Syracuse Women's Soccer Secures Win in Season Opener
Syracuse, N.Y. - In both the regular season and home opener the Syracuse Orange were able to secure a 2-1 victory over the New Hampshire Wildcats. This game showed a great deal of positives for the Orange with possibly the only negative being the bit of fatigue that showed through in the later part of the second half.
From the first whistle Syracuse put their foot on the gas. Erin Flurey scored just over two minutes into the game. She chased down a corner that was too high, carefully worked to her spot and did not disappoint with the shot. It did catch a piece of a Wildcat defender in the process. A second chance came from Ashley Rauch who ripped one from outside the box that just missed the top right of the frame.
New Hampshire was able to work a few corners early on, but they could not match the Orange in the first 45 minutes. Tactically the Wildcats needed to be much better about attacking the wings. The three in the back formation they played should have allowed them to utilize the wings and get out on the counterattack more than they were able to.
The impressive attack of Syracuse scored within the first ten minutes of the second half to make it 2-0. They controlled play from the first whistle and created multiple looks. It would finally be Florence Vaillancourt who found the back of the net. Chelsea Domond got the assist.
For a solid stretch after the goal New Hampshire was able to control play and get the ball to their attack. The issue was that they were forcing shots from too far away. They seemed to be playing either tired or frustrated, maybe both. The Orange even turned over the ball a few times in their defensive third and low-quality shots were taken by the Wildcats.
They were able to settle in to create a chance in the 65th minute. Kelly Alivia beat the Orange keeper Walsh and made it 2-1. Emily Bini got the assist for New Hampshire.
Both teams played a bit tired the rest of the way. There were a few chances here and there but nothing overly threatening. Overall, the Orange were able to control possession and seal their victory at the final whistle.
The Orange outshot the Wildcats 19 to 11 and 10 to 5 in shots on net. The most notable pressure from Syracuse came out of the break and at the start of the game. It was immediate pressure from the Orange that got the ball up field and got them their first goal. Out of halftime it was more the same as this team was much more imposing when they could press. It was a quality first win that will give the Orange plenty to build on.
The Orange will play against Connecticut next at home. The game will be at 1:00 p.m. and can be streamed on ACCN Extra.
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