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In Syracuse’s 3-0 loss to then-No. 5 Wake Forest last Sunday, the Orange were burned for not marking tightly enough on crosses. After that loss, Syracuse head coach Nicky Thrasher Adams stated that defending crosses had not previously been a problem for SU.

But the issue reappeared Saturday against No. 17 Notre Dame. After holding the Fighting Irish scoreless through the first 29 minutes, ND broke through — and it came on a cross.

ND’s Ellie Ospeck dribbled down the left flank with Iba Oching approaching. Ospeck feinted that she wanted to cut inside. She hesitated, getting Oching on her back foot, then burst past the defender. Ospeck got to the end line and dished the ball across the box. Lily Joseph awaited unmarked in the center and slotted her shot past SU goalkeeper Shea Vanderbosch.

“The goals we’re giving up between Wake and Notre Dame from wide areas is obviously a concern of mine,” Adams said postgame.

Syracuse (6-7-1, 0-6-0 Atlantic Coast Conference) fell 3-0 to No. 17 Notre Dame (8-1-2, 2-0-2 ACC) Saturday. In the defeat, Notre Dame managed 38 shots, which was the most SU had conceded since it allowed 42 attempts in a 6-1 loss to UNC last season. But Vanderbosch, who entered the match with an ACC-high 58 saves, came up with 12 stops — the highest tally she has recorded since managing 13 in that lopsided loss to the Tar Heels in 2023.

“(Vanderbosch) is great,” Adams said postgame. “We always know (she’s) gonna come up with unbelievable saves.”

Adams said that the fact her backline was made up of Kylen Grant, who started her 42nd straight game, and three freshmen allowed the Fighting Irish to make hay. Graduate defender Kate Murphy, who had started the previous 13 games, was limited to 36 minutes Saturday due to an injury. The Orange also lost midfielder and team points leader Ashley Rauch to an injury in the ninth minute.

“We worked really hard all week on a specific formation and the roles of everybody,” Adams said. “So I feel good that everybody, if we had to switch, knew what their roles were. I don’t think we were able to emulate it in training how fast Notre Dame is.”

Adams noted that the reserves that filled in on the backline and in midfield were not as quick as ND’s attackers, and it took time for them to adjust their play.

After conceding in the first two minutes against Wake Forest in its last game, Notre Dame tested Syracuse’s backline less than two minutes into Saturday’s contest. Grace Restovich fired an effort from the outside of the 18-yard box. Vanderbosch sprawled to her right and got enough on the shot to deflect it off the bar and prevent another early deficit.

Two minutes later, Vanderbosch was again forced to go airborne when she dove to her right to deny Leah Klenke’s attempt that was headed for the top left corner.

Eventually, the Fighting Irish broke through. In the 29th minute, Ospeck dribbled past Oching on the left side, finding Joseph for the score.

Notre Dame wasted no time doubling its advantage. Ninety seconds after breaking the deadlock, Joseph grabbed her second of the game to make it 2-0.

Leah Klenke carried the ball on the left wing, threading a ball into Restovich, who had her back to goal in the box. Restovich dropped a pass to the trailing run of Joseph at the top of the box. The freshman faked a shot, then cut onto her right foot. Joseph curled the ball into the top right corner.

With less than a minute left in the first half, Syracuse had its first chance. Erin Flurey served a free kick into a dangerous area. The ball landed on the outside of the box, where Gabby Wisbeck fired a shot, but her bid was tipped over by ND goalkeeper Sonoma Kasica.

Adams noted if Wisbeck’s shot found the back of the net that it could’ve given the Orange momentum heading into halftime.

Instead, three minutes into the second half, Notre Dame added a third goal. Charlie Codd operated at the top of the 18-yard box, cranking a looping left-footed strike. The effort clanged off the crossbar and fell on the goal line. Ellie Hodsden, who had her arms outstretched in celebration before she even got to the ball, toe-poked the ball home from close range.

The Fighting Irish had the Orange on the ropes and kept prodding, trying to extend their lead. In the 51st minute, Vanderbosch was forced into action again to cover Codd’s shot. Chukwu tried to sweep a score home in the 65th, but Vanderbosch snuffed out the chance by sprawling across the face of the goal.

With the game decided, Notre Dame held onto possession to close out the match. Adams praised ND’s pace of play and extended spells of possessions that left SU tired. She said when she was trying to make substitutions, sometimes, the players would have to wait a while to enter the game because of the Fighting Irish’s prolonged possessions.

“It’s just a handful,” Adams said. “Your head’s spinning the entire game.”

Published on October 5, 2024 at 5:25 pm

Contact Nicholas: njalumka@syr.edu | @nalumkal