Syracuse Drops Game Two in AHA Semifinals

Saturday, March 1

Erie, PA

2 p.m.

Syracuse University

15-22-0

Mercyhurst

19-15-2

Syracuse

Mercyhurst

3/1/2025 4:44:00 PM | Ice Hockey

Box Score

ERIE, PA. - Syracuse University women's ice hockey lost game two of the AHA semifinals against Mercyhurst 4-0 on Saturday, setting up a decisive game three for a chance to move to the conference title game.

Syracuse (15-22-0, 12-10-0 AHA) faced challenges breaking through the Lakers' defense and could not find the back of the net. Goalkeeper Allie Kelley recorded 35 saves for the Orange.

Mercyhurst (19-15-2, 14-7-1 AHA) opened the scoring with Chanta Ste-Croix fed by Vanessa Upson. Makayla Javier led the Lakers' offense with two goals, including a power-play tally, while Sydney Pedersen added a second-period goal. Goaltender Magdalena Luggin made 16 saves to hold Syracuse scoreless.

How it Happened

At the 4:39 mark in the first period, Ste-Croix, set up by Upson, rifled a shot past Kelley to put the Lakers on the board, 1-0.
Just five minutes later, Javier capitalized on a feed from Regina Metzler, burying the puck to extend Mercyhurst's lead to two.
Early in the second period, Pedersen sniped a shot through traffic, threading the puck between the Kelley's pads off assists from Upson and Jade Maisonneuve, pushing the advantage to 3-0.
At 13:52 in the second frame, Javier found the twine, crashing the net and burying her second tally of the game and first power play score of the night, stretching the lead to 4-0.
The third period turned into a defensive chess match, with both teams battling along the boards and limiting clean scoring chances.
Despite Syracuse's efforts to generate offense, Mercyhurst's defensive core stood firm, shutting down opportunities to preserve the 4-0 shutout victory.

Behind the Numbers

Syracuse dominated the defensive zone, out-blocking Mercyhurst 17-13, with Jocelyn Fiala leading the charge with four key shot blocks.
The Orange penalty kill stood strong, holding the Lakers to just 1-for-3 on the power play.
The Lakers fired 39 total shots, but Allie Kelley was a brick wall in net, stopping 35 of them.

Up Next for Syracuse

Syracuse now shifts its focus to game three of the series against No. 2 seed Mercyhurst on Sunday, March 2, at Mercyhurst Ice Center. This matchup will determine who advances to next weekend's championship.
Puck drop is set for 2 p.m., with live streaming available on FloHockey and live stats on hurstathletics.com.