Entering the season, head coach Paul Flanagan knew he’d have to rely on seniors Stephanie Grossi and Alysha Burriss for a large portion of Syracuse’s offense. The roommates are two of SU’s top four scorers from last year. The other two, Emily Costales and Heather Schwarz, are gone.

Costales transferred to the University of British Columbia-Vancouver. Schwarz is playing professionally in the National Women’s Hockey League with the Boston Pride. Both Grossi and Burriss are on pace for the lowest-scoring seasons of their respective careers, but that hasn’t sunk the Orange.

When Dakota Derrer’s career ended in November, Syracuse (9-15-2, 8-5-1 College Hockey America) was left to replace 42 percent of its scoring from last year’s team. With its seniors not meeting expectations, SU has turned to three second-year players for offense. Redshirt junior transfer Brooke Avery, redshirt sophomore Lindsay Eastwood, and sophomore Kelli Rowswell make up three of the Orange’s top four scorers this season, coming through on offense when the team has needed them most.

“Grossi and Burriss, those two kind of struggled early on,” Flanagan said. “All of a sudden, who’s gonna emerge … I’m not gonna say that we’re shocked, but it’s a little unexpected. It’s great to see. If anything, you want some people to step up, and they’ve done that.”

While Eastwood leads the team in assists with 14, Rowswell has been a jack-of-all trades for SU. Sitting second on the team in goals (seven) and fifth in assists (six), Rowswell has taken a team-high 69 shots this season. But it’s been Avery who’s stepped up the most, leading the team in both goals (10) and points (17).

After tallying six points in 33 games last season, Avery’s nearly tripled her scoring output in seven fewer games. In her second year with the Orange after beginning her career at the University of New Hampshire, Avery has blossomed into the go-to scorer for Syracuse playing alongside Rowswell, one of her linemates.

“My current line with Brooke and Emma (Polaski) is kind of an odd line,” said Rowswell. “We just talk, communicate after every shift. We have the same mindset. We just want to score.”

Phil Bryant | Staff Photographer

In recent weeks, Syracuse has tried out different combinations of lines and even shuffled starters at goaltender. Against Mercyhurst this weekend, Flanagan tried out two different starting lineups despite winning on Friday. With all of the shuffling in its lineups of late, SU has found consistency in two pairings on offense — the seniors, Grossi and Burriss, and the duo of Rowswell and Avery.

The Orange has “mixed and matched” in order to try to find combinations that work the best around the staple pairings. Fortunately for Flanagan, a player like Eastwood has found success no matter who she’s played with. Her ability to find teammates in open positions has resulted in a rise in her assist total, up five from last year, as well as more playing time.

“Lindsay, I’m not really surprised there, she’s out there a lot,” Flanagan said. “I think that there’s a lot more for Lindsay, there’s a lot of potential there for her to not only add to her assist total, but she can really shoot it.”

Despite her significant team lead in assists, Eastwood credits her teammates for creating the scoring opportunities. By being in the right places at the right times, she said, all she does is keep her head up and find the open lane.

One specific connection Eastwood looks for each game is Avery by the crease. Being a bigger player allows Avery to gain position by the net and deflect passes she receives from Eastwood for scoring chances. Avery’s ability to find the top corner of the goal, said Rowswell, is another asset that’s allowed her to lead the team in scorer this year.

Three weeks ago, during a series against reigning CHA champion Robert Morris, Burriss tallied two goals in the first game and Grossi scored two the next day. Entering this past weekend’s series against Mercyhurst, the two had combined for just one goal since.

On Friday, they each recorded a goal and assist before being shut out on Saturday. If Syracuse hopes to find its groove before the playoffs, it’ll likely need more consistency from its seniors.

In the meantime, its three breakout underclassmen will handle the scoring, and others may be waiting for their opportunity to step up.

“It could be anyone, next week it could be someone new,” Eastwood said. “It’s just the way it works sometimes, and I’m never really surprised, because I think anyone on this team could lead the team in points.”

Published on January 28, 2018 at 9:30 pm

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