No. 5 Minnesota Duluth cruises to a 4-0 victory over SU Women’s Ice Hockey

Syracuse Women’s Ice Hockey shows promise but falls short in its season opener against Minnesota Duluth. The Minnesota Duluth Bulldogs defeated Syracuse 4-0 in the Orange’s first game of the season. The Bulldogs entered the matchup ranked fifth in the country and already 2-0 on the year after back-to-back wins against Mercyhurst last week.

Duluth jumped ahead in the first minute of play, with second-year forward Caitlin Kraemer scoring on a breakaway at just 27 seconds, off of an assist from Ashley Messier. Although Duluth continued to apply constant pressure on SU’s defense, goaltender Ava Drabyk settled in after the opening score, blocking the Bulldogs next 11 shots.

Six-minutes into the first period, Duluth’s Grace Sadura received a two minute penalty for tripping. Syracuse failed to score on the power play, but the extra skater worked to help the Orange find their footing offensively with multiple solid shots on net. Both teams found scoring opportunities over the rest of the period, which ended with Duluth edging SU 12-10 in shots after 20 minutes of play. 

Syracuse carried momentum from its solid finish in the first period into the second, but two amazing saves from Bulldog goalie Ève Gascon kept Duluth in front. After a quiet first frame, the officials whistled six penalties in the second. But, despite having four power play opportunities in the period, the Orange were unable to get the puck past Gascon. The Bulldogs, however, would strike once again.  On their second power play of the period, forward Thea Johansson hit the back of the net on an assist from Caitlin Kraemer. In an active period, Duluth outshot Syracuse once again, 17-15, and held onto a 2-0 lead.

Period three saw more of the same. The Orange back-line played like a wall, but eventually every wall cracks. Five minutes into the third, Duluth’s Josie St. Martin added to the Bulldog’s lead, making the score 3-0. The SU offense struggled to maintain its energy, tallying eight shots on net. Bulldog Rae Mayer shut the door, scoring the Bulldogs fourth goal of the evening with just under five minutes to play.

Despite the 4-0 score, SU showed several positives on the ice. After conceding an early goal, it seemed that the Orange could lose control quickly to a highly ranked opponent.  Instead, the Orange matched the Bulldogs physicality and continuously created chances. Syracuse Head Coach Britni Smith spoke on what it will take for the Orange to begin capitalizing on their opportunities and their overall performance, “Time, chemistry, a little bit of work. We’re really happy with the game we played tonight. Our special teams, maybe not the percentages we want, but a good start and a place to build on.”

Syracuse and Minnesota Duluth face off again Friday night at Tennity Ice Pavilion.