After two periods on Oct. 25, Syracuse led 1-0 against then-No. 6 Princeton.

Twenty minutes later, the Orange trailed 3-1, with the final horn sounding and dropping them to 0-8. SU had outplayed one of the best teams in the nation for 40 minutes, but was dominated in the final 20 to remain winless.

Through its first 12 games of the season, Syracuse (2-10-0, 1-1-0 College Hockey America) has conceded 20 third-period goals — as many as four in one period — while only scoring eight. The Orange haven’t scored more than two goals in a single third period. SU has also been assessed 20 third period penalties in the same stretch of games.

Third-period struggles on both sides of the ice have been a problem for Syracuse all season. But now with momentum from its most recent win over RIT on Nov. 2 and extended rest, the team is looking to reverse that trend heading into the bulk of conference play.

“I think it’s playing a full 60 minutes,” senior forward Logan Hicks said. “If we only play 40, then we’re going to have a hard time, and never get the results we want.”

Whether physical or mental, conditioning and penalties are preventing the Orange from staying competitive in the third period. Consistency has also been an issue. In their 7-4 loss to RIT, the Orange allowed four final-period goals. The very next day, they shutout RIT 3-0 in their most complete game yet.

“It’s probably a combination of factors,” head coach Paul Flanagan said, “The number one is just getting a little tight. Confidence wanes a little bit when there’s pressure … Just having that sort of killer instinct mentality, not only offensively but defensively too.”

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Flanagan mentioned conditioning as a major factor in the team’s late-game shortcomings. The Orange participated in Herb Brooks’ suicide drill from the movie “Miracle” last Tuesday morning.

The Orange bolted in-between the different lines of the rink, straining more with every stop and start. Flanagan hopes the improved conditioning pans out, and the Orange start developing into the full 60-minuteteam they need to be for conference play.

After its latest dominant performance over RIT, Syracuse has its first conference win of the season against a team that it has struggled with in previous meetings.

“I think it’s definitely a confidence booster,” sophomore Lauren Bellefontaine said. “To have beaten that team that we’ve had a tough time with in the past has definitely helped us.”

The conditioning aspect of the mentality works both ways. If a player is better conditioned, she’ll be able to play better for longer. Another benefit of improved conditioning, though, is mental. The improved fitness allows the Orange to make smarter plays later in the game, as their game plan won’t be neutralized from heavy legs.

Syracuse’s plan to build confidence with wins is exactly that: dependent on wins. To win more games in the conference, though, the Orange has to not just start games, but finish them.

“Really, it’s just making plays when you’re tired,” said Flanagan, “it’s just a function of the game. In the second half of the game and the second half of a shift –– just making plays when you get tired, being able to be reliable when you’re tired.”

Published on November 12, 2019 at 10:09 pm

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