Syracuse beat Robert Morris 3-2 in double overtime to advance in the AHA conference tournament.
The Orange returned to the postseason for the first time since the 2022-2023 season. The team’s last win in the playoffs was in 2021-2022.
The Orange completed the regular season with wins in 6 of its last 7 games, which gave them the 3 seed in the tournament.
Peyton Armstrong said the team wants to keep the season going.
“We have a really good team this year, we have a really good group, and we don’t want to see those seniors go. We also want to win,” Armstrong said.
In the first period, both goalies played well. Allie Kelley made her 34th start of the season. Opposite Kelley, Lucy Phillips, the redshirt freshman, made her 15th appearance on the season for the Colonials.
SU head coach Britni Smith said preparing all season for playoff hockey helped the time when the opportunity came.
“I thought we did a great job just not squeezing our sticks. It would have been easy to come out in that first overtime and play a different game, and have no confidence with pucks on your stick, and I thought it was just another period for us, is the mentality we had,” Smith said. “It’s easy to say it in the locker room but I thought they really came out and played that way.”
After a scoreless first, Heidi Knoll scored her fourth goal of the season to give Syracuse the lead. She received a breakaway pass from Jackson Kinsler and fired it over the glove of Phillips.
The scoreline remained at 1-0 for the remainder of the period and the Orange led after forty minutes of play.
In the third it was Robert Morris who jumped at early opportunities. Jersey Phillips buried a one timer from the slot off the rush. Mya Neugent fed her pass and Phillips tied the game under two minutes into the third period.
Later in the third period, Morgan Giannone gave RMU its first lead of the game. That lead would last until just under the four minute mark of the period.
SU had back to back opportunities on the powerplay. On the second opportunity Tatum White won a faceoff to Kinsler. Kinsler sent a pass towards Bryn Saarela who fired a one timer to the top corner of the net to tie the game at two.
The teams played even for the final minutes of regulation leading into overtime.
The teams got set for 5 on 5 overtime. SU was 0-3 on the season in overtime coming into the game.
Kelley and Phillips were the stars of the overtime frame. Phillips robbed Peyton Armstong on a breakaway early in the extra period. Kelly made several good saves including one on Madison Primeau seven minutes into overtime.
There was no scoring in the first overtime. But in the second, there were fireworks. Armstrong received the puck from Maya D’Arcy. She toe-dragged around an RMU defender before roofing one to end the game.
“It landed on my stick and I honestly blacked out a bit. I didn’t even know I scored until everyone came on the ice. I think I toe-dragged around her, I’m not really sure, apparently it went in, but I was so hype to celebrate with the team afterwards,” Armstrong said.
“It was so exciting for it to be Peyton, especially as a linemate,” Tatum White, the captain of Syracuse, said. “Playing on the same junior team back in Kingston, we just kind of have the same roots, so, definitely a special moment for her and for me and the bond we have.”
It was the first time that Syracuse had won a game in overtime since September 2022.
The Orange will play Mercyhurst in a best of 3 series next weekend, starting on Friday in Erie.
“As a team it pushes our team to keep striving for more, and obviously, we want to make it to the finals. But, one step at a time, we have Mercyhurst next weekend and it’s going to be a hard fought battle,” Armstrong said.