Kent State’s hockey team made a statement this weekend with its hard fight against Syracuse University.

Syracuse won the first game Friday night with a final score of 4-0. 

The Flashes took their third loss of the season personally and redeemed themselves Saturday night, winning 5-2.

Syracuse’s record is 4-1-1, while Kent is now 8-3-1.

GAME 1:

The team’s performance was different than usual this game, coach Zach Nowak said.

“It felt like things just weren’t going our way when we had the puck,” he said. “We just did not bring the effort to play like that and win.”

The Flashes were down 3-0 after the first and scoreless throughout the entire game.

The final score was 4-0 Syracuse. 

Nowak said the momentum from the previous weekend’s game heavily weighed on the team, making it hard to bounce back this game.  

GAME 2:

Syracuse took the lead with thirteen minutes left in the first period.

Kent State, within two minutes, scored three goals.

Sophomore defenseman Kyle Holmes scored his first goal as a Flash; senior forward Jack Kinsman and junior forward Johnny Gabriel were the three players to score within the two minutes, leaving six minutes on the clock in the first period.

Freshman forward Mathew Parker scored with 16:38 left in the second.

Lastly, a Kent State goal by freshman defenseman JJ Creighton brought the final score to 5-2 Flashes. 

Last year’s outcome against Syracuse was the opposite. 

Kent won the first, and Syracuse lost the second.

“I think we’ve gotten a lot better, and Syracuse has gotten a lot better too. Both teams have elevated their game, and I expect both ours and their team to be successful in this season,” Nowak said. 

UP NEXT

Kent State will now set its focus on Towson University this weekend at home.

The puck will drop Friday at 7:30 p.m. and Saturday at 7:40 p.m. at the Kent State Ice Hockey Arena.

Epiphany Graham is a reporter. Contact her at [email protected].