Asa Goldstock banged the metal handle of her stick against the right goal post midway through the first half. She made sure she had the entire cage covered, then locked in on the Albany attack eight meters away. Seconds later, she extended her stick to the right to make a save.

Monday, after conceding 14 goals and then getting benched by head coach Gary Gait, Goldstock threw her stick and gloves on the sidelines in frustration. The confidence wasn’t there. But Saturday, as she stood up to the challenge to make one of three saves on the day, it was clear that she rediscovered whatever was missing against Stony Brook.

“Maybe I had a good game, but also I only saw three shots,” Goldstock said. “It’s mostly the defense getting all the stops — they got way more saves then I did today.” 

That lockdown performance from Syracuse’s (2-1) defense and Goldstock, paired with the team’s ability to balance patience with electric individual play on the transition, helped the Orange beat Albany (0-1) 15-3. It was the first time since 2017 that Syracuse held its opponent to three or fewer goals. 

Saturday morning, after the No. 4 Orange conceded 17 goals in last Monday’s one-goal loss to Stony Brook, they kept a clean sheet in the first half and did not concede until 11 minutes into the second half. Goldstock recorded her first career shutout. 

All game, SU’s defenders crowded the 12-meter arc, hustling to get numbers back and face the ball. Tight man-marking and pressure from the defensive unit limited the number of shots Goldstock had to face from within eight meters. Goldstock had so much faith in Kerry Defliese and Allyson Trice that the goalkeeper even vacated her net when Albany was attacking on two separate occasions to intercept a pass. 

“The difference (between today and Monday) is we’re getting those transition goals,” Goldstock said. “We’re getting the ball to the offense and they’re scoring, and when they score we feel better.” 

The Orange took full advantage of the transition and the counterattack when opportunities presented themselves. At the end of the first half, Sam Swart collected a loose ball at SU’s 10-yard line — 10 seconds later, she was at the Albany 10-yard line. Sprinting the length of the field at full speed, the Great Danes defense had no option but to foul Swart as she entered the 8-meter arc. She scored on the ensuing free position play. 

Jordan Phelps | Staff Photographer

Single-handedly, Swart’s efforts ignited the counterattack goal. But SU didn’t run full speed at Albany for the entire game, the way Swart did for the team’s eighth goal. 

“That goes back to my teammates and cutting open and moving around. That’s why it worked,” Swart said. 

The Orange picked their moments. They showed patience and composure, moving the ball around Albany’s cage until an opportunity for an offensive spark presented itself. 

Against an Albany team playing in its season opener, SU controlled possession around the Great Danes’ goal for multiple minutes at a time, connecting on as many as 15 passes. With less than nine minutes remaining in the first half, the Orange swung the ball from right to left and behind the cage and in front, eventually finding Megan Carney. Running from left to right around the 8-meter arc, she rounded her defender and found a wide-open lane to shoot. 

Just like Swart’s play late in the first half, Carney took the opportunity to bring the offense to life with an electric individual play. And just like Swart, it worked.  

In addition to outshooting Albany 33-12, the Orange spent the majority of the game in the Great Danes’ half of the field. Even Goldstock spent time in Albany’s half. For Syracuse’s fourth goal, she carried the ball past midfield before she connected on a 30-yard pass which flew over Albany’s entire midfield. Quick transitional passes from SU’s midfielders got the ball to Hawryschuk, who found a wide-open Carney for her first goal of the night. She’d finish the game with a team-high 5 goals. 

Swart, who slotted three goals, combined with Carney to make up for Emily Hawryschuk’s quiet two-goal performance. After struggling to take full advantage of the free position in its first two games, SU’s composure was on display as it scored on three of five of its chances during the first half. 

Defensively, Syracuse applied pressure on the free position and cut off Albany’s players, making them “easy shots to save from the goalie position,” Goldstock said. Gait said the team had a “long week of reflection” to learn from the Stony Brook loss. 

“Our defense certainly stepped up,” Gait said. “We just didn’t have a let down. We stayed mentally focused for the first 30 minutes and held them scoreless, so we did a really great job.”

 

Published on February 15, 2020 at 12:11 pm

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