As Syracuse’s players circled together just after the pregame introductions, Cornell’s sprinted to the far sideline and back to the bench — a ritual normally practiced postgame.<b

Within the first 41 seconds of the game, the Orange had already scored twice and from there, SU dominated.

Led by attacks Halle Majorana and Kayla Treanor, who had five and four points respectively, the Orange put Cornell away after capturing an early eight-goal lead. The Big Red was able to scrap a few goals at the end of each half, but No. 5 Syracuse (8-2, 1-1 Atlantic Coast) beat Cornell (5-2, 2-0 Ivy League), 14-8, in front of 433 at the Carrier Dome on Tuesday.

“We had some players step up I think a little better than they had, today, and got us off to a great start,” SU head coach Gary Gait said. “That was big. It was important.”

Off the opening draw, Treanor took the ball down low and drew the double team before dishing to SU attack Kailah Kempney after only 17 seconds had elapsed. Syracuse won the next draw and midfielder Taylor Gait put one in the back of the net.

But then, Cornell midfielder Sarah Hefner gave the Big Red life. She ran past SU defender Brenna Rainone to score and cut the lead to one.

Cornell’s players raised their sticks together on the sideline. A fan sitting behind the bench began pelvic thrusting.

But Syracuse quieted the Big Red celebrations with seven straight goals. Majorana slung one in while crashing to the ground, then Treanor faked high and pocketed one low before Majorana cut through the middle again and muscled a shot in off the goalie’s stick.

Each time, Gary Gait would watch the ball go in and turn to send a new group of players on the field for the draw.

“I think it was just the way the Cornell D was playing us,” Majorana said. “They played us in a backer D so it just opened up a lot of in the middle. I was able to cut and find the wide open spots in the field.”

Just under six and a half minutes into the game, SU was already ahead 5-1, and Gait began sending in backups.

Majorana’s third goal came on a three-on-one in transition for SU that left her alone just a few steps in front of the crease. Cornell goalie Renee Poullott threw her head back in frustration and stared into bleachers behind the net while her teammates huddled together.

“(We) jumped on them,” Gary Gait said. “ … (Our) first half shooting was great.”

When SU had the ball on offense, Cornell could hardly do anything to get it back. The Orange passed around defenders and cut through the middle with ease. Even Treanor was occasionally left undefended near the net.

She had been held without a goal the past two games, but managed two on Tuesday.

On the defensive end, Syracuse pressured the Big Red ball carriers into staying outside the 12-meter mark. Syracuse’s defenders and midfielders cut in front of passes and forced Cornell to throw several away.

“We were getting a lot of good pressure on the ball and we were causing a lot of turnovers,” SU defender Mallory Vehar said.

By the end of the first half, the Big Red had 14 turnovers and Syracuse had already used 21 different players.

Though Cornell was able to score five second-half goals, it was never able to overcome SU’s dominant start.

For a team that had played five of its last six games to one-goal decisions, a comfortable win was nice, Majorana said. And for just the second time all season, the defense kept its opponent to associate head coach Regy Thorpe’s goal of less than 10 goals allowed.

Said Vehar: “It was really nice today to come out strong and flying like I know we can.”

Published on March 17, 2015 at 10:30 pm

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