In the waning week of Syracuse’s season, its seniors did not discuss the ramifications of its final three games. The notion that they could go all four years without playing in the Atlantic Coast Conference tournament was known. If that did not motivate them, nothing would.

Syracuse’s (7-8-3, 2-6-2 ACC) senior class was its first to go through all four years in the ACC. In 2014, head coach Phil Wheddon said “from the back to the front, we have more depth than ever before,” after signing the core of the class. Once again, though, 2017 represented a missed chance for a class that Alana O’Neill called “special,” because it had talent at all positions.

As then-No. 4 Duke loomed on Oct. 22, the first match of the Orange’s final weekend of games against Virginia was a must-win to stay in ACC contention.

The Orange drew even with then-No. 12 Virginia, 1-1, on a Georgia Allen header, one of SU’s most methodical goals of the season. Then, the game, and Syracuse’s season, began to unravel.

After a penalty kick call and before the ensuing Cavaliers goal to put the game out of reach, 3-1, senior goalkeeper Courtney Brosnan approached the referee fuming. After the goal, Brosnan, who was typically visibly frustrated after allowing a score, flung the ball that just passed her toward midfield. It was the circumstances, Taylor Bennett said, more than the call that infuriated Brosnan.

Wheddon identified SU’s 3-0 loss to North Carolina State as a pivotal moment in the Orange’s season. A 0-0 tie with then-No. 19 Clemson didn’t seem encouraging anymore. The strong second half against then-No. 18 Wake Forest in a 1-0 loss seemed ages ago.

“I’m disappointed for them,” he said. “I’m disappointed myself. Each year we have one or two games that really hurts us.”

Eva Gordon, Alex Lamontagne, Jessica Vigna and O’Neill remember the promise of entering from prominent club and national team backgrounds. They hoped, Vigna said, to emulate the prestige of a program like North Carolina.

“We’ve tried to do our best to bring in top quality players into Syracuse,” Wheddon said. “At times we’re not able to get the national team players from the U.S. like (North) Carolina (and) Duke.”

These players proved able to compete for starting jobs immediately. O’Neill contributed her freshman season and once Brosnan established herself in net, she was on her way to becoming the all-time program leader in saves.

But the senior class had to adapt to the ACC, not the Big East, where SU made the conference tournament in 2012. Wheddon wanted to see them adjust to the physicality of the conference and be able to make decisions under pressure.

In 2016, it looked like they might’ve made the adjustment as Syracuse started 7-1-1, the Orange’s most wins through nine games since 1996. It ended with one win in their last nine games. This season, a 5-2-1 beginning with a tie against then-ranked Connecticut, faded into a 2-6-2 record in the ACC. Their struggles, Lamontagne said, were defined by an inability to finish.

“We just don’t capitalize on a lot of our opportunities,” Vigna said. “The other teams we’ll play, some of them will get five chances and put away three of them. So it gets really frustrating.”

Even with the letdown of never advancing into the playoffs, O’Neill saw the four years as an opportunity.

“I think a very measurable goal is if we make the tournament,” she said. “But ultimately the end goal is to get people enough exposure if they want to go professionally which I think Syracuse has brought for a lot of us … I’ve developed a lot more than I would probably at other schools.”

This senior class will be difficult to replace, Wheddon said, and Brosnan departs with those professional aspirations, which she’ll discuss with Wheddon as her final year concludes, she said. Brosnan has no regrets herself, she said, but felt disappointed not being able to compete in the postseason.

So did the rest of the senior class.

“For lack of a better term,” O’Neill said on the feeling. “Heartbroken.”

Published on November 1, 2017 at 8:21 pm

Contact Bobby: rpmannin@syr.edu