PSC Battles Syracuse Hard at Home

Saranac Lake, NY ~ The Paul Smith's College women's hockey team dropped back-to-back games over the weekend as they took on reigning AAU College Hockey national champion Syracuse University.  The 2-1 and 5-3 defeats were the closest games anyone has played against the Orange since they joined AAU last season.

On Friday, the Orange got on the board first with 28 seconds remaining in the opening frame.  Leah Coulombe (Jay, NY) would net the equalizer in the second period with Logan Shumaker-Gromek (Sparta, NJ) assisting.  Cuse would get back on top early in the third to make it 2-1, and the constant pressure from the Bobcats almost tied it back up multiple times, but in the end the visitors hung on to remain undefeated.

 "We were the better team in my opinion Friday for sure," said head coach Rob Burke.  "I told them they just sent a message to the rest of the AAU and the rest of the league that we're going to be there in the end come playoff time."

It was the first time that Syracuse had been outshot in a game as the Bobcats edged the Orange 31-30.  Both goalies played well, with Maddi Summa (Pekin, IL) stopping 28 shots in the loss.

Saturday's game was more prolific on the gamesheet with the final score ending up 5-3 in favor of the Orange.  Leah Coulombe scored twice while Dariana Patterson (Lake Placid, NY) picked up her seventh goal of the campaign.  Sam Barrett (Oak Park, IL) also notched an assist while Lola De Toni (Ottawa, ON) stopped 35 of 40 shots.

"The amount of heart and passion our girls played with two days in a row was amazing.  They were getting banged up every shift on Saturday yet they kept coming on stronger.  Even once we went down to eight skaters with almost half the game left to play, somehow they still found a way to play as hard or harder as the game progressed," added Burke, speaking openly about the effort and sheer determination his team played with against a tough opponent.

The Bobcats were already down a defenseman, having lost Brooklynn Shumway (Bloomingdale, NY) to a fractured arm last weekend, but then, halfway through the second, Shumkaker-Gromek went down with a pulled muscle.

Even with low numbers the Bobcats managed to outshoot the Orange in the third period (10-8) on Saturday.  This group feels reminiscent of the national championship-winning team from two years ago, and the hard work they're putting in now bodes well for their chances to lift the trophy once again in Jacksonville in March.

The women's hockey team is 4-2 overall and they're back at it next weekend when they take on rival Norwich at home on Saturday, November 8th before travel to Kreitzberg Arena on Sunday, November 9th.  Saturday's home game is at 11am and Sunday's away game is at 2pm.

You can follow the women's hockey team on Instagram at @pscwhockey or follow the general athletics account at @smitty_nation for scores, highlights, pictures, and much more!

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At Paul Smith's College, it's about the experience. As the only four-year institution of higher education located in the Adirondack Park in upstate New York, Paul Smith's provides real-world, hands-on learning in fields such as business and hospitality, culinary management, forestry, environmental sciences, and natural resources. We can draw on industries and resources available in our backyard while preparing students for successful careers anywhere. Our community of resourceful, enterprising, supportive, and adventurous individuals collectively provides experiential education, student support in the classroom and beyond, and meaningful opportunities for our alumni. We pride ourselves on research and advocacy on issues that improve our planet and the lives of the people who inhabit it. Learn more at www.paulsmiths.edu.