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Allie Kelley whiffed on the catch. With 15 seconds remaining in the second period, the SU keeper attempt to paw the loose puck but dropped it. RPI’s Maddy Papineau scooped it up and tapped it in for a goal.

On the ensuing faceoff, Syracuse won back possession but RPI immediately intercepted. A defensive breakdown resulted in a 2-on-1 opportunity for the Engineers. With seconds to go in the second period, Asiah Taylor-Walters slotted a shot into the upper left corner of the net as the horn sounded.

It took just 15 seconds for SU to find itself in a 2-0 hole. And by the final whistle, RPI (4-0-3, 0-0 ECAC) netted four more to defeat the Orange (2-3, 0-0 CHA) 6-2 on Friday night. The Engineers’ proved to be the more fluid and efficient offense team, scoring two goals in each of the three periods.

With just over three minutes remaining in the first period, RPI took its first lead of the game. Following a failed Orange clearance, Andrea Trnková slapped a left-handed shot towards the net. Her effort deflected off of Riena Jahnke and, despite being surrounded by two SU defenders, Jahnke parried the ball past Kelley to give the the Engineers a 1-0 lead.

Thirty seconds later, RPI struck again. Marah Wagner held the puck behind the net before passing to MJ Alexander, positioned at the top of the blue line. Alexander pushed the puck to a wide-open Ellie Kaiser who lifted the puck past Kelley to generate a 2-0 advantage.

Despite giving up two goals and scoring zero in the opening period, Syracuse outshot RPI 21-12. 13 of the Orange’s shots went on net, but opposing goalie Amanda Rampado maintained her clean sheet through the first

Although SU was on the powerplay for four minutes in the first, it failed to capitalize on the opportunities. Then, an offensive barrage between both sides presented itself in the second.

Early on, the Engineers dominated, preventing a Syracuse shot on net until six minutes remained in the period. Yet, the final four minutes of the second entailed four goals combined from the two teams.

Sixteen minutes into the period, SU cut the deficit to one. Mik Todd deflected an RPI pass in the defensive zone, sending the puck back toward the neutral zone. She beat Audrey McCutchen to clinch possession. On an empty break, with McCutchen pressuring, Todd shot through Rampado’s five hole for a goal.

Less than a minute later, the Orange tied the game off of a well-placed effort from Heidi Knoll. Inching across the blue line, Knoll was deliberate in her attack. Using her immediate defender as a screen on the goalie, Knoll blasted a powerful shot into the back of the net.

But after Syracuse’s two unanswered scores, RPI answered with one of its own. As the period came to a close, knotted at 2-2, the Engineers embarked on a late push that ultimately decided the game. They added two goals in the last 15 seconds to take a 4-2 lead.

Though Syracuse excelled on the penalty kill, its power play never got going. The unit was given eight minutes of five-on-four play off of four total penalties from the Engineers. Despite the man advantages, the Orange never took advantage, going 0-4 on the opportunities.

The second period served as the most important span of play. Although SU scored its only goals of the game in the frame, RPI’s offensive pressure limited Syracuse’s attack. The Engineers tripled the Orange’s shots on net, notching 16 to Syracuse’s five and forced Kelley to make 28 saves.

In the third period, RPI added two more goals. And aside from its one minute scoring burst in the second period, SU never answered. After giving up four consecutive goals in the final 21 minutes of the game, Syracuse lost its third straight.

Published on October 13, 2023 at 10:59 pm

Contact Aiden at: amstepan@syr.edu | @AidenStepansky