SYRACUSE, N.Y.—Melissa Piacentini scored the game-winning goal in overtime for the second straight game to give the Syracuse ice hockey team (13-9-2, 5-4-2 CHA) a 3-2 victory over Penn State (4-18-2, 1-10-0, CHA), its third over the opponent this season, on Friday night at Tennity Ice Pavilion. Syracuse remains undefeated in extra minutes this season, going 3-0-2 in overtime.
Allie LaCombe saved SU’s chances 30 seconds into overtime when she stopped the puck at the goal line on Jenesica Drinkwater‘s far side, preventing what would have been the game-ending score.
Piacentini is on a five-game goal streak, tallying seven scores and a helper in that span. Nicole Renault notched two points on the night with a goal and an assist, extending her point spurt to six games, tied for the third-longest in program history.
The Orange dominated possession, getting 95 total shots off including 47 on target and 19 blocked by the PSU defense.Jenesica Drinkwater made 22 stops for Syracuse while Penn State’s Celine Whitlinger recorded 44 saves.
SU scored a man-up goal against the Nittany Lions to increase its streak of power play goals to five games.
The Orange controlled the puck for the majority of the first 20 minutes, outshooting Penn State 15-6 but was unable to get one past Whitlinger and the score stayed at 0-0 going into the first intermission. Syracuse got one in the net on the first shot of the game but Akane Hosoyamada was called for a hand pass on a deflection of Caitlin Roach‘s shot from the point.
Piacentini opened scoring 41 seconds into the second period when she tipped a shot from LaCombe, taken from the left faceoff dot, giving the Orange a one-goal advantage while on the power play.
Nicole Renault increased the lead to 2-0 with 14:47 remaining in the second stanza when she stripped the puck from the defender on the right side and took a hard shot from the top of the faceoff circle that beat the goalie.
PSU fired back with two goals to even the score at 2-2 going into the second intermission. Hannah Hoenshell rebounded a shot into the goal to cut the lead and Laura Bowman scored on a breakaway to even the score.
Syracuse put 19 shots on net in the third period and held the Nittany Lions to just five but could not come up with a score and the Orange went into overtime for the second game in a row.
With 2:16 left in the extra period, Piacentini brought the puck up the right side and used the defender as a screen to get her slap shot to go top shelf past Whitlinger and win the game.
