Tennity Takedown: Syracuse Beats Rival Mercyhurst for the First Time

Story and Photo by Cody Love

Video by Michael Castellano

SYRACUSE, N.Y- It took 31 tries, but the Syracuse Orange is finally a winner against its toughest hockey rival.

The Orange avenged Friday night's 5-1 loss with a 4-1 win of its own over the seventh-ranked Mercyhurst Lakers in a conference matchup at Tennity Ice Pavilion Saturday afternoon.

The Orange had been 0-28-2 against the Lakers coming into the game.

That includes eliminations at their hands in each of the last five CHA tournaments, three of which were championship games.

"There's no words to describe how good it feels," senior captain Julie Knerr said, "It's unbelievable, it's about time...it's an amazing feeling."

Melissa Piacentini, the team's leading goal scorer, got the game-winner and an empty-netter to bring her total up to five on the season.

She led the team last year with 30 points and 17 goals, but had not found the back of the net since she scored two against Providence on Oct. 18.

"It feels good to score and get back on the stat sheet," Piacentini said. "But I think what feels the best is actually winning, and we got that today, so it's awesome."

Both teams started the game with good chances, but it was Mertcyhurst who ended up controlling most of the action in the first, going on the power play twice and outshooting Syracuse 16-8.

But the period ended scoreless thanks in large part to Orange goalie Jenn Gilligan.

"I go into it thinking just stop the puck no matter how many shots you see," Gilligan said, "For me, it's better to be too busy than not busy enough."

Mercyhurst got the first goal of the game just over five minutes into the second period when Jennifer McAskill slipped the puck past Gilligan, who angrily argued that she was interfered with.

"I mean, I may have used some colorful language with the referees," Gilligan said.

After a lengthy video review, the goal call stood.

Syracuse struck back about six minutes later when defenseman Nicole Renault came to the loose puck between the faceoff circles and ripped a shot past Laker goalie Amanda Makela.

In the early stages of the third period, it became clear that the miomentum was tilting in Syracuse's favor.

Midway through, Piacentini put the Orange ahead on the power play when her backhand shot slid between Makela's legs.

Mercyhurst tried desperately to equalize but could not, thanks to more Gilligan saves and several blocked shots.

Empty-netters by Alysha Burriss and Piacentini iced the game for the Orange.

This win keeps Syracuse in a tie for second place in the conference alongside Lindenwood with a 2-1-1 record and five points.

The Orange remains one point behind Mercyhurst (3-1-0), but looks to build off this milestone win.

"That's the team that's got a target on their back," Head Coach Paul Flanagan said, "And that's where we want to be."

Both teams now take a break from conference action with the Lakers travelling to face Ohio State on Tuesday night and the Orange hosting a weekend series against Vermont.


Around the Conference

Lindenwood picked up some revenge of its own at home against Robert Morris.  The Colonials won 3-2 in overtime Friday night, but the Lions struck back with a 4-3 win today.

Both Penn State and RIT went on the road to face ECAC teams.  Penn State's 3-1 win over Colgate gave them a road weekend sweep, while RIT salvaged a point from their trip to Princeton with a 0-0 tie.


Post Game Comments

G Jenn Gilligan


F Melissa Piacentini


F Julie Knerr


D Nicole Renault


F Emily Costales


Head Coach Paul Flanagan

Duke Stomps Syracuse's Bowl Hopes in Fourth Quarter, 27-10


By Gabriella Kreuz

Photo courtesy cuse.com

Syracuse went stride for stride with No. 22 Duke for three quarters on SU's Senior Day in the Carrier Dome Saturday.  But a series of unfortunate events in the 4th quarter extinguished the Orange's chances at a bowl game in a 27-10 loss to the Blue Devils.

"It hurts," Head Coach Scott Shafer said. "It was one of those goals that we wanted to come back and reach. And we didn't."

In what's been the trend all season, the Syracuse defense held strong to keep the Orange in the game when the offense struggled to make plays. The Orange had 12 players out, including three offensive linemen as well as first-string quarterback Terrell Hunt and backup AJ Long.

