Phil Wheddon is happy with goalkeeper Courtney Brosnan’s play since she’s taken over in net for Syracuse this season. The freshman has allowed just 10 goals, made 51 saves and recorded two shutouts in eight games.

But despite her great play, the Orange has had trouble finding the net and only won two of the eight games since her return.

“Courtney’s been fantastic,” said Wheddon, Syracuse’s head coach. “You need someone who can come up with a special save when needed. She’s been unbelievable and I know that it’s been frustrating that we then haven’t turned around and scored at the other end.”

Syracuse (5-8-3, 2-5 Atlantic Coast) has struggled offensively since Brosnan returned from a preseason injury that sidelined her for the first eight games of the season. Through her five starts, the team has only scored five goals, three of which came in a 3-0 win over Boston College. With three games left in the regular season, SU hopes to give Brosnan the support she needs against No. 18 Virginia Tech (12-4, 3-4) at SU Soccer Stadium at 7 p.m. on Thursday.

“We’re going to have to get some sort of offense going if we’re going to want to compete with them,” Brosnan said of the three teams left on SU’s schedule. “If our defense stays solid, we just need to get something going up top.”

Wheddon said that after the Boston College game, he’d really seen a dip in his team’s offensive production. The team hasn’t scored a goal since its three scores in the second half of that win and has totaled only two shots in each of the three games that followed — losses to Florida State, Clemson and Notre Dame, respectively.

Following Syracuse’s 2-0 loss to Notre Dame on Saturday, Brosnan identified the team’s recurring problem as a lack of putting the pieces together in the final third of the field. The goalkeeper said that the defense is working as hard as possible, but with the shot disparity that’s been a reoccurring trend, it’s difficult to win.

The team is last in the ACC in shots per game, a fact that Wheddon said didn’t surprise him.

“We’re playing against good teams defensively, but we’re just not taking shots,” Wheddon said. “I think we’re looking for a perfect opportunity and sometimes you just don’t get those.”

Wheddon went on to further explain that although teams may accumulate more shots than the Orange, those turn-and-shoot opportunities aren’t always quality. He explained that balls that end up 10 to 15 yards high or wide of the goal still count as shots and he wants his team to capitalize on those types of “half chances” moving forward.

The team has been doing its best to address the problems it has been facing offensively with finishing drills in practice. It’s also worked on executing through balls and recently made a change in formation  — which included tucking in outside players — that sophomore midfielder Emma Firenze hopes will help the Orange attack challenge opposing defenses.

The importance on creating offense and taking pressure off Brosnan will be key against the Hokies, who have scored nine goals in seven games of ACC play as compared to Syracuse’s four in just as many.

The Orange is running out of games to provide goals to support its defense and Brosnan, who’s been an anchor since returning in the middle of the year.

“Courtney has been outstanding. It’s been great to know we have her back there,” Firenze said. “She’s making saves for us.

“We should be scoring goals for her.”

Published on October 23, 2014 at 12:10 am

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