Syracuse, N.Y. — Syracuse Men's Hockey (0-2) opened its home schedule with a two-game series against West Chester University this weekend. In the nonconference matchup, the Orange dropped both contests, falling 5-2 in the opener and 5-4 in overtime in the second game

Syracuse drew a strong crowd for its home opener on Friday evening, but the visitors struck first, scoring just 32 seconds into the game.

However, the Orange answered quickly. Twenty-four seconds later, alternate captain sophomore forward Ben Brant tied the game at 1 off a stretch pass from junior forward Cam Gaffney.

"It felt good to respond quickly, especially after giving up goals in the first 30 seconds of games so many times this season," said Brant. "After a long weekend in Ohio, it was nice to finally get a bounce our way."

Sophomore goaltender Cash Lawrence stood strong between the pipes throughout the first period, before giving up a late tally to give the Golden Rams a 2-1 lead heading into the first intermission.

Despite trailing, Syracuse outshot the Golden Rams 10-8 in the opening period; a theme that continued throughout the weekend.

Syracuse went on the power play just one minute into the second period, and both powerplay units generated several quality chances. West Chester's penalty kill held firm, blocking back-to-back shots from the Orange. Note: I'm not sure what is meant here but Pendergrass does not play on the powerplay.

At the other end, Cash Lawrence made two remarkable saves, stopping West Chester on both a 2-on-1 and 3-on-1 rush midway through the period.

Syracuse allowed two goals before the end of the middle  period and entered the third facing a 4-1 deficit.

West Chester scored again early in the third to extend their lead to 5-1. 

The third period featured several powerplay opportunities for Syracuse, including two separate 5-on-3 opportunities. West Chester took back to back penalties around the midway mark of the third period and then 2 simultaneous penalties with just under 4 minutes left in the game. It was then that the Syracuse man advantage was finally able to break through as Ben Brant scored his second goal of the game off a setup from freshman forward Jacob Roberts.

"Ben's contributions on the scoresheet are obviously a big help to us, but it's more about his approach and passion for the game that has helped us going forward," said Head Coach Chris Timmons. "It's a big reason why he has a letter on his jersey, and I think he's going to be a big part of us getting on the right track come next weekend when we start conference play."

The Orange fell 5-2 in the series opener despite outshooting West Chester 29-19. Syracuse outchanced the Golden Rams but couldn't convert at a rate  to close the gap.

Following a tough game-one defeat, the team remained composed and determined for a better result in Saturday's contest.

Game 2 opened on a quiet note, with both teams unable to capitalize on their chances early. Syracuse goaltender Cash Lawrence kept his cool, stopping a premium  scoring chance from the Golden Rams' Dylan Hineman near the conclusion of the opening period.

Penalties were traded between Syracuse and West Chester, one of which was earned from the hustle of junior center Bradley Parker, forcing a West Chester defender to pick up a holding call to avoid a breakaway.

However, neither team could capitalize. Syracuse's penalty kill was up to the task all weekend,  killing off all 10 WCU powerplays.

"It's been one system that we have bought into from day one," said Timmons. "It's shown in its results."

The opening 20 minutes ended in a scoreless draw.

It was the second period where the action started to pick up. One opportunity came from junior winger Tanner Cole with a long wrister, which was just turned aside by Rams goaltender Jake Rossi.

With just under 11 minutes remaining in the period, it was the Orange lighting the lamp first, off the stick of defenseman Jack Duffy. The sophomore's tally came with Syracuse on the man advantage.

The Orange continued to roll as the period went on, with the puck finding the stick of freshman winger Jacob Roberts, who tucked a shot just below the crossbar from the right face-off circle, giving Syracuse a two-goal advantage. The goal was the Florida native's first of his young career.

"It was cool to get that monkey off my back early in the season," said Roberts. "Hopefully more to come."

West Chester did have an answer with a goal of their own just before the period finished, but Syracuse still sat in the driver's seat up 2-1 with 20 minutes remaining.

The Golden Rams began their quest for an equalizer early but were denied in the opening minute by the right pad of Lawrence, keeping SU ahead for the time being.

It was the eventual game-tying goal from West Chester that put another spark in the Orange to grab the lead back.

Bradley Parker did exactly that by netting his first tally of the season with an assist from Tanner Cole.

Shortly after, senior winger Brendan Duffy expanded the lead and gave Cole his second point of the afternoon.

Syracuse held a  4-2 lead until about four minutes remained, when Zach Crain scored his second goal of the game to cut the deficit to one.

The game-tying goal from West Chester came with 1:15 remaining in the game, five seconds after the Golden Rams pulled their goalie with an attacking zone faceoff. The equalizer sent the game to a 3 on 3 overtime period.

In overtime, Timmons elected to start the trio of Nathan McLean, Ben Brant, and Ryan Thomas ahead of the five-minute period. The group created numerous scoring opportunities, including a backhand chance in tight, but weren't able to put the puck past the West Chester netminder.

Moments later, the Orange desperately needed a line change, which allowed West Chester to get a favorable scoring chance. Dylan Hineman slid a backhander past Lawrence for his third point of the day and sealed the win for the Rams.
Though it was a heartbreaking finish, the team remains confident that they can turn things around.

"We outplayed [West Chester] two straight nights," said Brant.

The squad knows it'll come down to shutting the door late when the opportunity is presented.

"We just have to learn how to close out a game," said Roberts.

The shot totals swung heavily in favor of the Orange both days, showcasing the offensive potential the team has. On Saturday afternoon, 'Cuse outshot WCU 54-36. 

"We showed persistence and resilience," said Timmons. "Regardless of the certain things thrown at us."

Up next, Syracuse will host the Stony Brook Seawolves, who will make their way to the Tennity Ice Pavilion on Saturday evening. Puck drop is set for 7:30pm for game 1 and the series will conclude on Sunday afternoon at 2:00pm. 

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