Syracuse ice hockey: Orange suffer three consecutive home losses

The Orange enter their matchup with #9 Penn State on a five-game losing streak

The Syracuse Orange Women’s Ice Hockey team (7-17, 5-5) has hit a bit of a skid in recent weeks. Coming off of a pair of losses away at #4 Minnesota Duluth, the Orange returned home, playing three games between January 10th and January 14th.

Last weekend, the Orange hosted Mercyhurst. The Lakers took the lead in the first six minutes and never looked back, dominating the Orange in all statistical facets except faceoffs.

The Lakers added a second goal in the second period and maintained control despite a late SU goal. Goaltender Allie Kelley provided a standout performance for the Orange with 25 saves. Tatum White also dominated from the faceoff, winning 17 of her 27 contests.

The Orange took to the ice against Mercyhurst again on the following day but again went down early, with Mercyhurst holding a 2-0 lead after two periods. A pair of goals for the Orange leveled things in the third, but the team collapsed late as Mercyhurst scored twice in the last three minutes to secure the win.

Despite Mercyhurst dominating the proceedings, the Orange put in a resilient performance with 15 blocks. The scoreline could have been even worse for SU if not for the resilience of a defense that conceded 47 shots to SU’s 14.

Allie Kelley made a ridiculous 43 saves throughout the match, but it wasn’t enough to get the Orange a split of the series.

On Tuesday, January 14th, local rival, #6 Cornell, came to town. This matchup brings bad memories for the Orange, who have not defeated the Big Red since 2010. This stretch of results includes a 7-0 loss last year, an 8-1 loss in 2013, and a 9-2 loss in 2011.

Surprisingly, it was Orange who gave hope to their fans early as Sami Gendron set up Bryn Saarela for the first goal of the game. Less than 10 minutes later, Gendron and Charli Kettyle combined to assist Jackson Kinsler. The Orange were up 2-0 after the first period.

Unfortunately for the Orange, the Bears came roaring back, going on a 6-1 run that turned the game into another loss.

Following this string of difficult results, the Orange will be thrown to the fire again as #9 Penn State comes to town for a pair of games this weekend. Having lost twice to the Nittany Lions this season, things do not look good.

If SU wants to turn around the season, they will need a win against PSU and a strong run of form over their last 10 games. As things have gone so far, this seems unlikely. Stay tuned for updates on the team.