Kinsler nets 2, SU women’s hockey defeats Stonehill 4-1

Senior forward Jackson Kinsler narrowly missed the first hat trick of her career, netting two goals in Syracuse Women’s Hockey’s 4-1 win against the Stonehill Skyhawks inside Tennity Ice Pavilion Saturday. 

Kinsler notched her second career multi-score game, finding the back of the net in the first and third periods. Leading up to the weekend, Syracuse focused on converting in front of the net and it proved vital. Both of Kinsler’s goals came off rebounds, as well as junior forward Stella Costabile’s opening score in the first period. 

Both were prepared for the moment. 

“Something that we’ve been emphasizing all week long is scoring in small areas,” Kinsler said postgame. …“I’m really happy that it paid off.”

From the start of the game, it was clear it was SU’s to win. Syracuse controlled play immediately, firing the first of its 63 shots on goal seconds after winning the opening faceoff. Syracuse finished with 75 more shots than the Skyhawks.

The shot output was a planned effort as Stonehill was undermanned throughout the weekend. SU head coach Brian Idalski said Stonehill was battling illness and he wanted to put the pressure on them. 

“We knew that and wanted to play six periods of making them have to skate and being relentless and rolling lines on them,” Idalski said. “I thought they ran out of gas a little bit at the end of today.”

Syracuse allowed its first goal of the season 4:13 into the second frame. Stonehill intercepted a pass at center ice and raced into SU territory. On a 2-on-1 rush, forward Julie Morrison found forward Peyton Wise down the middle who put the puck past sophomore goalie Ava Drabyk, evening the contest at 1-1.

Through six periods to open the season, Drabyk has allowed just one goal.

“Goaltending is solid,” Idalski said. “She stopped the ones she’s supposed to. She does a good job of managing the game back there.”

But after the Skyhawks’ first goal of the weekend, it didn’t take long for the Orange to regain the lead.

SU now led 2-1, 6:43 into the second period. 

Late in the second period, Kinsler nearly scored her second goal of the game, which would have put her one goal away from a hat trick. But an incredible kick saved by Caron kept the score where it was.

Kinsler reflected on the missed opportunity after the game, saying she “wanted it,” but went right back to her assignment. 

“It was a goldfish mentality, and it was on to the next play, and I had to get right back at it,” Kinsler said. 

She had to sit on the missed opportunity for a 15-minute intermission and when the third period began, Kinsler ensured she found the back of the net yet again. Just under three minutes into the third period, Kinsler collected a rebound from Emma Gnade’s shot and flicked it into the net.

The score gave Syracuse a 3-1 advantage with 17:57 remaining in the game.

Just before the buzzer rang, junior defender Jessica Cheung fired a wrist shot into the upper-left corner., putting the finishing touches on Syracuse’s 4-1 victory. 

SU Women’s Hockey returns to the ice against Mercyhurst at 6 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 2 inside Mercyhurst Ice Center in Erie, Pennsylvania.