Spring Break
The Daily OrangeWSOC | After tough road trip, SU finds comfort in returning home
By Andrew L. John
Posted: 10/8/08, 12:26 AM EST Section: Sports
The streak lasted 301 minutes, 18 seconds, and stretched four home games. It was the catalyst behind the best stretch of the season for Syracuse, during which it was unbeaten. The streak was the amount of time SU goalkeeper Eliza Bennett-Hattan went without allowing a goal.
That stretch came to crashing halt when the Orange went on the road. On Sept. 28, Syracuse traveled to West Virginia, where it was shutout, 8-0. On Sunday, SU followed the trouncing with another scoreless effort in a 3-0 loss to Villanova. The eight goals surrendered by the Orange against the Mountaineers were the most in a single game in program history.
The Orange (4-5-2, Big East 1-2-1) will attempt to bounce back this weekend with a pair of home games against South Florida on Friday at 7 p.m. and Marquette on Sunday at 1 p.m. The two games are the first of four straight for Syracuse at SU Soccer Stadium, where it is unbeaten this year. The games will provide an ideal chance for Syracuse to recover from its road funk and get back to the airtight style that made it so effective during that four-game unbeaten streak.
"We need to come out every game with the same intensity," Bennett-Hattan said. "If we can just keep our composure and play like we know how, then we should be fine."
The Orange's road struggles (it is 0-5 away from home) have been an issue of concern for SU head coach Phil Wheddon. He said that against West Virginia, his team came out flat and didn't play the way it is accustomed to.
"Obviously, every team prefers to play in their own backyard and not travel, but the key to having a consistently good team is being able to play in any situation and play well," Wheddon said. "Whether we're home or away, we need to be able to get back to the way we were playing when we had those four straight shutouts."
When West Virginia's Blake Miller scored on a shot from 12 yards out, the streak of four consecutive Orange shutouts was ended. The defense has since broken down, while the Orange has not scored a goal in its last 197:03 of play.
That stretch came to crashing halt when the Orange went on the road. On Sept. 28, Syracuse traveled to West Virginia, where it was shutout, 8-0. On Sunday, SU followed the trouncing with another scoreless effort in a 3-0 loss to Villanova. The eight goals surrendered by the Orange against the Mountaineers were the most in a single game in program history.
The Orange (4-5-2, Big East 1-2-1) will attempt to bounce back this weekend with a pair of home games against South Florida on Friday at 7 p.m. and Marquette on Sunday at 1 p.m. The two games are the first of four straight for Syracuse at SU Soccer Stadium, where it is unbeaten this year. The games will provide an ideal chance for Syracuse to recover from its road funk and get back to the airtight style that made it so effective during that four-game unbeaten streak.
"We need to come out every game with the same intensity," Bennett-Hattan said. "If we can just keep our composure and play like we know how, then we should be fine."
The Orange's road struggles (it is 0-5 away from home) have been an issue of concern for SU head coach Phil Wheddon. He said that against West Virginia, his team came out flat and didn't play the way it is accustomed to.
"Obviously, every team prefers to play in their own backyard and not travel, but the key to having a consistently good team is being able to play in any situation and play well," Wheddon said. "Whether we're home or away, we need to be able to get back to the way we were playing when we had those four straight shutouts."
When West Virginia's Blake Miller scored on a shot from 12 yards out, the streak of four consecutive Orange shutouts was ended. The defense has since broken down, while the Orange has not scored a goal in its last 197:03 of play.
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