The Syracuse ice hockey team got its first-ever playoff win in the College Hockey America tournament semifinals, beating Niagara 5-3 Friday in Detroit. But the Orange could not pull off the upset of No. 1 Mercyhurst, falling to the Lakers 3-1 Saturday in the finals.

In the win over Niagara, the Purple Eagles jumped out to an early lead with a goal just 16 seconds into the game. But the Orange fought back. Powered by two goals from sophomore forward Lisa Mullan, Syracuse built up a 4-2 lead heading into the third.

In the final stanza, senior goaltender Lucy Schoedel held off a Niagara rally, making 10 saves in the final 20 minutes. Freshman Isabel Menard’s empty-net score sealed the win for the Orange.

Although SU could not pull out the tournament championship, it did keep the game with top-ranked Mercyhurst close. Schoedel tallied a career-high 48 saves, keeping Syracuse in the game.

Junior Stefanie Marty tied the score at one with a 5-on-3 goal with just more than five minutes left in the game. But a goal by Laker forward Ashley Cockell with 1:21 left followed by an empty-netter gave Mercyhurst the conference crown.

— Compiled by Asst. Copy Editor Zach Brown