CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. — Syracuse’s Asa Goldstock tapped her stick to the left goalpost and bent her knees as she readied for a free-position shot. Virginia’s Daniela Kelly charged at Goldstock with Syracuse players trailing her, unable to defend the shot. Kelly bounced the shot past Goldstock for a two-goal lead Virginia wouldn’t lose.

On Sunday at Klockner Stadium, Syracuse and Virginia battled in a game of runs. Eventually No.7 Syracuse (3-1, 0-1 Atlantic Coast) couldn’t keep pace with No. 11 Virginia (5-0, 1-0 Atlantic Coast) in a 17-16 SU loss. After once leading by four goals in the first half, Syracuse couldn’t hang on. The Orange led UVA in fouls committed, and was outscored in the second half 9-6 leading to the loss.

“We just have to make stops and make some plays,” Syracuse head coach Gary Gait said. “It was a tough day, they are a good team, they can shoot the ball and they can score. They did it all today.”

After limiting teams to no more than 12 goals in its first three games this season, Syracuse allowed 13 to UVA just more than halfway into the game. In the Orange’s first ACC battle of the season, it played its first game within a six-goal margin this season and couldn’t hold onto its early leads.

Midway through the first half, Nicole Levy caught a feed out in front of the net. As she ran across the crease toward the right side of the cage, her shooting lane was blocked. So, instead of a standard right-handed shot, the junior attack whipped her stick around and scored from behind her back. She dropped her stick, clapped her hands and welcomed her teammates in for celebration. SU, then up two goals, was rolling.

Minutes later, Levy cranked a shot to the top left of the net and SU led 8-4, but it wouldn’t last. The Orange lost the ensuing draw and UVA scored on a free position shot. Then it scored again, and again.

Virginia won 20 draw controls to SU’s 14, often leading to its scoring runs. And that trend carried over into the second half. Fifteen seconds into the second frame, UVA scored. After winning a draw, Kasey Behr darted down the right alley toward SU’s cage. The senior midfielder cocked back her shot and ripped in a goal.

On Syracuse’s next possession, Emily Hawryschuk responded. The sophomore attack fell to the ground after contact with a UVA defender. No foul was called, so Hawryschuk stood up, pushed through several defenders and finished the ball in the back of the cage.

“I think we were playing great and then late in the second half we could’ve been more patient,” Gait said. “We forced some feeds and turned the ball over way too many times.”

Following the Hawryschuk goal, SU’s offense stalled and UVA made its first run of the second half. After scoring three-straight goals, all of which came off UVA draw controls, Ana Hagerup controlled the ball in the back corner of the field. SU’s defense all faced Hagerup and shifted toward her. It neglected Behr on the far side of the defense. Hagerup launched a lofting pass over the heads of SU’s defenders to a darting Behr who rifled a shot, beating SU goalkeeper Asa Goldstock to the top left of the net. Virginia’s 5-1 run to start the second stanza ended there with the Cavaliers leading 13-11.

The Orange slowly clawed back, scoring two goals in the games next 10 minutes to knot the game. As the team’s traded goals, Virginia eventually pulled away.

SU scored once after Kelly’s goal but it wasn’t enough. With the ball on Virginia’s side of the field and SU trailing by one, SU gained possession of a groundball. But the whistle blew. Syracuse was offside. On its last possession of the game, the Orange handed the ball back to Virginia.

“It’s just about being focused and being ready to make the next play,” Gait said. “We made a lot of mental errors in the second half and missed opportunities.”

Published on March 4, 2018 at 2:31 pm

Contact Josh: jlschafe@syr.edu | @Schafer_44