By: Isabella Cucci
In a physical series against 19th ranked Oswego State University, the Orange swept the Lakers to shore, winning at home on Friday night and on the road on Saturday. These games were crucial for ‘Cuse, as they look to climb the ACHA national rankings and keep an at-large bid to the ESCHL tournament in reach. Oswego won both previous meetings back in October with scores of 8-4 and 5-4.
Friday night’s Military Appreciation theme saw the Orange pay tribute to the brave men and women who serve our country as they took on Oswego in a highly anticipated matchup. Syracuse men’s hockey honored sophomore Brendan Duffy, a member of the ROTC program at SU, for his dedication and service—marking his second consecutive year receiving this honor.
Junior AJ Finta took the pipes for game one as the Orange came out strong. Setting the tone early, forward Jake Brown received a pair of two-minute minors, but Syracuse successfully killed off the penalties. Shortly after, Jeremy Keyes gave the Lakers the lead.
Tensions ran high and punches were thrown, leading to penalties on both sides. Alternate captain Matthew Cardi and forward Anthony Divida received roughing penalties for the Lakers, while Syracuse captain Sam Hutchinson and his alternate captain Connor Chesner, given roughing and unsportsmanlike conduct.
Before the period ended, defenseman Carter Rugg found the back of the net, tying the game at 1-1 and putting Cuse on the board heading into the 2nd period.
The Orange came out strong to start the second, with back-to-back goals which forced Oswego to call a timeout and attempt to regroup. Shortly after, SU’s Jake Brown headed to the box for the second time and Anthony Divita took advantage of the power play, cutting the deficit to one. Not long after, defenseman Adam Jubran found the equalizer, bringing the game to 3-3. Again, Syracuse capitalized in the final minute of a period, as freshman Cam Gaffney put the Orange back on top with just 25 seconds left in the second period.
At the start of the third, tensions arose as a tussle broke out between the Lakers and Orange, resulting in a Brendan Duffy a ten-minute major. On the other side, Oswego racked up three penalties, including a ten-minute major. Shortly after, officials called Oswego’s Jeremy Keyes for cross-checking, allowing Syracuse’s Evan Vassilovski to capitalize on the power play. To seal the win, Cuse scored an empty-netter, taking the first game of the two-game series against the Oswego Lakers 6-3.
Entering game two of their weekend series against Oswego State, SU and OSU united to celebrate Coach Chris Timmons’ induction into the Oswego State ACHA Hockey Hall of Fame. The current Syracuse bench boss, recognized for both his playing career (2010-2014) and coaching career (2016-2021) for the Lakers.
Riding the momentum from the previous game, Cuse struck early with back-to-back goals from Hutchinson and Larkin, scoring within a minute of each other. Later in the period, Finta stepped up with a key penalty shot save, preserving the lead. Just before the buzzer, Brock Alvers found the back of the net, sending the Orange into the intermission with a 3-0 advantage.
Striking early in the second, forward Sava Makarenko scored his first goal of the season, putting the Lakers on the board. The period saw an array of penalties, but both teams successfully killed them off. Later, Keyes capitalized with a crucial goal, cutting the deficit to one heading into the third.
As the third period began, both teams played a player down, setting up a 4-on-4 battle. Shortly after, officials called Cuse’s Carter Rugg called for holding, putting the Orange at a disadvantage. Capitalizing on the opportunity, Oswego’s Ryan Saelens found the back of the net, tying the game and forcing overtime.
After a scoreless 3-on-3 overtime, the game headed to a shootout. ‘Cuse opened with Cam Gaffney, who managed to beat Oswego’s Thomas Mcaleer five-hole to give Syracuse a 1-0 lead in the shootout.
On the other end, Finta stood tall, denying Keyes’ attempt. Next up for The Orange was Evan Vassilovski, who buried his shot to extend the lead. With the game on the line, Oswego’s Ryan Saelens was stopped, sealing the win for Syracuse and securing the weekend series victory for SU.
The Orange will be on the road next weekend for a doubleheader against Stony Brook at The Rinx at 7 p.m.
All home games are held at the Tennity Ice Pavilion on Syracuse University’s campus and are free for students and the general public. Home games are also streamed live on the SU Hockey Network.
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