It’s just two games into the season, but Syracuse is within a win of matching its season total from a year ago. 

After redshirt sophomore Laurel Ness scored the only goal in SU’s win on Sunday night, the Orange’s defense provided the boost on Thursday, both in its own half and the attacking zone.

Two defenders – junior Shannon Aviza and senior Taylor Bennett – scored for Syracuse (2-0) in a 3-0 win over Siena (0-3). It is the first time since 2004 that SU has held a clean sheet through its first two matches.

“(We’re) just making sure we’re doing the things we practiced after Colgate,” Aviza said, “Just getting our passes in, keeping the ball and staying strong defensively are things we were harping on this week.”

Keeping the ball was a struggle at times for the Orange, who actually trailed Siena in attacking zone possession at halftime (28 percent to 33 percent). Siena had multiple runs in behind the backline, but goalkeeper Lysianne Proulx made the necessary saves.

“At halftime, I talked about wanting them to organize the back a bit better,” first-year head coach Nicky Adams said, “I thought they did a much more solid job in the second.”

A great indication of SU’s improvement was fouls conceded. The Orange fouled the Retrievers 10 times in the first half, but totaled just two fouls to Siena’s six in the second. The team put extra emphasis on defending deep in its own zone, both Adams and Aviza said.

“If our back is facing our goal there’s no reason to try and win the ball there,” Adams said, “Just force them to go backwards and allow our midfield to step in.”

Siena was not as fortunate, and they were burned on three set pieces. The first goal came 21 minutes in on a corner played short to sophomore Meghan Root, who sent a searching ground ball into the sea of bodies around the net. It found Aviza on the far post, a veteran defender in the right position to bury her first career goal.

The second was set piece was a penalty kick, product of an inadvertent handball in the box just two minutes into the second half. This time, it was Bennett’s turn to deliver, and she buried it in the bottom left corner.

SU’s “ballhawk mentality,” as Bennett said, again translated into offense in the 61st minute, when the Orange flipped the field and forced Siena to concede another corner. A lofty ball to the near post rattled through a cluster of bodies before finding senior Sydney Brackett on the far post for the finish.

The Retrievers mustered just one more shot.

“Overall, I’m pleased,” Adams said. “Anytime you win a game and get a shutout it’s a huge plus.”

Published on August 29, 2019 at 11:05 pm

Contact Tim: tnolan@syr.edu