DETROIT, Mich. – Senior goaltender Lucy Schoedel recorded a career-best and set a CHA Tournament record with 48 saves as the Syracuse University ice hockey team was defeated, 3-1, by top-ranked Mercyhurst on Saturday evening in the College Hockey America (CHA) championship game at City Sports Center. Schoedel achieved All-Tournament honors, in addition to sophomore forward Lisa Mullan and senior defenseman Gabrielle Beaudry.
Schoedel stood strong in the net, facing 19 shots in the first period alone. She didn’t give one up until the 15:44 mark when Ashley Cockell faked to Schoedel’s right and fired the puck in to give the Lakers the 1-0 advantage.
Mercyhurst continued to pepper Schoedel with shots in the second period, but she turned away all 22 to keep it a scoreless period.
After MC’s Jesse Scanzano was penalized for goaltender interference, senior defenseman Brittaney Maschmeyer nearly tied things up a 5-on-4 advantage after receiving a pass from freshman forward Isabel Menard, but instead Melissa Lacroix received the holding penalty. Despite losing the faceoff on the ensuing play, Marty scored the equalizer at 5:11 of the final period for SUs’ third 5-on-3 goal against the Lakers in its past three meetings.
Schoedel recorded her 43rd save 8:09 into the third to set the CHA Tournament record, which almost instantaneously triggered a series of penalties against both teams. Just as MC’s final penalty expired, Cockell maneuvered through a line of SU defensemen and shot through the legs of Schoedel to give the 2-1 lead to the Lakers with 18:39 on the clock.
With less than a minute remaining, MC’s Jesse Scanzano managed the empty-net goal to secure the 3-1 victory and give the Lakers its eighth consecutive CHA title.
In just its second season, the Orange finished with an 18-17-1 overall record, including 8-8-0 in conference play. Under the direction of head coach Paul Flanagan, it achieved a No. 10 national ranking and secured its first playoff win in program history.