Spring Break
The Daily OrangeFH | Usually strong Orange offense held in check
By Kevin Trudgeon
Posted: 10/22/07, 1:50 AM EST Section: Sports
The play looked like it would be perfect. Off a penalty corner, midfielder Maggie Befort sent a pass to back Leigh Fawcett, who then passed quickly to her left to back Brittany Angellella.
The lane to the goal was clear and Angellella wound up, preparing to send a shot on goal to either score or give one of her teammates the opportunity to play a rebound.
Unfortunately for Angellella and SU, the ball did not fly toward the goal, instead rolling right by Angellella as she whiffed on the shot, allowing visiting Connecticut to escape without allowing a shot on goal.
Such was the way it went for Syracuse Sunday afternoon.
SU could not muster any late offense, scoring just one goal on two shots in the entire second half and falling to Connecticut, 5-2. Syracuse fell behind early and found itself with a 3-1 deficit heading into the half.
The Connecticut lead was quickly trimmed to one when Syracuse scored just three minutes into the second half on a corner play, seemingly getting the Orange right back into the game.
But the Connecticut goalie would not see another shot for more than 20 minutes.
Playing with the lead and keeping the ball away from Syracuse, Connecticut shut down the Syracuse attack, forcing individual players to try and make plays.
For forward Shelby Schraden, the Connecticut defense, coupled with reliance on individual play, was the main reason for her team's lack of offensive punch in the second half.
"They are a strong team. They move their feet and keep their sticks low," Schraden said. "In the first half, we were passing well and working as a team, and then in the second half, we got solidified and alone, forcing us to play more one on one, and that's where we got beat."
With an offense that had recorded 26 and 16 shots on goal in its last two games, being held to just six shots on goal all game made it very difficult for the Orange to put much pressure on the Connecticut defense.
The lane to the goal was clear and Angellella wound up, preparing to send a shot on goal to either score or give one of her teammates the opportunity to play a rebound.
Unfortunately for Angellella and SU, the ball did not fly toward the goal, instead rolling right by Angellella as she whiffed on the shot, allowing visiting Connecticut to escape without allowing a shot on goal.
Such was the way it went for Syracuse Sunday afternoon.
SU could not muster any late offense, scoring just one goal on two shots in the entire second half and falling to Connecticut, 5-2. Syracuse fell behind early and found itself with a 3-1 deficit heading into the half.
The Connecticut lead was quickly trimmed to one when Syracuse scored just three minutes into the second half on a corner play, seemingly getting the Orange right back into the game.
But the Connecticut goalie would not see another shot for more than 20 minutes.
Playing with the lead and keeping the ball away from Syracuse, Connecticut shut down the Syracuse attack, forcing individual players to try and make plays.
For forward Shelby Schraden, the Connecticut defense, coupled with reliance on individual play, was the main reason for her team's lack of offensive punch in the second half.
"They are a strong team. They move their feet and keep their sticks low," Schraden said. "In the first half, we were passing well and working as a team, and then in the second half, we got solidified and alone, forcing us to play more one on one, and that's where we got beat."
With an offense that had recorded 26 and 16 shots on goal in its last two games, being held to just six shots on goal all game made it very difficult for the Orange to put much pressure on the Connecticut defense.
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