Syracuse overpowers Lindenwood with aggressive 1st period in 4-1 win
Phil Bryant | Staff Photographer
The Orange scored twice in 90 seconds to seize control against the Lions and coasted for the rest of the night in its win.
With 4:30 remaining in the first period, Syracuse forward Savannah Rennie passed the puck across the ice to teammate Brooke Avery, who clanged the puck off the top right of the goal post and in to give SU a 2-0 lead. Ninety seconds later, junior forward Sarah Stuehr found herself in the right place at the right time. A shot attempt from teammate Lindsay Eastwood ricocheted off Lindenwood goalie Jolene deBruyn directly to Stuehr, who slid the puck between the legs of Lindenwood’s goaltender and in for her first goal of the season, and second of her career.
In seconds, Syracuse (5-7-2, 4-0-1 College Hockey America) took control against Lindenwood (2-10-1, 2-5-0 CHA) with three first-period goals in its eventual 4-1 victory in Tennity Ice Pavilion on Friday night. The Orange has had its share of trouble finishing offensive opportunities this season. In the first nine games of the season, SU only netted 11 goals. Of late, Syracuse has improved its finishing abilities, outscoring its first nine games by a total of seven goals, scoring 18 within its last five matchups.
“We are keeping pucks in and sustaining pressure,” said Syracuse head coach Paul Flanagan. “We had a lot of grade-A chances tonight, and (our success) starts with our fore-check.”
The Orange’s mindset when it comes to finishing its offensive opportunities and scoring has shifted since the beginning of the season. SU focused its attention on taking higher-percentage shots in Friday night’s victory.
“At the beginning of the season, and even last season, we focused a lot on shooting for rebounds,” said SU forward Brooke Avery, “Now we’re really working on our accuracy and shot selection.”
Avery credited improvement in team chemistry and knowing where teammates will be on the ice to helping SU take advantage of its scoring opportunities.
Rennie believes that SU is playing with more of a sense of urgency, and that is a big reason why the Orange was able to score four goals and take further advantage of its scoring opportunities in its victory.
“We want to get the puck,” Rennie said. “We want to win the battles, we want to get the puck in the back of the net.”
Published on December 1, 2017 at 11:07 pm
Contact Anthony: amkhelil@syr.edu
