Syracuse sweeps Lindenwood 6-0 to advance to CHA semifinals

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Syracuse entered Thursday night as winners of its last seven games — five of which were on the road. The Orange smothered their last three opponents, outscoring them 30-8 and winning by at least three goals in all but one game. The first three of those seven wins came in Missouri against Lindenwood, and the Lions found themselves remotely close to the Orange only for the first two periods of the first game. 

Syracuse’s final matchup against Lindenwood before Thursday night was the only time in the three-game series that Syracuse scored multiple goals (three) in the first period. The Orange found the net three times in the opening 20 minutes, outshooting Lindenwood 25-12.

Last season, Syracuse shutout Lindenwood 4-0 in the College Hockey America quarterfinals. Thursday night, just like last year, the Orange scored in every period. Thursday night, just like last year, Victoria Klimek found the net. Syracuse scored on both power-play goals, and Allison Small finished with 21 saves. 

Syracuse (11-8-1, 9-6-1 CHA) put on an offensive show against Lindenwood (2-14-1, 2-14-1) to extend its winning streak to eight games. The Orange, who capped off the night with their third shutout of the season, scored the most goals in a shutout since Feb. 20 against Long Island University and the second-most goals this season, trailing only their 7-1 victory over RIT on Nov. 27. Six different skaters sounded the buzzer at Erie Insurance Arena in SU’s win, something head coach Paul Flanagan attributed to the team’s depth.

“It’s just getting those two goals fairly early, getting that lead and building on it,” Flanagan said. “Then just settling down and playing some defense.”

Seconds after the opening puck drop of the second period, Abby Moloughney stole the puck away from an LU defender. The Lions had won the opening faceoff, but it didn’t matter. Syracuse’s second-leading goal scorer rocketed a shot that dinged off the post less than 30 seconds into the frame. 

The Orange collected the rebound and set up a play Moloughney knew would work. The puck found its way to the junior at the top of the formation, and she broke left toward the nearside board, evading her defender for an open shooting window. A path to the goal opened up between Klimek and Lauren Bellefontaine, and Moloughney took advantage, firing a slap shot that put the Orange up 3-0.

Twenty-eight seconds into the third period, Syracuse’s lead grew insurmountable. A fourth goal seven minutes later from freshman Rayla Clemons dovetailed into goalie Annika Asplundh’s benching for her backup. Lindenwood just needed something — anything — to prevent the continued blizzard of goals from Syracuse. 

“We needed to see some big saves. Syracuse got a lot of power in the front, or just offensively,” Lindenwood head coach Shelley Looney said of pulling Asplundh. “We needed to change our momentum.”

They tried Jada Burke — a 6-foot center — in the faceoff circle. She lost the tip. Backup Julia Maguire conceded Lindenwood’s sixth and final goal, and the Orange turned their focus toward No. 1-seed Penn State, SU’s next opponent, who watched the game from the stands.

Despite finishing the first period up two, and the second period up five, Flanagan still said t the team was lucky to begin the game. “We gave up a 3-on-1 on the opening shift, so I’m just wondering about a hot start,” he said.

Lindenwood managed 10 shots on goal in the first period, just three fewer than the Orange. Small bailed SU out of defensive breakdowns, finishing the opening 20 minutes with 10 saves and the evening with 21. Notching those first two goals and jumping out to an early lead allowed Syracuse to settle down defensively, Flanagan said.

“I don’t want to say it’s comfort, but it does feel quite good to get the lead and kind of just protect the lead,” senior Jessica DiGirolamo said. 

In the second period, DiGirolamo held the puck in the left faceoff circle. She made a move, faked toward the goal and, realizing there was no clear shot, rifled it through traffic to Clemons. The freshman was crashing toward Asplundh, looking for her first goal since her first collegiate game and her first point since Dec. 11. Her one-time shot found the back of the net, and seconds after a spectacular diving save from Small, Clemons had extended SU’s lead to four on the other end of the ice.

Because the CHA announced it was allowing a limited number of fans for tournament games, Clemons’ father, Rodney, traveled from Michigan to see his daughter play. Postgame, Flanagan consistently cited his team’s confidence as a factor for victory. Maybe, he said, Clemons’s father contributed to that. 

Asplundh holds a 91.1% save rate in the conference, good enough for eighth out of 10 eligible CHA goalies. She averages over three goals against her per game and is tied with RIT’s Jessi O’Leary for the most goals (33) allowed in conference play. DiGirolamo and the rest of Syracuse took advantage on Thursday — just like they had done during the three-game series less than a month ago. 

Midway through the first period, Klimek wrapped around the left side of Lindenwood’s net. Peering up, she found DiGirolamo waiting at Asplundh’s crease. Her quick pass was precise, finding the tape of DiGirolamo’s stick. The defender redirected the pass past an outstretched left skate and into the net. Now, Syracuse has earned a matchup with the No. 7 team in the nation in Penn State.

“If you’re not playing, there’s something wrong with you. You’re playing in a semifinal game to go to a championship matchup,” Flanagan said.