Syracuse Women's Soccer: Three Standouts From Win Over Binghamton
SYRACUSE, N.Y. – The Syracuse women’s soccer team returned to action Sunday night, welcoming in-state rival Binghamton to SU Soccer Stadium and coming away with a 2-1 victory. On a night where the Orange honored their six seniors pregame, the team came together and pulled their record on the season back to .500, now sitting at 2-2 on the year. In what ended up being a chippy game - Binghamton collected five yellow cards on the night - the cooler heads of the home side prevailed. Ashley Rauch and Kendyl Lauher got on the scoresheet for the Orange on either side of the halftime whistle, but the team was unlucky not to put more than two on the board as Syracuse ended up hitting the woodwork four times.
Below are three standout players from the match:
Kylen Grant
While Syracuse started out the game in the driver’s seat with an early goal, Binghamton was able to even up the score quickly and the game went to halftime tied at 1-1. The Orange dominated possession and had more dangerous attacks in the first half, with 13 shots to Binghamton’s six, but momentum was shifting at the start of the second half. That’s when junior defender Kylen Grant stepped up and made a series of massive defensive plays to settle down her back line and keep the score level.
“In those moments it’s just about composure,” Grant said after the game. “We have to collect ourselves, so it’s about recognizing we need to settle and clear the ball out and that we’ll be fine.”
Grant was a solidifying presence and a clear standout on Sunday night of a young Syracuse back line that has been strong in the first couple games of this young season. Her ball-winning ability and tenacity was on full display against Binghamton, and she’ll look to build on her performance on Syracuse’s upcoming three game road trip.
Ashley Rauch
Redshirt freshman Ashley Rauch is immediately recognizable during any Syracuse soccer game as a blonde blur on the pitch that attacks and defends with incredible intensity. Playing central midfielder as a young player is a tall task, but Rauch’s phenomenal technical ability on the ball allows her step up to the challenge.
“Ashley is really good in space,” head coach Nicky Adams said. “She is so dynamic; we can play her in multiple roles – she’s definitively an X-factor for us.”
Her passing and give-and-go plays with her teammates are usually where Rauch’s highlights come, but on Sunday night she scored Syracuse’s opener in style. Erin Fluery sent Rauch into the box on a long through ball and the midfielder calmly chipped the Binghamton goalkeeper with her left foot, that highlight alone enough to be locked in as one of these standout players eight minutes into the match.
The Senior Class
While this is technically cheating, I wanted to acknowledge the senior class in the same way the team did tonight. The class consists of six players: Zoe Van de Cloot, Hannah Pilley, Kate Murphy, Aysia Cobb, Raia James, and Mags Thorton. Five of these players are consistent starters for this team, and it’s easy to tell what they mean to the program on and off the field. Adams was emotional talking about the group postgame, calling them her “COVID class”.
“We’ve been through a lot in terms of building this program, with injuries and COVID,” Adams said. “It’s been a lot of ups and downs, but they’ve have stuck with us.”
This group will be key in leading the Orange throughout the season, as they try to continue the upward trajectory of the program. When Grant was asked about the seniors postgame, she kept her answer sweet and simple.
“The seniors are great, we love them,” Grant said. “Any opportunity to honor them is great, and we’re happy we got to celebrate the seniors with a win.”
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