By Owen Sienko and Ryan Nelson
Syracuse, N.Y. -- The Syracuse Orange (10-10-3) will play host to the inter-state rival New York University Violets (7-7-2) in their first home matchup in five games tonight.
Syracuse sits at 5-1-0 in their last six games after splitting their series against the Rhode Island Rams last weekend. The Orange offense lit up the Rams with eight goals, doubling their opponents’ total of four. Senior goalie Eric Parker exploded back onto the scene in his first game back from injury, turning aside 32 of 34 shots for a .941 save percentage.
Syracuse captain Peter-Owen Hayward said the team was happy to have Parker back in the crease.
“He was so solid during the first half of the season and we didn’t really see the wins come along with his performance so it was good to get him a win in his first game back,” Hayward said.
Meanwhile, the Violets mirror Syracuse’s last six games with a record of 1-5-0. They hope to snap a five-game losing streak that has them falling deeper and deeper into their spot at last place. A pair of losses to the Orange, who sit just ahead of them in the ESCHL standings, would almost guarantee them the last-place seed in the ESCHL tournament.
The last time these two teams faced-off, the results did not swing in the Orange’s favor. The Violets swept both games at Chelsea East in only Syracuse’s second series of the year. Over those two games, the ESCHL rivals, as expected, clashed for 135 combined penalty minutes.
Hayward said that, now that his team’s large freshman cast is gelling together, the results should be different this time around.
“We’re a young team and there are some guys like Mackenzie Murphy who are just coming into their own and starting to score,” said Hayward, who is riding an eight-game point streak himself.
Tonight’s homecoming will include Syracuse’s annual Pink the Rink event, where fans will be invited to the Tennity Ice Pavilion to help the team raise money for Susan G. Komen.
The puck is scheduled to drop right after a ceremony honoring victims and survivors of breast cancer at 6:30 p.m. Fans who cannot attend can follow along on the team’s YouTube channel.
Contact Owen:
On Twitter: @OsienkO
By Email: oasienko@syr.edu
Contact Ryan:
On Twitter: @r_nelson18
By Email: rtnelson@syr.edu