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Following a flurry of second-period penalties, SU defender Rachel Teslak dove on the puck in the crease, setting up a penalty shot. On the ensuing scoring opportunity, Syracuse goalie Amelia Van Vilet stood strong.

As Megan McKay skated towards the left post, she attempted to drag the puck across the crease to beat Van Vilet. While Van Vilet originally was beat on the fake of direction, she extended her left pad just enough to deny McKay, keeping the score at 2-1.

On Syracuse’s senior day and final game of the 2023-24 season Saturday afternoon, Van Vilet was given the start in net over usual starter Allie Kelley. In just her fifth appearance of the 2023-2024 season and 13th overall in her four-year SU career, Van Vilet shined, tallying a career-high 42 saves. Despite the strong effort between the pipes, Syracuse (7-24-3, 4-14-2 College Hockey America) fell 4-1 to Mercyhurst (18-15-1, 14-6 CHA). Still Van Vilet’s big day on a momentous occasion was a positive note to end SU’s season on.

“She had some big saves in this game that’s nice to see,” SU head coach Britni Smith said of Van Vilet postgame. “Especially on senior night, her ability to make those saves.”

Van Vilet’s career performance began poorly, with pressure mounting within the Orange defensive zone constantly.

After saving the first six shots sent her way by the Mercyhurst offense, Van Vilet allowed a goal. Kylee Mahoney opened the scoring on a wrist shot in transition over Van Vilet’s blocker to give Mercyhurst a 1-0 lead. But after the early goal, Van Vilet settled in, finishing the period with 19 saves on 20 shots on goal.

In the second period, as mayhem ensued, Van Vilet was spectacular. While passing her previous career-high 27 saves just minutes into the period, it was what Van Vilet did with her team down a player or two for the majority of the period that made her a senior day standout.

The penalty trouble began nine minutes into the middle frame. Charlotte Hallett was called for a two-minute penalty for a hook followed by a five-minute major and game misconduct for hitting from behind. SU would need to kill a seven-minute power play for the Lakers.

But it only got tougher for Van Vilet and the Orange as they committed three more penalties within the time of the original two by Hallett, creating multiple minutes down two players. The Lakers capitalized once when Vanessa Upson deflected the puck over Van Vilet to retake the lead following a goal by Tatum White earlier in the period.

But through a nearly eight-minute stretch in which SU was down at least one player for its entirety, allowing just one goal was a win for Van Vilet and the Orange. Through the penalties, Mercyhurst was able to run through its systems and set up to find its most desirable shot. Still, Van Vilet didn’t waiver.

The performance by Van Vilet was a culmination of a four-year career that had most of her work go under the radar as it was mostly behind the scenes. But on a personal level, the matchup against Mercyhurst was a full-circle moment.

Her first-ever collegiate appearance for SU was against the Lakers. Although SU fell 5-2 in the contest, Van Vilet made 10 saves on 11 shots in her debut. After her final game was also against Mercyhurst, she reflected on the moment that represented her entire career.

“It was an honor that I got the opportunity to play,” Van Vilet said postgame. “Honestly, it didn’t really matter what was on the board and just playing with the girls that you started with.”

After killing off multiple penalties and allowing just one goal through a stretch where it was down a player or more, Van Vilet made the save of the game.

With a minute remaining in the second period and 15 saves already made in the period, Van Vilet erased what looked like an easy goal. Sofia Nuutinen backhanded a shot along the right of the crease into Van Vilet’s pad, but the puck deflected out to the left side. Along the left side was Upson, who met the puck with an open net in front of her. Upson shot the puck but Van Vilet came diving across the crease to make the save, keeping the SU deficit at one.

Earlier in the second period, Van Vilet’s penalty shot save proved to be crucial as it canceled out another Syracuse penalty in a period that featured five from the Orange.

While Van Vilet did allow two goals early in the third period, her ability to keep Syracuse in the game through the first two periods made for a career day in the likely final game of her SU career.

“She played amazing,” Defenseman Maya D’Arcy said of Van Vilet. “She made some really big saves that really kept us in the game and we couldn’t have done without her.”

Published on February 17, 2024 at 10:08 pm

Contact Aiden at: amstepan@syr.edu | @AidenStepansky