To describe the experience of playing on the newly installed Carrier Dome ice, Syracuse junior goalie Jaime Ketchabaw didn’t need many words.

“Unbelievable,” Ketchabaw said. “Absolutely unbelievable.”

In the first night of hockey in the Carrier Dome’s history, No. 22 SU (11-7) defeated West Virginia (9-9) by a score of 5-2 on Friday night in part of the Frozen Dome Classic. The victory was largely a result of an improved ability to finish late in the game, which the team placed a heavy emphasis on this week during practice.

Head coach Nicholas Pierandri said that some of the team’s close losses this season could have been won had the team played stronger at the end.

“We worked on that this week. We worked on finishing,” said Pierandri. “We spent two whole practices just on scoring, just on making sure the puck gets into the back of the net, and I felt like tonight they came out and they put the puck in the back of the net.”

This work showed on the ice on Saturday night, as the team scored three goals in the third period of play after leaving the second period with a 2-1 lead.

The first goal of the final period, scored by junior defenseman and captain Nino DiPasquale, came off of an early power play for the Orange. West Virginia forward Kyle Dolly went on to score, cutting the deficit back down to one goal, but then Syracuse took over.

Freshman forward Zach Bunick scored on another third-period power play around the period’s halfway point, and DiPasquale netted a shorthanded goal with just less than three minutes left in the game to solidify the victory.

DiPasqaule, who ended the game with two goals and an assist, said that a strong effort throughout the game earned the victory for the team.

“I believe we wanted it more compared to them,” DiPasquale said. “And just all over the ice we contested the puck and won mini-battles that eventually won the game.”

While SU’s efforts were strong on the offensive end, solid goaltending also contributed to the final result.

Senior goalie Austin Lefkowicz played just more than half of the game before Ketchabaw took over for the remainder. Pierandri said that they are both important to the team and that they both deserved to play in this event.

Collectively, the two goalies stopped 38 of West Virginia’s 40 shots on goal.

Ketchabaw said that he played the game as if it were any other, but Pierandri said this game was a different experience for the team.

“It wasn’t just another game. I think we played it down a little bit that way,” Pierandri said. “It was really an opportunity for us to showcase the team, and I thought we did a nice job today getting the win.

“And I think it propels us forward, and I think we’ve won four out of the last five, and we’re going to try to keep it rolling.”

Published on November 22, 2014 at 1:16 pm

Contact Kevin: kjpacell@syr.edu