The Orange Earn First ACC North Victory With Shootout Win Against Oswego State
- Maria Kaffes
- 56 minutes ago
- 3 min read
By Bella Cucci, Head Beat Writer
OSWEGO, N.Y. — The Syracuse Orange (4-6-2) earned a hard fought 5-4 shootout win over Oswego State (4-6-3) on the road in their first ever ACCHL matchup.
The Orange looked to continue their momentum from the weekend prior, dominating Misericordia University 9-2 in their annual Pink the Rink game. Senior forward Jack Wren recorded his first hat trick, including the late game-tying goal, with freshman forward Ben Brant burying the shootout winner. Senior Goaltender AJ Finta stood on his head, making 49 saves on 53 shots as Syracuse battled through a physical matchup to pull off the comeback victory.
Opening the scoring in the first period, junior forward Brendan Duffy found the back of the net at 13:25. Linemates Chris Fanning and Cam Gaffney earned the assists after digging the puck from a scrum in the corner and finding Duffy in the slot. Just over a minute later, senior forward Jack Wren doubled the lead, capitalizing on a Kade Cook faceoff win. The Orange served three penalties in the remainder of the period, but the Lakers couldn't capitalize on the man advantage, as the first period came to a close with Syracuse up 2-0.
Heading into the second, Syracuse’s Chris Fanning and Robbie Murphy were both rung up for tripping and hooking, respectively, but the Orange penalty kill stood strong, successfully killing off both infractions. In the final minute of the period, Jack Wren netted his second goal of the night at 18:58, extending the lead to 3-0.
The turning point of the game happened in the third, where the Orange would receive four penalties, handing Oswego 11 minutes of powerplay time that included a 5 minute major penalty. At 5:23, Oswego forward Trent King opened up the scoring with Syracuse a man down and then 2 more powerplay goals from Carsyn Crawford and Zack Derito would follow. After an onslaught of offense, the game was tied at three goals a-piece. Just seconds after one of the Syracuse penalties expired the Lakers would find the back of the net again earning their first lead of the night. However, Syracuse was able to respond. With three minutes remaining in the third, Jack Wren rushed the puck goal line-to-goal line while shorthanded, netting his first collegiate hat trick and tying the game at 4-4. Syracuse’s first ever game as members of the ACC was heading to overtime.
“I saw some open ice and decided to take a chance. Not thinking much, I went to the net, saw an opening, and shot — it was the most surreal feeling I’ve ever had.” Wren explained when asked about his first collegiate hat trick.
Starting the extra time period with a man advantage, the Orange hoped to capitalize and put a cap on this tumultuous match. However, with a strong penalty kill, the Lakers were able to hold off the Orange offensive push. Neither team could break through in overtime, forcing a shootout.
After a shootout goal from first year forward Nathan Mclean, Oswego forward Nolan Sullivan responded. After three more rounds, Freshman Ben Brant slid the puck past Lakers netminder Benjamin Di Fiore, giving the Orange a goal advantage. In its last chance, Oswego’s forward Zack Derito hoped to extend the game but senior Goalie AJ Finta stood tall in net, denying his attempt and sealing the game 5-4 in the Orange's favor.
“This was a big win for us. Beating Adrian was huge, but taking down Oswego- a top-25 team and first in our [conference], was crucial. Wren said. “This definitely sets a tone for the team and shows what we’re capable of.”
The Orange will look to build off their first ever ACC win as they travel to Alpha Ice Complex, in Pittsburgh to to take on #14 Pitt on Friday evening at 7:20p.m.
All home games are played at the Tennity Ice Pavilion on Syracuse’s campus and are free for students and the general public. Home games are streamed live on the SU Hockey Network. Radio broadcasts are also available for all away games.
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