Syracuse Defeated 4-2 by Niagara
Syracuse senior Meghan Root scored one goal in the team's tough 4-2 loss against the Niagara Purple Eagles. Graduate student Natalie Weidenbach also scored, but the Orange fell to defeat in its second game of the season.
Syracuse started the game with intensity, pressuring the Niagara defense from the first kick. The pressure paid off early as the Orange scored in the first 6 minutes, after some fantastic wing play from Ashley Rauch gave Meghan Root an easy tap in.
Root was causing the Niagara defense headaches with her nonstop willingness to make runs. Syracuse couldn't sustain the pressure for long, and a lapse in concentration gave Niagara a way back into the game. Niagara junior Florence Vaillancourt capitalized on some poor defense by Syracuse, making the score 1-1.
Vaillancourt scored her second goal of the game five minutes later, which completely switched the momentum of the contest. Going into the second half, Syracuse had four shots on target compared to Niagara's two.
The start of the second half saw Syracuse up the intensity, and Meghan Root almost brought them level after her left footed shot hit the post. Syracuse couldn't make the pressure tell, however, as Vaillancourt completed her hat-trick and Djeynaba Thiam scored to seal the victory for the Purple Eagles.
Natalie Weidenbach gave Syracuse a consolation goal after she scored directly from a corner kick. Unfortunately, it was a brilliant goal that was overshadowed by the negative result.
Head coach Nicky Adams says the team could not adjust to Niagara's counter-attack.
"Niagara did a really good job of stretching us," Adams said, following the loss. "They just caught us those transition moments and just hit where it hurt."
The team will look to bounce back on Sunday against Eastern Michigan. The match will kickoff at the SU Soccer Stadium at 1 p.m.