After Syracuse’s first victory of the season on Oct. 13, it eyed a weekend sweep against Providence.

After taking a commanding 2-0 lead, the Orange defense faltered in the final period, a recurring theme this season. With the Orange struggling offensively, Providence tied the game before winning in overtime. On Friday, Syracuse (1-4-1) will look to correct its mistakes when it hosts No. 9 Northeastern (2-3-1).

“What we’re finding, certainly three weekends in,” SU head coach Paul Flanagan said, “is that we’ve struggled in the third periods. We’ve been outscored and I think we have been outplayed quite a bit.”

In practice, Syracuse puts a focus on improving its third-period performance. Flanagan attributes much of SU’s struggles to conditioning, something he says the team is working harder on.

“I thought we played some real good first periods, and parts of second periods, we have really struggled in the third,” Flanagan said. “So I would attribute that directly to our lack of being as fit as we need to be.”

Providence’s overtime goal, which handed the Orange its fourth loss of the season, is one the team could’ve prevented, senior defender Megan Quinn said. She believes there were multiple mistakes made that eventually led to the goal.

There are a few things Quinn believes the team can do to improve defensively, such as knowing one’s role and where to be on defense. In practice, she said, the team has been working on blocking shots and defending after opponents enter the zone.

Quinn believes the defensive collapse can be taken as a learning experience, one that the team can improve on as the season progresses. There are some positives to take away from, such as a quick offensive start and Victoria Klimek’s first collegiate goal.

“I was happy we got up another goal,” Klimek said.

Klimek was ultimately disappointed in the outcome, despite her first goal. In order to improve on the offensive end, she said, the Orange must work harder and be more creative on three-on-two attacks and in the neutral zone.

Skating fast, checking hard and being in the right position will also be key in improving SU’s offensive output.

Flanagan is happy with the opportunities the Orange is getting on the offensive end of the puck, pointing toward SU’s eight breakaways this past weekend. Syracuse has jumped on loose pucks and created space.

“I like the fact we’re getting opportunities,” Flanagan said, “and now we have to bear down on our execution.”

Published on October 19, 2017 at 12:52 am

Contact Anthony: amkhelil@syr.edu