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Pauline Machtens had just kicked the ball into the net, edging Syracuse closer to tying Pittsburgh’s 3-2 lead 51 minutes in. But Brandon DeNoyer stood up from his sideline chair in anger and repeated the same phrase.

“You have to work,” DeNoyer yelled, clapping his hands.

When Syracuse (4-9-1, 0-7 Atlantic Coast) did the “work” on Thursday, they created quick pressure and caused Pittsburgh (9-6, 2-5 ACC) to lose possession, and scored two goals. On the other side of the field, though, Syracuse’s defense allowed four points and 15 shots on goal. In the Orange’s highest-scoring game against ACC opponents this season, SU lost 4-2.

“It was entirely on us. I don’t think Pitt did anything crazy that put us in a situation that made us defend the way we had to,” head coach Nicky Adams said. “When we were good, we should’ve been up 3-0 at one point.”

Throughout the season, Adams has blamed losses on injuries, players playing out of position and players becoming fatigued during the full 90 minutes. And with Syracuse coming toward the end of its schedule, it still remains winless in seven conference games. It’s nearly a mirror image of last season when Syracuse went 1-7 in ACC play and scored five total goals throughout the season.

But against Pittsburgh, Syracuse gained its first lead against an ACC opponent this season. Nine minutes in, Natalie Weidenbach lined up for a corner kick and directed it toward Jenna Tivnan’s head. The center back received the ball and knocked it toward the middle of the box onto the ground near Hannah Pilley, who then kicked a point-blank chip shot that managed to break into Pittsburgh’s goal.

But SU then went back to its normal self, the one that’s now on an eight-game losing streak. The Orange eventually lost possession after recording seven shots, erasing their own lead after holding it for just 11 minutes. Near the baseline of Syracuse’s box, Pittsburgh’s Sarah Schupansky received the ball, twisted her body, took one step back and fired with her left foot. The ball went into the left corner of the goal. Then Landy Mertz crossed the ball toward a sliding Leah Pais, who redirected it into the net.

Adams said she noticed in the first half when the Orange would pressure against Pittsburgh. The Panthers’ defense would unlock and cause Syracuse to gain scoring opportunities. Pressure is what caused Pilley’s first-half goal and what prompted DeNoyer to continue saying “do the work” in the second half, Adams said.

In the second half, the Orange allowed two more goals, one caused by a goal that made Lysianne Proulx dive into her own net in an effort to save it. With the increased offensive pressure, Weidenbach earned an opportunity to line up for a free kick near the center circle, causing Machtens to score and slice Pittsburgh’s lead to one.

The Panthers eventually tacked on an Anna Bout insurance goal 13 minutes later, stretching the lead to two. In the remaining minutes, DeNoyer propped himself up from his chair and kept on calling out the same message he gave his team before.

With six seconds left, Meghan Root tried to keep possession, beating off three defenders as they enclosed inside the left side of Pittsburgh’s box. A whistle then sounded with the referee blowing the play dead for offsides, capping off yet another conference loss because the Orange couldn’t keep up offensively.

Published on October 18, 2021 at 6:52 pm

Contact Christopher: [email protected] | @chrisscargs