The Orange came up empty-handed on their first two corner kicks of the game. But in the 21st minute, the ball found Meghan Root in the box and she flicked it forward. Off a deflection, the ball landed right in front of Shannon Aviza’s foot, who struck it low and out of the goalie’s reach into the back of the net.

After Aviza’s goal brought Syracuse’s (2-0) offense to life, the Orange scored three goals — a feat it accomplished just once last season — behind nine shots on goal and held Siena to just 10 shots. With the victory, Syracuse now has its first two-game win streak since Aug. 23, 2018. Its offensive dominance showed throughout, but its set piece conversions made the difference on Thursday night in a 3-0 win over Siena (0-3) at SU Soccer Stadium. 

“That’s why there are set pieces in a game to give teams advantages if they earn them,” forward Sydney Brackett said. “So if you can make the most of those shots and be consistent with those shots or practice them enough so you know when you get here it’s gonna be in your favor, then that’s all you can hope for.”

The Orange continually pounded shots on goal, outshooting the Saints 16 to 10, starting with a Brackett shot on goal just a minute into the game. In the 47th minute, Syracuse again crammed the box when a Siena defender was called for a handball. Taylor Bennett stepped up to to attempt the penalty. She drilled the ball to the back left corner of the net, way out of the goalie’s reach.

“I wanted it pretty bad,” Bennett said. “I’m pretty confident with penalty kicks.”

Bennett said head coach Nicky Adams preached Syracuse needed to be “ballhawks.” Part of the strategy, according to Adams, was to exploit the weaknesses of Siena’s outside backs and get that one extra pass.

In the first half, and in much of the Orange’s first game, the focus of the offense was long balls passed to Brackett. Adams said her team was in “too much of a hurry” to make that play and that extra pass was still needed in order for Brackett to wiggle free. In the second half, Syracuse settled down.

“We needed to get that final third pass on the floor, committed defender,” Brackett said. “I would be able to peel off and that would be more composed going into the box than just the long ball.”

That mentality paid off for Brackett on another corner kick in the 61st minute. After several deflections, Brackett found herself with the ball in front of a wide open goal and converted.

Under Adams, Syracuse’s offense is expected to reverse its stagnancy on offense from last season. In just two games the Orange have rattled off 33 shots and four goals, already over a third of the way to their total of 11 from last season.

“They have completely bought in,” Adams said of her team. “…They are fighting tooth and nail to become the best SU team that we’ve had.”

Published on August 29, 2019 at 10:58 pm

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