SYRACUSE, N.Y. - The Wayne State University women's hockey team (7-9-0, 1-5-0 CHA) dropped a 5-3 decision at Syracuse University (8-7-2, 2-0-0 CHA) on Saturday afternoon at the Tennity Ice Pavilion, resulting in a weekend sweep for the Orange.

The teams combined for six goals in the third period of what began as a very tight, low-scoring contest.

Gina Buquet (Lafayette, La./Ohio Flames) finished with three points on a goal and two assists, her third multiple-point performance of the season.

Megan Skelly and Jessica Sorensen had a goal and an assist each, and Julie Rising registered two assists as the Orange defeated the Warriors for the fifth straight meeting.

The Warriors, who played to a scoreless first period for the fifth time this season, snapped the 0-0 tie at 10:17 of the second period. Buquet fought off a defenseman on the near boards with Katie Gaskin (Pickering, Ont./Durham Jr. Lightning), who chipped the puck up to Jaclyn Stapleton (Westbank, B.C./Pursuit of Excellence) skating into the offensive zone.

Stapleton fired in a wrist shot between the pads of Kallie Billadeau and put the Warriors ahead with her first goal of the season and second of her career.

Three minutes later, Delayne Brian (Winnipeg, Man./Notre Dame Hounds) made a pad save on a blast from Rising, but Isabel Menard was in the slot to collect the rebound and put home her 11th of the year at the 13:19 mark.

In the early stages of the third period, a pass from Rising behind the net found Stefanie Marty out front, and Marty's shot caromed in off the post at 1:31 to put the Orange ahead.

During an SU power-play, a scramble for a loose puck ended with Skelly poking it in to make it a 3-1 game at 8:16.

Wayne State would score twice in less than a four-minute span later in the period, but the Orange were quick to answer both goals.

A shot by Buquet over the glove of Billadeau on a 5-on-3 power-play with assists from Jill Szandzik (Warren, Mich./Little Caesars) and Cari Coen (Manhattan Beach, Calif./L.A. Selects) reduced the WSU deficit to one at 12:52. Moments later, however, as Syracuse returned to full strength, Sorensen's blast from the high slot went in off the crossbar and restored SU's two-goal lead at 14:15.

Alyssa Baldin (Mississauga, Ont./Mississauga Jr. Chiefs) scored in similar fashion off the crossbar at 16:29 with help from Veronique Laramee-Paquette (Mont-Tremblant, Que./Les Cheminots) and Buquet to give WSU late life.

With 36 seconds left in regulation, Sorensen blocked a clearance attempt in the WSU zone and skated in 2-on-1 with Kelsey Welch, who sealed the SU victory.

Shots on goal favored Syracuse, 40-22. Brian and Billadeau collected 35 and 19 saves, respectively. Both squads finished 1-for-4 on power plays.

Wayne State is idle until Dec. 30-31 at Ohio State. The Warriors will begin the 2011 calendar year with six home games in January.