Still Syracuse held its own through the third quarter with two redshirt freshmen sharing the quarterbacking duties. Austin Wilson started at QB and finished the game, going 11-of-19 passing for 68 yards. In between Mitch Kimble went 6-of-13 for 37 yards and ran for a touchdown before going out with an injury.

After trailing the Blue Devils 10-3 at the half, Syracuse held Duke scoreless in the third quarter. At second-and-seven on the Duke 8-yard line, Kimble rode Ervin Philips into the line, then pulled the ball out and ran eight yards into the end zone for a touchdown to cap a nine-play, 67-yard drive. Cole Murphy's extra point tied the game at 10-10.

With about a minute to go in the third, Syracuse was pinned at its own one-yard-line when Will Monday's 56-yard punt was downed by DeVon Edwards. The quarter ended with a three-yard run on second down by Prince-Tyson Gulley.

Pivot Point

The Orange started the fourth quarter with the ball on its 4-yard line. On third-and-seven Kimble threw an incomplete pass intended for Jarrod West. Riley Dixon's 52-yard punt was returned ten yards by Jamison Crowder to the Syracuse 46-yard line.

On third and four from the Orange 40-yard-line, Boone's pass intended for Crowder was intercepted by Brandon Reddish at the SU 2-yard-line, stopping the drive but pinning the Orange deep in its own territory for the second consecutive possession.

On first down, Gulley was dropped for a one-yard loss. On second down Kimble's pass for Jamal Custis fell incomplete.  On third down, Rob Trudo was flagged for a false start and the Orange headed in the wrong direction. Kimble then threw another incomplete pass, this time intended for West.

It got worse.

On fourth down, Crowder fielded Dixon's 51-yard punt and took it back 52 yards for a touchdown. Ross Martin made the extra point and puts the Devils ahead 17-10 with 12:45 left in the fourth.

Wheels Fall Off

On third-and-two, Kimble was dropped for a two-yard loss, setting up what might have been the biggest play of the afternoon.

On fourth and four from the Syracuse 31-yard line, the Orange's fake punt with Devante McFarlane taking a direct snap gained just one yard and Syracuse turned the ball over on downs.

Duke took advantage. On fourth down Martin kicked a 34-yard field goal to extend Duke's lead to 20-10 with a little over nine minutes to go in the fourth quarter. Jack Willoughby's kickoff sailed into the end zone for a touchback.

Wilson's second-down pass was intercepted by Breon Borders and returned to the Blue Devils' 42-yard line.

On third-and-six from the 36, Anthony Boone completed a pass to Isaac Blakeney, who dodged a tackle and raced down the sideline for a 54-yard touchdown. Martin's extra point closed out the scoring putting the Blue Devils on top, 27-10. Syracuse's last two possessions ended in punts.

Tough Moment On Senior Day

The loss was a hard one for the seniors who played their last game in the Dome Saturday night.

"It's devastating," said Gulley, a fifth-year senior. "As long as I've been here, four years we went to three out of four bowl games, so that's pretty much all I know. For us not to make one kind of hurts, but I just take it on the chin."

Coming Up

Syracuse has a much-needed bye week before the team travels to Pittsburgh to take on the Panthers on Saturday, Nov. 22. Kickoff time at Heinz field will be announced this coming week. The Orange closes out the season the following weekend at Boston College.

Syracuse finished one of their worst
 records in the Dome in school history (5-1)

Syracuse Crunch Falls 4-3 to Norfolk Admirals in Overtime

Story and photos by Julia Morris 

Norfolk Admirals’ defenseman Shea Theodore picked a good time to find the net for the first time this season, scoring a game-winning goal in overtime to lead his team to a 4-3 victory over the Syracuse Crunch Friday night.  The score came 2:01 into the sudden death overtime period, ending a physical battle that included 24 penalties between the two teams.

Syracuse scored the first goal of the game and led several times but failed to stay ahead. 

