SYRACUSE, N.Y. - Syracuse Men's Hockey (1-4-1) faced the undefeated No. 5 Niagara Purple Eagles (5-0-0) in a home-and-home series this weekend. After falling 4-1 on the road Friday, the Orange returned to Tennity Ice Pavilion the following day and earned a 5-4 overtime upset win to secure the series split. The victory capped Syracuse's annual Pink the Rink game, as the Orange wore custom pink jerseys in support of breast cancer awareness and the Susan G. Komen Foundation.

The Orange showed up to the Dwyer Arena on Friday evening with a tall task. The Purple Eagles have not lost a game on home ice on almost a full calendar year. The Orange kept the game scoreless through the opening period, but Niagara found its footing in the second before pulling away late in the third.

The first period featured a physical back-and-forth pace, with both teams generating opportunities. Syracuse sophomore goaltender Cash Lawrence made several key saves to keep Niagara off the scoreboard, while the Orange created chances through an aggressive forecheck.

Junior forward Jack McCormick led a three-on-two rush for Syracuse, but the Orange could not capitalize. Later in the period, senior forward Brendan Duffy put a shot on net after sophomore forward Quinn Wimer gained possession, but Niagara's Jacob Dubinsky made the save. 

Syracuse continued to apply pressure, earning a power play with just over a minute remaining in the opening period. Senior captain forward Ben Brant tested Niagara's goaltender during the advantage, but the teams entered the first intermission scoreless.

Niagara opened the scoring with 14:30 remaining in the second period, as a redirected shot got past Lawrence to give the Purple Eagles a 1-0 lead.

Syracuse generated chances on the power play but could not find the back of the net. Freshman defenseman Chris Paolone sent a shot high, while Brant continued to pressure Niagara's defense. At the other end, Lawrence made back-to-back saves to keep the Orange within one.

The Orange entered the third period trailing 1-0, but Niagara applied pressure early, hitting the post twice before extending its lead to 2-0 with 15:45 remaining in the frame.

Syracuse then faced a five-on-three disadvantage, but the Orange killed off the two-man advantage behind several key saves from Lawrence to remain within striking distance. The Orange penalty kill has been a bright spot so far in the early going, successfully killing off 88% of its opponents powerplay opportunities. 

With five minutes remaining, freshman forward Jackson Kimelman gave the Orange a spark, scoring the first goal of his collegiate career. Kimelman redirected a shot from Ryan Thomas past Niagara's goaltender, cutting the NU lead to 2-1 and giving Syracuse an opportunity to rally late.

"It felt great to score my first collegiate goal," said Kimelman. "You only get that moment once, so it's something I'll remember for a very long time."

Niagara answered with a goal on a one-on-one opportunity to restore its two-goal lead before adding an empty-net goal in the closing moments to seal the 4-1 victory.

Despite the loss, Syracuse generated stretches of offensive pressure and killed off a critical five-on-three disadvantage. Kimelman's first collegiate goal also provided a bright spot as the Orange looked to regroup for Saturday's rematch back in 'Cuse.

Following Friday's loss, Syracuse returned to the Tennity Ice Pavilion on Saturday for its annual Pink the Rink game, with another shot at an upset over the No. 5 Purple Eagles. 

Syracuse wasted no time getting on the board, as junior forward Tanner Cole scored just 31 seconds into the opening period off a feed from Kimelman. After Niagara tied the game, sophomore defenseman Jack Duffy restored the Orange's lead with a goal off an assist from senior forward Brendan Duffy, putting Syracuse ahead 2-1.

The Purple Eagles answered just over a minute later, sending the teams into the first intermission tied 2-2 despite outshooting Syracuse 15-5.

The Orange carried their offensive momentum into the second period, with Parker scoring just 35 seconds into the frame off a feed from junior defenseman and alternate captain Ryan Thomas. Niagara again responded, this time just 22 seconds later to even the score at three.

Lawrence kept Syracuse competitive despite consistent offensive pressure from the Purple Eagles, making several key saves and helping the Orange kill off a Niagara power play. However, Niagara broke the tie with just 4.3 seconds remaining in the period, taking a 4-3 lead headed into the third.

Syracuse responded early in the third when Kimelman capitalized on a two-on-one opportunity, scoring his second goal of the weekend to tie the game at four. 

"It was nice to get the monkey off my back Friday, which definitely gave me more confidence going into Saturday. The main thing was how our team played Friday," Kimelman said. "We realized a few mistakes cost us the game, and if we could limit those Saturday, we would give ourselves a great shot to win. It was a great team win that showed the resilience of our group." 

Both teams generated quality scoring chances throughout the period, but strong goaltending from Lawrence and Niagara's Connor Dubinsky kept the game tied and forced overtime.

After Niagara failed to capitalize on an early overtime breakaway, Cole delivered the game-winning goal, completing his stellar two-goal performance and securing a major upset victory for the Orange.

"Beating a ranked team like Niagara on a night this special for the program meant a lot," Cole said. "It's a day I won't forget for sure, and I was just ecstatic to play a part in it."

The victory marked Syracuse's second win of the season and handed Niagara its first loss, giving the Orange significant momentum heading into another challenging road series against an ACC opponent.

"Playing for a great cause like Pink the Rink made it even more meaningful, and the team and I are looking to carry this momentum forward heading to Delaware next weekend," Cole said.

Syracuse will travel to Delaware next weekend for a two-game series against the Blue Hens. Game One is scheduled for Friday, October 23 at 5:30 p.m., followed by Game Two on Saturday, October 24 at 3:30 p.m.

All home games are held at the Tennity Ice Pavilion on Syracuse University's campus and are free for students and the general public. Home games are also streamed live on the SU Hockey Network.