Bellefontaine and White. The play started in the Orange (10-23-2, 6-9-1 CHA) defensive zone with Thompson sending a pass up the ice that Bellefontaine tracked down on the left side of the Mercyhurst zone. Bellefontaine fed a pass to Hallett as she came down the middle of the ice. The Markham, Ontario native fired a shot into the top right of the net to make the score 3-1 six minutes into the second period for the shorthanded goal.

After the Lakers (20-13-2, 11-3-2 CHA) tallied back-to-back goals to make the score 5-1, Bellefontaine and Hicks each scored power play goals to bring the Orange to within two, 5-3, with less than four minutes left in the second period.

Bellefontaine scored midway through the second taking the pass from White and shooting from above the right circle. Batherson set up the play with a pass from the left board to White at the blue line. Hicks scored the final goal when she tipped in a shot from Batherson. White set up Batherson's shot feeding her at the blue line.

Orange Notes

Bellefontaine is two assists shy of tying the Syracuse career assists record of 72 (Stephanie Grossi, 2014-18) and is nine points shy of the Orange career points record (117, Grossi, 2014-18).
Batherson moved into a tie for fifth place on the Syracuse career points by a defenseman record list. The two points she recorded increased her career total to 61. She is ranks sixth on the Orange career assists by a defenseman record ledger (46).
Junior Hannah Johnson blocked two shots in the game, increasing her season total to 75, which is second on the 'Cuse single-season record list. Jessica DiGirolamo set the record with 80 blocks last season.

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