In the opening period, the Crunch (4-4-2-0) took a 1-0 lead when defenseman J.P. Cote scored just 3:51 into the game. Left wing Henri Ikonen passed the puck across the offensive zone to center Mike Angelidis on the left side of the net.  Angelidis fired a shot that was blocked by Admirals’ goalie Igor Bobkov but Cote was waiting for the rebound and slid the puck between Bobkov’s legs for his first goal of the season.

“There’s a lot of good things we did tonight,” Cote said. “We had a pretty solid first period I thought.  You just can’t release. You have got to keep going and that’s the main thing we have to learn.”

Shortly after the goal, Crunch center Tanner Richard and Admirals’ defenseman Jesse Blacker dropped gloves, one of many scuffles throughout the game.  Richard fired punches and both players fell to the ice, increasing the cheers of fans at the War Memorial Arena.

Crunch builds lead, Admirals catch up

The Crunch scored 6:51 into the second period on a power play. Captain Jonathan Marchessault scored his fourth goal of the season to give the Crunch a 2-0 lead.  While Syracuse converted on that opportunity, overall the team was only 1-7 on the power play.

“We had good plays but we weren’t burying and we got a little casual,” Marchessault said.

The Admirals (5-6-0-0) responded with two quick goals, both coming with less than five minutes remaining in the second period.  Admirals’ left wing John Kurtz fired a shot and Crunch goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy made a nice glove save, one of his 29 on the night. But shortly after Admirals’ left wing Nic Kerdiles scored and cut the Crunch lead to 2-1.  Center Chris Wagner scored with just 17 second left  to tie it at 2-2 heading into the third period. 
 

“I think we just gave them a bit too much room and obviously it came back to bite us,” defenseman Jake Dotchin said.

The Crunch struck first in the third period but once again failed to hold the lead. Just 1:02 into the third, right wing Jerome Samson had the puck behind the net of the Crunch’s offensive zone.  He shoveled a pass to Angelidis, who found the net and put the Crunch ahead 3-2.  

But the Admirals answered 6:44 into the period – this time on a short-handed goal.  Center Joseph Cramarossa lit the lamp to shift momentum in favor of the Admirals. The Crunch have given up a league-leading five short-handed goals this season.

“Some of the shifts we weren’t as good as we should have been, as solid as we should have been,” Cote said. “Once you don’t show up for a minute the momentum can switch and that’s the kind of league we’re in and we have to learn that.”

Norfolk carried its scoring momentum into overtime and Theodore's goal gave the Admirals the victory.

The two teams will face off again Saturday night at the War Memorial Arena.  Game time is set for
7 p.m.

SU men's soccer team looks forward to creating November memories

Oyvind Alseth in the game

Story and photos by Jiayang Zhang

Syracuse N.Y.- The last regular-season game went on and on, all the way to double overtime. Both teams needed to win. For Boston College, this was a do-or-die battle to assure a spot in the ACC tournament. For Syracuse, this win would be a key to open the door for playing postseason games at home. 

The Syracuse University men’s soccer team lost only two games this season, and tied one. Before Friday night’s game, the Orange always had been the first to score, except in the 1-0 loss to Notre Dame and 0-0 tie with North Carolina State. But the 11th minute goal by Boston College senior midfielder Diego Medina-Mendez forced the Orange to fight an uphill battle for the first time this season.

Eighteen minutes later, Syracuse tied the score in the 29th minute. Oyvind Alseth broke through Boston College’s defensive line and was taken down in the box, earning a penalty kick for the Orange. Senior captain Nick Perea took the penalty kick as usual, calmly hitting the ball into the lower right of the net.

In the rest of the regulation time, neither team was able to break the tie. Syracuse dominated the game, and had several chances to end it earlier, but Boston College goalkeeper Alex Kapp made great saves to keep his team in the game. 

Entering overtime, both teams players appeared exhausted and could barely complete their moves. Finally, SU's other senior captain Skylar Thomas stepped up for the Orange in the 103rd minute. The 6' 3" defender seized a rebound from a shot by Alex Halis and fired it into the net.

The stadium exploded with pure excitement. 

