HAMILTON – When Charlotte de Vries’ shot off a penalty corner flew into the back of the net, almost every Syracuse player, on the field and the bench, leaped into the air and screamed. de Vries and junior Claire Cooke hugged beside the cage.

For the first time in 91 minutes of play, Syracuse had scored, this time against Colgate to give the Orange the lead.

“It’s always a good relief when you get that first goal,” head coach Ange Bradley said. “It breaks the ice and then you’re not as tight playing as what it becomes when you’re just aaah aaah frustrated.”

The Orange had been shut out against No. 5 Virginia and, through the first 10 minutes, appeared as though they couldn’t find an answer to Colgate goalkeeper Anna Unger, who finished with 12 saves.

But that goal from de Vries, along with two more, prevented SU from suffering an upset at the hands of the Raiders, who haven’t won a conference game since 2014. Syracuse struggled all game to find its groove, firing off 21 shots but only scoring on three chances. Entering a matchup with No. 2 Duke on Friday, Sept. 27, Syracuse (6-2, 0-1 Atlantic Coast) played poorly in a 3-1 victory over Colgate (2-6, 0-1 Patriot).

“I think that [the sloppy offense] is part of coming back after playing an ACC game,” Bradley said. “It’s like the ACC hangover. That happens a lot if you look at score lines kind of the next day.”

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On Friday, the Orange dominated the Cavaliers through three quarters, showing the conference that they could compete with the ACC’s best. But, following two UVA goals from penalty corners, the Orange lost an opportunity for a marquee win over a top-five team.

Still, Syracuse walked out of J.S. Coyne Stadium that day feeling positive, junior Carolin Hoffmann said. The Orange knew that outshooting and outplaying the Cavaliers for 75% of the game is an impressive feat in and of itself.

“Obviously, we’re frustrated but taking out of that game we can really see that we can play with the top teams in the nation,” Hoffmann said after the game.

Bradley was concerned that her team would be affected by the tough loss. The Orange, in the first 10 minutes, appeared as if they were. They struggled to key together passes up the field, couldn’t beat Colgate poke checks on the sideline, and allowed the two-win Raiders to apply pressure up and down the field.

That somewhat changed after the first goal, as SU did play quicker and more directly through SJ Quigley, Cooke and de Vries. Yet, the Orange still couldn’t muster together the barrage of goals necessary to put Colgate away, entering the half leading by only two goals.

It wasn’t due to a lack of opportunities though. The Orange constantly found space inside the shooting circle and fired off shots, but couldn’t beat Unger. de Vries – who scored two of the team’s three goals – fired off 11 shots, 10 on goal, but they were almost always at the goalkeeper’s feet, body or hands.

At one point, de Vries deked out multiple backs, weaving through the holes of the defense to find a shooting lane. “Bam… Bam!” Kerry de Vries, her mother shouted from the stands as entered the shooting circle. de Vries’ shot on goal, instead of forcing the goalkeeper to make a tough save, was easily saved with a pad.

“If they’re not focused, we’re not going to be very good if we can’t respect the next opponent up,” Bradley said.

With a matchup with No. 2 Duke impending, it’s a challenge to not look ahead. Bradley admitted that. And at times against Colgate, it appeared as if the Orange wanted to get past the Raiders so they could prepare to meet the Blue Devils on Friday.

But Bradley tried today, and at practice on Saturday, to keep the Orange focused. To some avail, it worked as the Orange scored three goals and occasionally showed the potential of the attack.

But at other times, they appeared lethargic and sloppy.

“For us, it’s a comeback,” she said. “And a comeback is an opportunity to compete at a high level again together. It’s not about winning or losing, it’s coming back and competing the next day.”

Published on September 22, 2019 at 6:00 pm

Contact Adam: adhillma@syr.edu | @_adamhillman