Senior defender Ashley Cockell was suspended for Tuesday night’s game against No. 1 Cornell by College Hockey America, Syracuse head coach Paul Flanagan said. The suspension came due to a checking penalty she committed in Syracuse’s 3-1 win at Clarkson Nov. 12. It occurred with just 12 seconds remaining in the game and left the Clarkson bench infuriated.

Clarkson was so upset that it sent a game tape to its conference, the Eastern College Athletic Conference, for review, Flanagan said. The ECAC then passed the tape to the CHA. Conference commissioner Robert M. DeGregorio Jr. then made the decision to suspend Cockell for one game, Flanagan said.

Flanagan said he had never been involved in a similar situation in his career.

‘It took (the CHA) almost 10 days to figure something out,’ Flanagan said. ‘It was up to the commissioner, so that’s what ended up happening. I don’t know why it took so long, but that’s what happened.’

Flanagan said the team is moving on, but the Orange missed her leadership and presence against Cornell. The transfer from Mercyhurst has been a key contributor on and off the ice for Syracuse this season. She had played in all 14 games before Tuesday and ranked fourth on the team in points as a defender. Cockell is among the top defenders nationally in scoring.

Without Cockell, arguably the team’s best defender, the defense was overwhelmed by Cornell. Syracuse couldn’t stop its vaunted offense, which generated 61 shots on goal and peppered freshman goaltender Kallie Billadeau all night.

Flanagan said Cockell brings an intensity to the ice that affects the rest of the team.

‘She’s very skilled and she’s strong, and that’s one of the things aside from scoring goals last year is that she has a real physical presence,’ Flanagan said. ‘She’s in your face, whether it’s in front of the net (or) in the corner.

‘She’s not afraid to block shots, so she brings a real toughness to our team.’

Syracuse needed that toughness and physical presence badly in its game against the speedy Cornell offense. The Big Red was always on the attack, getting open shots whenever it wanted.

Cockell’s absence forced other players to step up in a tough game. Flanagan said he was content with the defense’s play, despite its lack of experience as a unit.

‘Some of the girls that were playing more than a regular shift or special teams, sometimes they don’t even get much ice time,’ Flanagan said. ‘I thought they did a real good job.’

Billadeau noticed the effort and support from her defense on a night when she saved 57 shots.

‘(The defense) played well. They saved me a lot,’ Billadeau said. ‘I left out some really bad rebounds, and they were there to shoot it away.’

Flanagan said the game was a good experience for the younger players.

‘When (Cockell) is in there, she plays a ton,’ he said. ‘They just have to step up and get used to it.’

Senior Julie Rising said the youth of the defense is still apparent as SU fell below .500 with the loss.

‘I think we struggled a couple times getting it out of the zone, but we just have to clear in front of the net and just be more confident, not throw away the puck,’ Rising said.

The Orange will receive a boost when Cockell returns to the lineup this weekend. SU opens conference play at home Friday against Wayne State University (7-7, 1-3 CHA).

Flanagan knows the Orange needs Cockell on the ice to win games. It’s why the head coach signed the transfer when she decided to leave Mercyhurst.

‘I think when you look at our lineup back there, our blue line, we’re not that big,’ Flanagan said. ‘I think she was really someone who, if we could make a trade in the summer, that’s the type of player we could be looking for.’

rjgery@syr.edu

 

Published on December 1, 2010 at 12:00 pm

Contact Ryne: rjgery@syr.edu