“It’s a special night,” Perea said with a broad smile after the game. “We’ve been with this team for so long. We’ve gone through so much. First year here, we were 3-12. And we’ve turned this program around, all of us together. And I’m proud what we’ve accomplished.” 

Thomas, who scored the winning goal, said for the first time in his four-year career he played the last game of the regular season knowing the Orange was going to go to the postseason.
 

“It was a good feeling,” Thomas said.   

Kelly: Taking on a tough team

Alex Bono hugs BC player after the game

It had been chilly when the Boston College team arrived at Syracuse University's Hookway field Friday morning with the temperature in the mid-forties.

Head Coach Ed Kelly knew it would be tough that night.

“We are expecting a very tough opponent, well-coached and disciplined team,” Kelly said while putting on an extra pair of pants to keep warm. 
 

It had not been the best season for the Eagles. They were hurt by injuries to key players, they have had a lot of road games outside the conference, and the ACC's crossover system sent them the best opponents from the Coastal Division.

If the Eagles lost to Syracuse , it could be their last game.  

“They are on top now, they have done a great job turning the program around, Kelly said. “They play 3-5-2, a different system than we do. With only three defenders, they did very well. They have decent forwards, their midfielders are good, and they are very physical in the back as well. This is a well-balanced team.” 

Kelly’s prediction came true. The two teams gave the audience a long but watchable last show.  In the end the Orange was too tough for the Eagles

McIntyre: Making memories

The team celebrated after scoring the winning goal

 

“To get your senior captain to get the winner on senior night, you guys won’t have to come up with too many creative headlines,” SU Head Coach Ian McIntyre joked to reporters after the game. He even came up with a headline for them.

“Two senior captains scored tonight. It writes itself.” 

“This is a playoff game. We talked it before and we talked it during the halftime. This has a feel of a national tournament game.

“Sometimes Senior Night can be tough on your team because there is a lot of swirling stuff that goes on and off the field, swirling emotions that you can’t control. But very proud that we win the game.”

“I give 15 for tonight’s game,” McIntyre said without hesitation when he was asked to rate the team’s performance from 0 to 10. “Because that’s what we ended up with the ACC points.” 

This win gives the Orange a chance to play post-season games, more importantly, at home. The conference will announce the seeds and match ups for the 2014 ACC Men's Soccer Championship on Saturday.

McIntyre looks forward to continuing to make history with his squad.

“October, memories are wonderful," he said. "But there is nothing better than creating November memories.”

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#PackTheHill: Voice from the Fans

Ben Glidden and Mike Rempter
initiators of #PackTheHill on twitter

Besides the passionate cheering from the stands by goalkeeper Alex Bono’s mother as usual, it was hard to ignore a voice from the hill, during the SU-Boston College men's soccer game.

“WHAT IS THE MATTER WITH YOU!”

 After SU was penalized for an arguable foul, a roar burst from the grassy hill behind the south goal, standing out from the dissatisfied shouts in the stadium. The crowd was amused by the furious inquiry.

The owner of the unforgettable voice is Mike Rempter, a sophomore in SU's Newhouse and Whitman Schools.   

“Sometimes I keep to myself,” Rempter said at halftime. “Sometimes I’m louder, try to get involved, to help the team out as much as possible.”

As an enthusiastic fan of SU soccer, Rempter and his Newhouse friend Ben Glidden started a twitter topic #PackTheHill from the Otto’s Army's twitter last year, but didn’t get many people buying into it.

This year, the team got on board with it, working their best to turn the hill to a student section. 

“It has been pretty successful,” Rempter said.  It was hard to tell the big progress they've made from the two dozen people on the hill that night, but he says  they set the record at the Notre Dame game. How many "packed the hill for that game is not clear.

“It’s awesome. I saw them (the SU team) last year, they were really good, had a lot of potential and I knew they would be really good this year. So I’m happy they played as well as they did. I’m happy to see them get recognition around the country. And I think they definitely have potential to do some damage in the tournament.” 

Rempter used to lead the crowd in high school in New Jersey. He was the guy who got everyone to go to the game. So it was kind of natural for him to try to get people come to every game at SU. 

