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Bryn Saarela nets hat trick in Orange win

Saarela celebrates after completing her hat trick against Robert Morris.
Jackson Cowen, 2024.
Saarela celebrates after completing her hat trick against Robert Morris.

Syracuse beat Robert Morris in the first of a two game series 4-1 Friday night.

Bryn Saarela led the way for the Orange with four points. Saarela had three goals on 11 shots to go along with one assist.

Saarela said the people around her are helping her to make the game look easy.

She connected with Tatum White on the first goal of the game. White’s shot gave the Orange the lead just under three minutes into the game.

The Orange lead lasted only six minutes. At that point, Lindsey Smolen fired a shot from the top of the circles that beat Allie Kelley high to the blocker.

Saarela and the Orange showed resilience and answered with a power play goal with about seven minutes left in the first period to make the score 2-1.

Saarela tries a toe drag to get past a Robert Morris defender.
Jackson Cowen, 2024.
Saarela tries a toe drag to get past a Robert Morris defender.

Saarela caught a pass from Jackson Kinsler along the goal line and stuffed it short side to put the Orange back in the lead.

Both teams continued to battle for the remainder of the period. The Orange killed off a penalty to take a 2-1 lead into the locker room.

“I think that pressing hard on them, and getting that goal at the end of the first really helped at the end of the game. Obviously, they only scored one goal the whole game, so, keerping them to one was huge,” Saarela said.

Coach Britni Smith said she was happy with the team’s performance through 60 minutes.

“I was excited to see us win the first period, that was our focus this game, to come out harder than we had in the past,” Smith said.

Both teams battle for the puck along the glass.
Jackson Cowen, 2024.
Both teams battle for the puck along the glass.

The goalies were the story in the second period. For the Orange, Kelley made seven saves to hold the Colonials scoreless during the period.

Her counterpart, Maggie Hatch made eight saves of her own to give her team a chance going into the third.

Hatch stands tall after making a save against the Orange.
Jackson Cowen, 2024.
Hatch stands tall after making a save against the Orange.

Hatch’s effort was not enough for her team in the third. The Orange peppered her with 16 shots over the course of the period. Saarela found the back of the net a minute and a half into the third period.

The Orange held fast for the remainder of the game. Saarela closed it out with a shot from her own blue line that went over everyone and landed into the empty net to complete her four point night.

Smith said Saarela is someone that is always impacting the game.

“It’s great to have players like Tatum and Bryn who can lead the way and help those younger players,” Smith said.

“I think that they’re going to want after we put three unanswered goals,” Saarela said.