On the power play midway through the third period, Syracuse center Jessica Sibley and her linemates began to bring the puck up from Syracuse’s net. In the confusion of who was going to take the puck, Vermont’s Delia McNally stole it.

McNally fired a shot on unsuspecting SU goalie Jenn Gilligan, who reacted quickly and made the save, sending the puck off to her right. But Catamounts center Casey Leveillee was there to send the rebound into the net, tying the game at four.

“It was totally disorganized,” SU head coach Paul Flanagan. “You get a little lazy, thinking you’re on the power play … and all of a sudden, ‘Oh jeez.’”

The shorthanded goal was the first of two Gilligan would give up after entering the game at the start of the second period, when SU (3-5-6, 2-3-1 College Hockey America) trailed Vermont (8-5-1, 1-2-0 Hockey East) by a goal. Gilligan replaced freshman Abbey Miller and gave the Orange a boost of confidence and stronger goal keeping, though not strong enough to stop Vermont from winning, 5-4 at Tennity Ice Pavilion on Saturday.

Miller allowed three goals in the first nine minutes of the game, the first two coming from an inability to get to the posts.

Left wing Amanda Pelkey, a member of the U.S. Olympic team, fired a pass from the corner that deflected off SU defender Megan Quinn and into the side of the net.

“She just wasn’t set, wasn’t ready,” Flanagan said. “That one made me a little nervous.”

Four minutes later, Pelkey scored again on a wraparound, which Flanagan said is a sign of a struggling goalie.

After the period, he pulled the freshman Miller in favor of the more experienced junior Gilligan, who has started all but two games in goal for the Orange this season.

With 4:35 left in the period, Brittany Zuback fired a shot at Gilligan who made the save, deflecting the puck over the goal.

Gilligan consistently deflected pucks into empty spaces of ice in the period, preventing the Catamounts from collecting significant rebound opportunities.

On Friday night in another loss to Vermont, Gilligan gave up three goals off rebounds.

“I thought my rebound control was a little bit better but the team’s ability to lift sticks and clear the rebounds in front of the net was just as good,” she said.

Gilligan’s line went unblemished in the second and the team appeared to perk up around her.

Flanagan said he made the decision to put her in partially to get his team going psychologically.

“With Gilly going back in there, it gave us a little confidence like it was a new game,” defender Nicole Renault said, “go back out there, fresh start kind of thing.”

SU scored two goals in the first four minutes of the third period and seemed to have the momentum.

A tripping penalty gave the Orange an advantage but then, the shorthanded goal.

“When we have the extra attacker we shouldn’t really be giving up opportunities in front of the net,” Gilligan said.

After the 4-4 goal, Gilligan stood up and flung the puck away with her stick, clearly frustrated with her defense.

Less than two minutes later, UV’s Amanda Drobot beat Gilligan on a one-timer to take the lead. Though SU put 37 shots on goal, it couldn’t come up with a fifth goal.

Players seemed happy with Flanagan’s decision to switch goalies, and the coach said he wouldn’t second-guess himself.

“We could’ve left her (Miller) in there and she would’ve shut them down the rest of the game, we don’t know,” Flanagan said. “We won’t know.”

Published on November 15, 2014 at 9:17 pm