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When Britni Smith was appointed as Syracuse’s head coach in May 2022, the Orange were coming off a 15-11-6 season, a College Hockey America championship and an NCAA Tournament appearance, just their second in program history. Paul Flanagan, SU’s only other head coach in program history, had announced his retirement shortly before Smith’s hiring.

Following Flanagan’s tenure, Smith had big shoes to fill. And while Flanagan had carved a successful path for Smith to follow, she hasn’t thrived like him. So far in Smith’s two years at the helm, the Orange have produced two losing seasons and didn’t qualify for the CHA conference tournament last year.

On Saturday against Penn State, Smith’s squad hit another low. Syracuse’s (7-19-0, 5-7-0 Atlantic Hockey America) 4-0 loss versus PSU (21-4-1, 12-0-0 AHA) marked the first time since Feb. 23-24, 2018, that the Orange were held scoreless in an entire series. SU surrendered a shorthanded goal halfway through the opening period and never caught up, leading to its seventh straight loss.

“We’ve had a tough start to the second half here and with that, we’ve learned we can be a team that can really be in games at the end of the game,” Smith said postgame. “For us, it’s just all part of the process.”

When the first puck dropped, Syracuse’s offense looked sluggish while PSU came out firing. The Nittany Lions tallied four shots before the Orange tried one of their own. Penn State had its first promising chance with 12:15 left in the first when Maddy Christian, the nation’s ninth-leading scorer, found space ahead.

Christian forced a shot, but Allie Kelley — who stifled PSU and set the new NCAA career saves record Friday — knocked it away, silencing the Nittany Lions to start. However, Kelley and SU’s defense couldn’t hold firm for much longer.

With Tessa Janecke called for tripping, Syracuse’s 14th-ranked power play unit was poised to score. Yet, with PSU’s high-powered offense, it didn’t matter. Following three missed SU shots on the advantage, Grace Outwater capitalized on a Jessica Cheung giveaway to break ahead.

The forward weaved across the ice before slotting the puck into the back of the net. Though for the remainder of the first period, Syracuse hung around. The Orange outshot PSU 6-5 in the final 10 minutes.

“Obviously, we limited their shots … did a really good job battling hard between the dots, forcing pucks outside, that was a focus for us today,” Smith said.

To start the second period, SU’s offense went silent. Charli Kettyle’s shot was captured by PSU’s Katie DeSa, and the Nittany Lions immediately attacked. Katelyn Roberts found Janecke on the right crease for her team-leading 17th goal.

But PSU didn’t stop there. It fired six shots in the next five minutes, limiting Syracuse’s offensive attack. Brianna Brooks led the Nittany Lions with five shots, yet didn’t find the net.

Finally, Brooks and McKenna Walsh found Nicole Hall with just Maya D’Arcy and Kelley ahead near the end of the second frame. Hall received the puck and hit the roof of Kelley’s net to extend PSU’s lead to 3-0.

In Syracuse’s series against Penn State on Oct. 31-Nov. 1, 2024, three goals ended SU. Despite the Nittany Lions combining for eight goals in that series, Syracuse battled, scoring two in each match.

Unlike that weekend, where defense plagued the Orange, it was SU’s scoring that held it back this time. With just one period to play, the Orange had been outshot 25-12 and were losing the faceoff battle. Syracuse’s opportunities were minimal, continuing to prove SU can’t beat ranked teams.

And in the final frame, not much changed.

Penn State started with three straight shots, with Outwater, Brooks and Janecke leading the offensive charge. Kelley notched two saves, while Haley Trudeau had a crucial block to keep SU within three.

Grace Tullock was soon called for tripping, giving Syracuse its third power play chance. The Orange entered Saturday with 14 power play goals, tied with Minnesota Duluth for 11th in the nation. Yet, over the PSU two-game series, Syracuse went 0-for-10 on power plays.

This time, SU got four shots off, but DeSa made two saves to keep the Orange scoreless. For the next 17 minutes, the Orange took control, but scoring remained the issue.

Syracuse sent two shots onto the net shortly after its advantage was over, but PSU’s backline shut it down. Then, Outwater, assisted by Christian, landed Penn State’s final score of the contest. Christian, on a two-on-two breakaway, passed from the left crease to a skating Outwater, who easily landed the shot.

Penn State took two more shots before Syracuse went on a barrage of its own. Still, the Orange couldn’t score, leading to its seventh straight defeat.

“With conference play the rest of the way, this is the time to raise the grind and get back to work,” Smith said.

Published on January 18, 2025 at 7:44 pm

Contact: jordankimball28@gmail.com | @JordanKimball_