SYRACUSE, NY – The RIT women's hockey team (10-12-2, 5-4-1 CHA) rallied late from two goals down to force overtime, but fell to CHA rival Syracuse (12-9-2, 4-4-2 CHA), 5-4 on Friday night at Tennity Ice Pavilion. #Marissa Maugeri (Ajax, Ontario/Durham West Lightning)# had a terrific night for the Tigers earning two assists and adding the game tying goal late in the third, but it wasn't enough to hold of the Orange off in overtime.
 
#Kolbee McCrea (Wawa, Ontario/Burlington Barracudas) would get RIT on the board midway through the first period with her 12th goal of the season. (Brantford, Ontario/Assumption Collegiate)Erin Zach (Elmira, Ontario/Cambridge Fury)# helped assist on the goal, along with Maugeri who grabbed her first assist of the game. #Morgan Scoyne (Drumbo, Ontario/Stoney Creek Sabres)# would add a second goal for the Tigers shortly after on a power play off a pass from Maugeri to make it 2-1 RIT after one period. With 4:39 left in regulation, #Melissa Bromley (Aurora, Ontario/Aurora Panthers)# scored her first goal of the season to spark a rally, which was followed 2:23 later by Maugeri's lone goal, completing an improbable comeback to tie the game at 4-4.
 
Melissa Piacentini opened the scoring three minutes into the game with her first goal of the game, to give the Orange an early 1-0 lead. Jessica Sibley would score the first of her two goals late in the second on a power play. In the third it was Allie LaCombe who netted the third goal for the Orange, followed soon after by Sibley with her second to make it 4-2 Orange. Piacentini closed out the game with her second goal in overtime to give the Orange the 5-4 win.
 
Final shots were 49-23 in favor of Syracuse, as both teams goaltenders played solid games in net. For the Orange, Jenesica Drinkwater made 19 saves.
 
RIT goaltender #Jetta Rackleff (Bend, OR/Summit)# earned her second consecutive start for the Tigers, making a career-high 44 saves on an onslaught of 49 shots from the Orange. Rackleff kept RIT in striking distance of the Orange throughout the game, making stellar glove and pad saves on many occasions.
 
"I thought we were thoroughly outworked all game by Syracuse," said RIT head coach #Scott McDonald#. "Jetta [Rackleff] played outstanding for us, and that kept it as close as it was, but in the end we had some mental lapses that cost us."
 
The first period got off to a fast start as the Orange would jump out to a 1-0 lead off the goal from Piacentini from in close. The Tigers would answer though, midway through the period after a centering pass from Maugeri found the stick of Zach, was saved by Drinkwater, but put in by McCrea on a rebound from the left side.
 
Several minutes later RIT would earn the first power play of the game and took advantage. With just two seconds remaining in the penalty, Maugeri's pass from the corner found Scoyne, who fired a shot from the point and found the back of the net for a 2-1 Tiger lead.
 
With just over a minute remaining in the period, McCrea came away with the puck on a breakaway chance and drew a hooking penalty that would let the Tigers close out the period with a man advantage and the 2-1 lead.
 
The second period was all about defense for the Tigers who looked to hold their lead over an aggressive Syracuse offense. The penalty kill unit was outstanding throughout the period killing off two consecutive penalties late in the period. Rackleff was just as fantastic in net during the period saving a handful of shots from all over the Orange offensive zone.
 
It was the third Syracuse power play however that proved costly, as Sibley would fire a shot from the left circle that sailed past Rackleff and into the net to even it up at 2-2.
 
In the third, Syracuse came out strong offensively again, generating a handful of shots. Rackleff continued to make great saves including a glove save with 11:36 remaining on a bullet of a shot to keep it tied at 2-2.
 
Eventually, the Orange broke through in the third period after some fancy stick handling set up LaCombe with goal from the slot to make it 3-2. Minutes later Syracuse added to their lead as a shot from Sibley found the back of the net for the second time in the game.
 
With time ticking away for the Tigers, they picked up the pressure offensively and broke through with a slap shot by Bromley from the point that flew past the glove of Drinkwater into the net. RIT completed the unlikely comeback just minutes later with just 2:17 remaining in the game, as Maugeri's goal off a shot from the left circle tied it at 4-4.
 
For the fourth time in seven meetings between the two schools, the game went into overtime where Piacentini ended the RIT rally with her second goal of the game that just dribbled through the legs of Rackleff and into the goal, to give the Orange the 5-4 win.
 
RIT is now 1-5-1 all-time against Syracuse, 1-1-0 this season. The Tigers remain in third place overall in the CHA standings, holding onto a slim one point lead over the Orange.

The Tigers return home next weekend to face another CHA foe, Lindenwood on Jan. 24 and 25. Friday's game gets underway at 7 p.m., while Saturday's puck drops at 2 p.m. On Saturday, the Tigers will wear special jerseys as part of CHA's "Skate for the Cure". RIT will team up with Autism Up foundation for this year's fundraiser.