SYRACUSE, N.Y. – The Penn State women's hockey team were deadlocked in a tough battle with conference foe Syracuse that ended in a 1-1 tied Saturday afternoon at Syracuse's Tennity Ice Pavilion.
Both teams earned a point with the tie in the CHA standings. Penn State (10-10-5) now has nine with a 4-7-1 CHA record while the Orange (6-17-2) have 13 points with a 6-5-1 mark in conference.
HOW IT HAPPENED
First Period
- The Nittany Lions earned the game's first power play and looked to have taken the lead in the waning seconds of the advantage. Penn State batted a loose puck into the goal but the play had already been whistled over.
- Took advantage right after their penalty with the game's first score on a redirect by Savannah Rennie at 7:43 assisted by Emma Polaski.
- Penn State immediately went on the attack after the goal by registering five of the next six shot attempts, the final of which resulted in the game-tying goal by Loli Fidler. Fidler threw the puck towards the goal from a sharp angle on the goal line that found snuck through the goaltender's equipment for the score. Katie Rankin picked up an assist on the play.
- Jenna Brenneman made several highlight-real saves in the period, including one on the Orange's lone power play in the period to keep the game tied 1-1.
Second Period
- Neither team found the back of the net in the second period, but the stanza did have several good scoring chances for each side.
- The Nittany Lions led in shot attempts 18-4 at one point in the second, but SU shot blockers made it difficult for Penn State to convert.
- Brenneman made a big stop on Emma Polaski's breakaway try late the in the period lunging from right to left to make the kick save and keep the game tied at one.
Third Period
- Both teams continued their extremely disciplined play from the second period in the final frame as neither team committed a penalty over the final 40 minutes.
- Brooke Madsen had a shot narrowly give Penn State the go-ahead marker, but it pegged off the crossbar.
- Shots were tough to come by the third, as Syracuse had six shots on target compared to Penn State's 5.
Overtime
- Brenneman made two big stops in the first 30 seconds for Penn State to thwart an early Orange rush.
- Izzy Heminger broke up a 2-on-1 for Syracuse as the lone defender back with a sliding play.
- Brenneman had to come up with another big stop in the final minute and did just that, stretching her left leg to stop a slapshot from the point by Syracuse.
GAME NOTES
- Fidler's fourth goal of the season moves her into a tie for third in the conference with three others, including teammate Izzy Heminger, for the most goals scored by a freshman this season.
- Rankin had two points in the series with an assist in today's game and a power-play goal last night.
- Brenneman reached 30 saves in a game for the second time this season (31 at Mercyhurst 10/26). Her 59 saves this weekend were her highest total for a two-game series this season.
- Despite 14 more shot attempts than Syracuse (66-52), the Nittany Lions had 24 shots on goal to Syracuse's 31. Syracuse blocked 25 total shots.
- The four combined penalty minutes between both teams tied a season low for a game involving the Nittany Lions this season (10/13 vs. Union).
NEXT UP
- The Nittany Lions conclude their nonconference schedule with another stop in New York at Princeton Tuesday, Jan. 29 at 6:00 p.m.