Fresh off Nicole Renault’s go-ahead goal, center Jessica Sibley was called for checking 5:50 into the third.

Nursing a 2-1 lead, Syracuse cleared the puck four times and prevented Robert Morris from gaining possession in the SU zone for the last 0:45 of the power play.

For the next five minutes after the advantage ended, the Colonials barely touched the puck as momentum shifted decidedly to the Orange.

“They could’ve taken the game out of our hands, basically,” forward Julie Knerr said, “and we did great on the penalty kill and that just pumped the bench up and we were rolling from there.”

After allowing five power-play goals over its last four games, Syracuse (7-13-9, 5-5-5 College Hockey America) stopped all six of Robert Morris’ (9-16-3, 6-7-2) power-play opportunities in its 2-1 win Friday night. The Orange worked to pressure RMU on the penalty kill and succeeded in securing confidence for the last 10 minutes of the game.

“Our first few power plays, we had to talk about it between periods, just getting back to the basics,” Renault, a defender, said. “After that, I think we really stepped it up.”

SU committed two penalties in the first period, one that led to a power play finishing in beginning of the second.

Head coach Paul Flanagan said his team made a few misreads during the first-period penalty-kill minutes and forced goalie Jenn Gilligan to make difficult saves. But when the Orange stepped back onto the ice for the second period, it came out aggressive and killed the remaining 1:22 of the power play.

After giving up two power-play goals in its last game against Penn State, Syracuse worked on pressuring in practice this week. Flanagan said the team focused on recognizing when to come out to the point and when to pressure in the corners during penalty kills.

“That’s what we usually try to do, be aggressive,” Renault said, “but I think today we were especially aggressive and didn’t let them set up their power play at all.”

In the second period, SU committed one penalty, which almost led to a goal for the Colonials.

RMU forward Katie Fergus cut toward the net from the right wing and confused Gilligan with a deke. She lifted a wrist shot over the goalie, but it hit the crossbar and caromed away.

SU faced three Colonial power-play opportunities in the third period, but managed to kill them all.

The first was Sibley’s penalty, after which the team increased its tempo, Flanagan said. Next, defender Kaillie Goodnough was called for checking with 8:15 left. After Robert Morris won the faceoff, Syracuse cleared the puck and kept it out of the zone for more than half of the two-minute penalty.

“It’s great not seeing any shots,” Gilligan said. “The team can keep that up, I like it.”

While Goodnough was in the penalty box, Syracuse managed three short-handed shots on goal, including one that forced a faceoff. Robert Morris didn’t get a shot off despite the advantage.

For a team that came into the game second-to-last in the CHA in penalty-kill percentage and goals allowed on power plays in conference play, SU’s strong penalty kill was energizing. The Orange executed its specific game plan of pressuring RMU skaters while continuing to block shots.

“We did a good job keeping shots to the outside and when it was in front of our net, we cleared it really well,” Gilligan said, “so good job, PK.”

Published on February 6, 2015 at 11:53 pm