Syracuse Ice Hockey: Orange Split Weekend Series with Robert Morris

The Syracuse Women's Ice Hockey (4-5-0) team took to the road over Halloween weekend for two games against CHA opponent Robert Morris University (5-4-1). The Orange won the first game on Friday, but dropped the second on Saturday.

The first game took till overtime to decide a winner, but Syracuse would pull out the 4-3 victory.

RMU got on the board first after Amanda Pantaleo found Ashley Vesci on a backdoor pass to put the Colonials up 1-0. That score held for the remainder of the first period, but the two teams went back and forth in the remaining two periods.

In the second frame, Alysha Burriss would tie the game at one-a-piece just two minutes into the period.

Then two minutes later, Vesci found herself on a breakaway and put the puck in the back of the net for her second goal of the game, putting Robert up 2-1. However, Burriss wasn't done yet.

After a clear from Syracuse's defensive zone, Burriss took a shot that bounced off RMU goalie Jessica Dodds' glove and went top shelf to once again tie the game. Heading into the second the score was notched at 2-2.

Dakota Derrer would break the tie three minutes into the third. It was her first collegiate goal of her career and it gave the Orange their first lead of the game. But, with little time left in the third, RMU tied it up on a slapshot from the blue line. Gridlocked at 3-3, we SU and RMU into overtime, and it didn't last long. One minute into extra time Jessica Sibley put a shot past Dobbs to give Syracuse the win by a score of 4-3.

RMU would get their revenge the next day.

This game was not as exciting as the first. It was a defensive battle that led to a scoreless first two periods. But, the game was very chippy. In total, 11 penalties were called, but none led to goals.

In the third period RMU would break the silence. Brittany Howard would score the game-winning goal with six minutes remaining. It is Howard's seventh game-winning goal of her career. Then late in the third Syracuse would pull goalie Jenn Gilligan to get an extra skater on the ice. But, RMU capitalized on the empty net. Vesci launched a shot from the defensive zone that slid into Syracuse's goal with just one second remaining, sealing the game up for RMU 2-0.

The Orange fired 45 shots in the contest, 22 of which were on target, but they couldn't find the back of the net. It is the first time they failed to score all season.

Despite the loss, Syracuse still remains the leader in the CHA standings. The Orange go on the road again this weekend for a two-game series against CHA opponent Lindenwood.