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Seven minutes into the game, Duke’s Mia Gyau streaked down the left side and ran straight at Syracuse midfielder Telly Vunipola. Gyau angled a pass that threaded through multiple players before finding Maggie Graham, who buried the opportunity with ease.

Gyau bolted down that same side minutes later, and Vunipola warily got in position. This time, Gyau cut inside, beating Vunipola and centering herself in the middle of the field. Gyau slid a pass to Tess Boade and fired a shot, nearly a mirror image of the first goal.

Syracuse’s (0-5, 0-5 Atlantic Coast) 4-0 loss at the hands of No. 5 Duke (5-1-2, 3-1-2) was its ninth straight since Oct. 10 of last season. SU on Sunday continued its worst start since the program’s founding in 1996, and the team has yet to score through five games this year. The Orange earned an 80th-minute penalty from a Duke handball, but Meghan Root couldn’t convert from the spot.

“I walk away saying, ‘(SU) shows us every single game that there are qualities and pieces of them that are really good,’ but then they take it away and show us something different,” head coach Nicky Adams said.

Against Duke, SU’s sloppy starts continued. A majority of the first half was spent in the face of Lysianne Proulx, who made nine saves after recording a career-high 14 on Thursday against UNC. Two early Duke goals, which Vunipola’s faulty defensive play allowed, forced the Orange to remain on their heels the rest of the first half.

Duke’s forward, Olivia Migli, received a pass from the left wing in the 33rd minute, carrying it to the top of the box and firing past Proulx for the third goal of the half. Visibly upset with her defense, who couldn’t keep Duke out of its own half, Proulx booted the ball out of the back of the net. 

Goalie Lysianne Proulx spent a majority of the first 45 minutes with Duke maintaining possession in the Syracuse half. Corey Henry | Senior Staff Photographer

Syracuse’s intensity increased in the second half. The Orange registered eight shots — the most in a half this season — and six on goal. Pressure allowed Syracuse to generate more offense, Adams said.

“You saw a totally different team in the second half in terms of just an attitude, and with that attitude, you’re going to have more opportunities,” Adams said.

Momentum began to shift in the beginning of the second half when Jenna Tivnan lofted a long pass downfield to Kate Hostage, who was waiting in the box. Hostage attempted to settle the pass and get a quality shot off, gaining control but skiing a shot over the net. Still, the chance sparked a series of opportunities for the Orange, who notched their first corner kick of the game in the 72nd minute and would collect three more in the final period of the game. 

Sarah Jimenez-Miles | Design Editor

One corner kick led to Syracuse’s best chance, with a flurry of shots leading to a handball and Root’s penalty. Root shuffled her feet, paced forward and sent a shot toward the right side of the net. Duke’s backup goalie, Brooke Heinsohn, picked the correct side and blocked the ball with her outstretched hand. 

Just 42 seconds after the miss, Duke marched down the pitch and netted its fourth goal of the day through Graham. Unmarked at the back post, she finished the day with two goals. Syracuse’s second half surge has been a common theme through the past three games, in which the Orange have given up a combined six first-half goals compared to only two in the latter half. 

“I feel like we get something from this team and then, I don’t know why or how, but they shut it off for another 45 minutes,” Adams said. 

With four regular season contests remaining, Syracuse — who has never won fewer than three games — will have to win three of its final four games to avoid the program’s worst record. 

“We do have that competitive edge, I don’t think that we’re lacking it there,” defender Shannon Aviza said. “I think (it’s about) the consistency of showing it and knowing we can play with these teams.”

Published on October 18, 2020 at 5:31 pm

Contact Cameron: cbmckeon@syr.edu