After potentially her final collegiate practice at Tennity Ice Arena on Feb. 27, senior forward Stephanie Grossi stayed on the ice for an extra 30 minutes, practicing her craft.

She picked up the puck from the blue line, surged toward the net and fired a shot while skating sideways. Over and over, she repeated this process. Always trying to improve, she has at least one game left in her Syracuse career.

Losing three straight years in the conference title game, Grossi and the seniors are willing to do whatever it takes to win the first College Hockey America title in program history.

“This is not about us,” senior forward Alysha Burriss said. “It’s about doing this for everyone in that locker room and everyone who’s ever been in that locker room.”

Entering the CHA tournament, Syracuse (12-20-2, 11-8-1 CHA) has lost three of its last four games, including a scoreless home series against No. 9 Robert Morris last weekend. Each of the last six years, Syracuse has ended its season in the conference title game. But the Orange are not looking back at recent failures or the previous half-decade’s results as the team enters the conference tournament.

“We haven’t had the best season in general, so coach is putting a big emphasis on it’s a new season,” senior goaltender Abbey Miller said. “We get to start fresh this weekend and play our hearts out.”

This weekend marks the seniors’ last chance to finally win the CHA after losing in the conference title game each of the past three years. As freshmen, they lost to RIT in double overtime. As sophomores, they fell to Mercyhurst in overtime. Then, as juniors, they were shut out against Robert Morris.

The seniors’ final chance at a conference title is different, though. This is the first time that the Syracuse seniors will play in the first round of the conference tournament. SU received a bye each of the past three years.

If the Orange makes the championship game, it will play three games in as many days starting Thursday. It’s a seemingly daunting challenge, which Syracuse head coach Paul Flanagan is embracing.

“I’m not at all worried about three games in three days,” he said. “I think we’ve struggled a bit lately so maybe we can clear our heads, play some good hockey, and get some things going.”

On Thursday, SU faces Rochester Institute of Technology, a team it outscored 22-3 in four matchups this season. While the Orange swept and dominated RIT, SU is not overlooking the “hardworking” Tigers, Burriss said.

But SU has struggled recently, losing three of its last four games, including a shutout last weekend against Robert Morris. In the two games against the Colonials, SU was outscored 9-0. The Orange will have to make the final in order to play RMU again. For that to happen, SU needs to improve on both ends of the ice, Burriss said.

Still, before SU can even consider a rematch with the Colonials, it’ll need to down RIT and Mercyhurst first. With all eyes on Thursday’s game, SU is entering the playoffs with no regrets.

“Season’s over, clean slate. It’s playoffs,” Flanagan said.

Published on March 1, 2018 at 12:30 am

Contact Adam: adhillma@syr.edu | @_adamhillman