Julian Buescher and Noah Rhynhart are Rempter’s favorite players.

“I like Julian Buscher a lot because I’m a big Germany soccer fan. I like Noah Ryanhard... He is scrappy and he does what he needs to do... I like guys (who) don’t necessarily get the recognition, but come off the bench play hard, play strong, do a lot for the team.”

Rempter said he doesn’t care too much about other people’s reactions to his loud cheering.

“I expected that. I’ve always been the loud one, so it doesn’t really bother me.”

Glidden,  the other initiator of #PackTheHill  is his fifth year in Newhouse since he changed his major from Broadcast and Digital Journalism to Public Relations. 

“We have a really good team,” Glidden said. “All the teams here on campus deserve the credit for being good because they work really hard. They work just as hard as basketball players and football players who get the huge crowds. So I think it’s very important to come out to support them.”

Perfect period for regular season of Syracuse men’s soccer

Story by Thomas Zhou
Photo by Cuse.com

Syracuse, N.Y-

Playing the closing game of the regular season on Senior Night at Halloween with a berth in ACC tournament secured was already special, but a win in double overtime added more drama. 

Two senior co-captains became the heroes of the night. Nick Perea’s penalty kick equalized the score and Skylar Thomas’ game-winner in the 103rd minute gave the Orange (14-2-1, 5-2-1 ACC) a 2-1 win over the Eagles (5-8-3, 1-6-1 ACC).

“Sometimes the senior nights can be tough on your team.” head coach Ian McIntyre said.“Because there is a lot of swirling stuff going on off the field, swirling emotions that you cannot control. But (I am) very proud of that we find a way to win tonight.”

Asked to evaluate his team’s performance from one to 10 scale, McIntyre’s answer was “15.”


Orange dominates but not enough to win in regulation

Syracuse started to attack right after the starting whistle.

Orange sophomore forward Chris Nanco took the first shot of the game in the eighth minute, but his shot from midfielder Julian Buescher's deep cross was wide of the net. Nanco’s second shot one minute later in the box was blocked by an Eagle defender, giving the Orange the first corner kick in the game. Jordan Murrell took it but his delivery was punched away by Eagle goalie Alex Kapp to the end line.

It was the Eagles who took the lead.

Diego Medina-Mendez’s goal put BC on the board in the 11th minute.What looked like an attempted  pass outside the box wound up rolling untouched into the net.

Trailing by one, Syracuse pressured Boston College, with Nanco being a huge threat but not connecting. He beat Eagles defenders with his speed multiple times. He intercepted a cross from Eagles goalie Kapp outside the box but his shot was blocked by a defender.

In the 25th minute, Nick Perea took control of the ball in the box from Oyvind Alseth’s corner kick but his shot hit the post. Three minutes later, Alseth drew a foul in the box. Perea, the go-to penalty-kicker, made the penalty kick, as he has done three times this season.


Both teams had opportunities but failed to change the score in the first half. The Orange outshot BC in the period, 5 -3.

The Orange intensified its offense in the second half, taking seven more shots.

Another speedy Orange forward Alex Halis beat the defenders, with his dribble but his deep shot in the right side of the box was rejected by Kapp in the 58th minute. Forward Emil Ekblom’s strong header from Korab Syla’s delivery tested Kapp in the 71st minute, forcing the goalie to make a diving save. Two minutes later, Halis launched another shot in the box but it was again denied by Kapp.

The Eagles had their best opportunity in the 85th minute when midfielder Zeiko Lewis’s shot failed to beat Orange goalie Alex Bono's diving save. Bono's only save in the second half ensured the tie score before overtime.



Sudden victory in double-overtime

Going into overtime, it seemed that the Orange had momentum and a good chance to end the game quickly. It did not turn out that way.

Halis fired a shot in the box but it hit the post. Syla’s blast went high off the bar. Midfielder Juuso Pasanen header from a corner kick went right into Kapp’s arms. Within 35 seconds left in the first overtime, Nanco unleashed a shot but it was wide of the net.

