Following a very promising start to the campaign, the Orange remain winless in their ACC matches so far this seaon.
Checking back in from September 11, the Syracuse Orange women’s soccer team were in flying form, having gone 6-1-1 in non-conference play heading into their ACC schedule. Now, just over a month later, what looked to potentially be the program’s best season in decades is now threatening to wrap up as a disappointment.
Since opening their ACC campaign on September 12 at SMU, the Orange have lost all of their ACC games (7) with three more chances to match or surpass or match their ACC record last season of 0-9-1.
Last season, the Orange’s lone ACC result came in a draw at Wake Forest, who they lost to 3-0 on September 29th. The Oranges ACC results this season go as follows:
Sep 12: 1-4 Loss @ SMU
Sep 15: 0-1 Loss @ Virginia Tech
Sep 19: 1-5 Loss @ Florida State
Sep 22: 0-1 Loss vs UNC
Sep 29: 0-3 Loss vs Wake Forest
Oct 5: 0-3 Loss vs Notre Dame
Oct 13: 0-3 Loss @ Pitt
Although the Orange were able to keep matches against VT and UNC very close, this negative run of form is likely very disheartening for the team. The closest the Orange came to getting an ACC result came in their home match against UNC where a late penalty-kick was the only way to separate the two sides.
Despite a valiant defensive effort and an impressive six saves from Shea Vanderbosch, the Orange back-line, which looked so convincing in the earlier periods of the season, was unable to stave off the UNC attack for the entire half.
Unfortunately, many of the team’s other results have been far less convincing. The 4-1 drubbing against newcomers SMU was a game the Orange would have been hoping to compete in as the Mustangs were not and have not been the best program in the ACC.
Instead, Cuse was outplayed for most of the match and outperformed in basically every statistical category. A few heroic saves from Vanderbosch and the defense were the only things keeping this score from being six or seven to one.
A loss to reigning NCAA Champions Florida State was always going to be expected, but in their three most recent matches, the Orange have lost each and provided little hope to fans that there is a way to bounce back from this dip in form.
Having lost each game 3-0, the Orange have lacked invention up front and look very overwhelmed at the back. The Orange have conceded over 31 shots a game over this stretch while averaging only seven themselves.
This rate is blatantly unsustainable, and brings question to whether Head Coach Nicky Adams is doing enough to get the best out of her team. The Orange look overrun in midfield each match, meaning that the ball is rarely provided to the talented attacking outlets of Erin Flurey and Ava Uribe.
Meanwhile, this lack of control in the middle places an insane amount of pressure on Vanderbosch and the defensive unit to keep Orange in games in often hopeless situations. Vanderbosch leads the ACC with an average of 6.47 saves per game, which is two more than her closest competitor.
If the Orange want to win more games in the future, something has to change in a manner that will give them greater ability to organize and dictate the tempo of games.
Luckily, the last three games of the Orange’s season will provide some of their best chances to pick up an ACC win. The team first faces NC State at home. The Wolfpack ranks as the worst team in the ACC outside of Cuse, meaning it will likely be their best chance as a result.
Just after this match, the Orange host Miami, who is third bottom in the division ahead of NC State and Syracuse. This fixture will provide the Orange with another appetizing opportunity to secure a win.
The Orange will conclude their season with a slightly more difficult but winnable match at Boston College on the last day of the month. For more updates on how these matches go, stay tuned.