Jenn Gilligan looked up at the scoreboard and shook her head in disappointment. The Syracuse goaltender had just been pulled from the game to allow an extra attacker on the ice for the Orange with just over a minute left to play.

As the final buzzer sounded, Gilligan threw the two water bottles she was keeping with her at the net toward the SU bench.

“I mean she made some good saves,” SU head coach Paul Flanagan said. “… When we needed her she made some huge saves, but obviously they did find the net. I think there are a few there she would want back.”

Gilligan played well for the first two periods, but allowed two goals in the third period as Syracuse (2-4-5, 1-1-1 College Hockey America) lost 5-1 to conference rival and No. 7 Mercyhurst (9-1-1, 3-0) on Friday night at Tennity Ice Pavilion. The goalie recorded 25 saves, including 10 that came on visitors’ power-play chances.

“I thought personally I did all right. Obviously I had some big saves in the second period, but four goals (allowed) isn’t great on 25 shots,” Gilligan said. “I’ve got to be better.”

The power-play opportunities for Mercyhurst were unfruitful, mostly due to Gilligan’s work between the pipes. Flanagan called her the team’s best penalty killer.

SU received two penalties in the second period, one on defenseman Akane Hosoyamada for boarding and the other on defenseman Dakota Derrer for checking. The team was down a skater for four total minutes in the second period, but the visitors were unable to capitalize on the eight shots they attempted.

One of the eight saves that was particularly skillful came when two Mercyhurst forwards were blocking Gilligan’s view of the other skaters and also the puck. She managed to react and made a high glove save on a slap shot from Lakers center Emily Janiga.

Gilligan was happy with her play in the second period, calling some of the saves she made huge for the team. Going into the third period, the score was 2-1 and still very much in reach for the Orange.

The one shot Gilligan didn’t stop in the second period came when her stick wasn’t quite quick enough and forward Hannah Bale flicked a quick wrist shot past Gilligan on her glove side, giving Mercyhurst its second goal of the game.

Bale had a relatively clean look at the net, free from most SU defenders.

“The five goals that went in weren’t all her fault,” Derrer said. “As a defense, we let her out to dry a few times.”

Flanagan said that the game was frustrating and really wished to see a few more goals in support of his goalie. Possession and shots for both teams were relatively even, 30-29 in favor of Mercyhurst, but the Orange’s offense was only able to finish one of its chances. Mercyhurst finished five.

“You got to score more than one goal for her,” Flanagan said. “We need more than that.”

Although not explicitly asking her teammates for offensive support when identifying the reason for the team’s loss, Gilligan echoed her coach and pointed to the team as a whole.

Said Gilligan: “Personally I’m not doing my job to keep the puck out of the net, but overall as a team we’re not necessarily doing our job to win games, either.”

Published on November 7, 2014 at 11:52 pm

Contact Liam: lpsull01@syr.edu