Syracuse players plodded off the bench toward goalie Jenn Gilligan, some with their heads held low. They skated to Gilligan and slowly made their way through the handshake line. Amanda Carridi, SU’s third-string goalie, came off the ice bent over with her hands on her knees.

In the final minute, head coach Paul Flanagan pulled Gilligan for a 6-on-4 power play opportunity, looking to tie the game. But the opportunity just slipped SU’s grasp.

Vermont (8-4-1, 1-2-0 Hockey East) beat Syracuse (3-6-5, 2-2-1 College Hockey America), 5-4. For the second consecutive game, Vermont stole a one-goal, third-period lead from SU. SU forward Melissa Piacentini thinks the lines gelling and players’ improved shooting helped the offense score the second-most goals it has all year. Despite the four-goal output, the Orange left Tennity Ice Pavilion disappointed on Saturday with missed opportunities ensuring a Syracuse loss.

“I mean it hurts, it’s a one-goal game both times, so it’s a heartbreaker especially that we had the lead in the third period twice in both games,” senior forward Julie Knerr said. “So it’s hard, but we’ve got to bounce back.”

UVM jumped out to a two-goal lead less than eight minutes into the first period. A Piacentini goal put SU on the board 11 minutes in, but before Syracuse fans stopped cheering, Vermont’s Brittany Zuback buried another goal, making the score 3-1 and awakening the visiting fans. A late first-period goal from Knerr closed the gap to 3-2.

A scoreless second period led into a decisive third period. From the left of UVM goalie Molly Depew, Syracuse center Jessica Sibley wound up and fired a slap shot past an outstretched Depew. The SU goal tied the score at three. Nearly a minute later, a Catamounts’ defender covered Piacentini one-on-one as she skated down the ice with SU defender Nicole Renault trailing her.

“It was a 2-on-2 pretty much and they’re pretty lazy backcheckers, so there’s no one backchecking,” Renault said. “I was wide open and she dropped it to me.”

Renault maneuvered the drop pass from Piacentini and smacked the shot past Depew, giving SU a 4-3 lead with 16:23 left in the game.

But the Catamounts stormed back to take the lead.

Nearly midway through the third period, Gilligan left a rebound for UVM’s Casey Levillee who finished the shorthanded scoring chance for Vermont. With the score tied at four, UVM defender Amanda Drobot knocked a pass in front of the net past Gilligan. The goal gave the Catamounts a 5-4 lead, one they wouldn’t give back.

With just more than a minute left on the game clock, UVM’s Bridget Baker shoved Sibley to the ice. The Vermont checking penalty gave SU one last opportunity to save the game. Flanagan pulled Gilligan, opting for six players to UVM’s four.

SU manned the offensive zone with three players near the blue line and three more wandering near the net. Knerr, left wing Stephanie Grossi and Sibley took control for SU’s offense. Renault fired a shot that Depew saved and Knerr followed up with another shot, but Depew covered the puck.

Sibley won the ensuing faceoff and kept the puck for SU. Grossi fired a shot, but Vermont defender Rachel Ade blocked the shot, so Grossi put another shot on net and a scrum ensued. SU players poked at the puck for nearly 15 seconds, but none could finish the play and the buzzer signaled the end of the game.

“I was told by Sibley it was sitting right on the doorstep, the puck was right by her skate. We were that close,” Flanagan said, closing two of his fingers. “So, obviously, an inch away or two, we would have been really happy to tie that up.”

Published on November 15, 2014 at 9:13 pm

Contact Chris: cjlibona@syr.edu | @ChrisLibonati