The Eagles had a golden opportunity in the 101st minute. A cross from the left side went past the Syracuse defenders and Eagles junior Dylan Pritchard faced a wide open net. However, he sent the ball inches wide of the far post.

The game-winner finally came in the 103rd minute. After Kapp turned away Halis’ shot, he could do nothing to Thomas' rebound shot in the box. Thomas’ third goal of the season gave the Orange a victory in the last game of the season in front of a crowd of 1,672.

“I can’t remember much but the ball was crossed in,” Thomas said.“I think it came down on my foot and I just hit it and it went in....It was an excellent night. I couldn’t ask for much more.”


Last game of season, but not the end of year.

The Orange had already clinched a berth in ACC tournament before the game and it is very likely that No. 3 ranked Syracuse will be invited to NCAA tournament.

(Note: the Orange was voted No.1 in the poll that came out several days November 4.)

For the players, it will be the first appearance in ACC tournament since coming to the conference last year.

Thomas said he felt good about having more games to play.

“I have been here for four years.” Thomas said. “I never have played my last game at the season knowing that we are going to go to post-season. So it’s a good feeling.”


“It’s a great feeling that we keep going and prolong our season as long as possible,” Perea echoed. “And hopefully we can keep playing until December.”

Before the game, nine Orange seniors were honored for their contributions to the team.

“I refer to them as the cultural architects of our program,” McIntyre said. “They set the standard, they lead by example and as they mature they become more vocal leaders as well. It’s great from a coaching perspective to see these seniors create their own memories.

"But what I did say to the group is October memories are wonderful but there’s nothing better than creating November memories.”

Freshmen Step Up in 'Cuse First Exhibition Win Over Carleton

By: Gabriella Kreuz
Photo courtesy: cuse.com

Syracuse-- On ACC media day, Syracuse Head Coach Jim Boeheim said he expected his freshmen to step up this year.   The Orange lost three starters in C.J. Fair, Jerami Grant, and Tyler Ennis, the most they've ever lost in terms of offensive production as well as a team leader in backup center Baye Moussa Keita .

Cue freshman point guard Kaleb Joseph and freshman forward Chris McCullough. The two rookies had the Orange's first two buckets in Syracuse's 76-68 win against Carleton University Sunday at the Dome.

Those early points by the freshmen foreshadowed how they'd lead the team the rest of the way in the Orange's exhibition opener against the number one nationally-ranked Canadian team.

"I think our freshmen did all we could ask them to do,"  Jim Boeheim said, "especially Kaleb."

Leading From Behind

Syracuse spent most of the game trailing the Ravens. The Orange was down 39-30 at the half and would go on to be as far back as 15 points.

Joseph led the team in scoring. He was seven of nine from the field and hit clutch shots to keep the Orange in reasonable distance. He had three jumpers, including a fadeaway with Ravens' guard Victor Raso in his face, which put the Orange up 68-62 with five minutes left to play in the game.

"It was fun," Joseph said. "As a point guard its my job to be aggressive, that's what coach asked me to do."

When the Carleton defense sagged on Joseph to protect inside, he took advantage. The 6'4" rookie drove the lane for three layups.

"If they would've come up on me I would have kicked it out and made a play for somebody else but when I had the lane, I just tried to get to the rim," he said.

McCullough found the rim too with three inside layups of his own. He finished with 14 points and six rebounds.

"I give myself a C-plus," McCullough said without prompting. "I need to make my free throws."

McCullough was three for eight from the line. But where he lacked in free throws, he made up for in persistent shooting from the field.


Second Half Rally

Arguably the most impressive shooting performance came from sophomore Ron Patterson off the bench. He was 4-5 behind the three point arc which ignited Syracuse's comeback in the second half.  With 16:25 on the clock, Patterson hit a three to put Syracuse within one point of the Ravens, 39-38.

The Ravens and the Orange then played cat and mouse for the next five minutes, Patterson scoring three threes during that time until he stole the ball at the 11:20 mark and charged down the court for a dunk to put the Orange ahead 54-52 for the first time since the first minute of the first half.

"When my number's called on, I'm ready," Patterson said. "Coming off the bench, it's just about being ready at all times."

Rakeem Christmas fed off Patterson's hot streak. After spending half of the first period on the bench
due to early foul (3) trouble, Christmas came back strong. He scored all 13 of his points in the second half.

"My teammates just got me excited," Christmas said. "This win gives us momentum."

Final Exhibition

Syracuse is set to take on Adrian for its final exhibition game on Monday, November 10 in the Carrier Dome. The team kicks off the regular season against Kennesaw State on November 14.

SU Women’s Soccer Drops Season Finale with Overtime Loss to UNC

By Julia Morris

Photo by Jiayang Zhang

Syracuse, N.Y. -

The Syracuse Orange women’s soccer team (5-10-4) fell just short in its season finale, losing in overtime to the University of North Carolina Tar Heels (12-2-2) on a cold Sunday afternoon.  For the Orange, the loss was its fifth in six games as the team’s last victory came on October 4^th against Boston College.  With the win, No. 5 North Carolina extended its unbeaten streak to twelve games.

Junior forward Paige Nielsen scored the game-winning goal for the Tar Heels in the 96^th minute of play.  Following a North Carolina free kick, forward Summer Green crossed the ball to the lower right side of the net, where Nielsen received the pass and then directed the ball to the lower left corner of the goal to end the game.  The score was the fourth game-winner of the season for Nielsen.

The Tar Heels also began the game’s scoring.   In the 17^th minute of the game, Green was in the lower right corner of the box with the ball and then drilled it into the left corner of the net to give North Carolina a 1-0 lead.

The Orange had two opportunities to even the score in the first half, both on breakaway plays by forward Alex LaMontagne.  In the 22^nd minute, Montagne sped down field and closed in on the net. But her shot was too strong and sailed just over the goal post.  Two minutes later, the freshman found herself in front of the net but again could not finish. This time, her shot veered left of the goal post.

“She’s dangerous but having said that, she should have scored those two goals,” Syracuse Coach Phil Wheddon said.  “That’s the difference right now, those chances are falling to other teams and they’re finishing them.”

Despite the missed opportunities in the first half, the Orange was able to even the score in the second half.  In the 71^st minute, Stephanie Skilton dribbled into the middle of the box and crossed a pass.  Maya Pitts came running in from the right side and got her foot on the ball, sending it to the lower left corner of goal to make the score 1-1.

“Steph was dribbling in and just made an overlap around for her to play me in and I wanted to get to it before the keeper did,” Pitts said.

Despite the game-tying score, Pitts’ shot was only one of three total for the Orange throughout the game.  On the other hand, the Tar Heels fired twelve, one of which was Nielsen’s game winner, and that proved to be the difference maker in the game.

Orange midfielder Alexis Koval, who was honored before the game as the team’s only senior this season, said losing the game the way the Orange did was not easy. 

“It’s heartbreaking working that hard throughout the entire game and then it ending in overtime,” Koval said. 

Looking Ahead to Next Season

Coach Wheddon said that overall he was disappointed with the Orange’s season, which is now officially over as the team does not qualify for tournament play.

“Disappointed obviously…it goes without saying we are just not finishing our opportunities and that’s been our nemesis all season long,” Wheddon said. “We get two or three fantastic opportunities that we don’t finish and other teams do.”

However, Wheddon is hopeful that if the Orange applies the work ethic he saw in today’s game, the team will improve its record next season.

“We look back at it and say if we fought like that every game and had that intensity every game it probably would be a different story,” Wheddon said.  “To take North Carolina to overtime is a moral victory in itself, unfortunately it doesn’t show up on the stat sheet.  It’s a good platform for us to move forward.”

The Tar Heels’ season will continue as the team secured a No. 2 spot in the ACC tournament with its victory today.  UNC will play No. 3 Virginia on Friday, November 7^th at 8pm at the UNCG Soccer Stadium in Greensboro, N.C.   

Video:

Coach Wheddon Thoughts on Season
Pitts on Positives for Next Season
Pitts on Game-Tying Goal