Syracuse was in control. With a two-goal lead against No. 2 North Carolina at halftime, the Orange felt confident it would finish off an upset of the Tar Heels on the road.

But Anna Crumb said she and her teammates quickly became overconfident. In the second half, North Carolina rallied with three goals to shock SU.

The loss sticks with the team as it prepares for another matchup with the national powerhouse.

“It’s given us a lot of confidence because we know that we can compete against them,” SU midfielder Liz McInerney said. “We have to just keep focus for 70 minutes. We definitely have the talent and drive to beat them this year.”

No. 7 Syracuse (2-0) will host No. 2 North Carolina (2-0) at 1 p.m. Saturday at J. Stanley Coyne Stadium. The rematch with the Tar Heels, who fell in the national championship game to Maryland 3-2 last year, will serve as a measuring stick early for the Orange. Also at stake is SU’s 29-game home winning streak. SU is searching for redemption from last year’s heartbreaking loss in Chapel Hill, N.C., while looking to prove it can play with the best.

“This would be a huge win for us,” said senior goalkeeper Leann Stiver. “But we’ll have to come out strong and play our game. It’ll be fun.”

Stiver, who set a career high with 14 saves against the Tar Heels in 2011, and the Orange defense, will have their hands full with North Carolina’s talented offense. For SU to keep its streak alive and upset North Carolina this time around, the defense’s play will be crucial.

The Orange will need to contain UNC midfielder Kelsey Kolojejchick and forward Jaclyn Gaudioso Radvany as part of that game plan. Kolojejchick scored the tying and go-ahead goals to seal the win for North Carolina. The senior has recorded four assists in the Tar Heels’ two games.

Gaudioso Radvany has found the back of the net four times and was honored Tuesday with the Atlantic Coast Conference Player of the Week award.

“We’re going to put a lot of focus on her, as a specific player,” Stiver said.

Despite the challenge of stopping the Tar Heels and their leading scorer, the Orange is confident that playing at home this season will make a difference.

“It’s a completely different atmosphere up here,” Crumb said. “We’re trying to get a big crowd.”

Stiver recalled that UNC’s Francis E. Henry Stadium was packed — with a crowd of 1,086 — and those in attendance made plenty of noise for their Tar Heels.

She believes the Orange fans can match that on Saturday.

“I think it’s going to be great here, having our home-field advantage and having our fans cheer us on,” she said.

Bradley said the Syracuse fans can expect a matchup between two elite programs. Ranked in the Top 10 again, both have their sights set on making deep runs in the NCAA tournament.

The head coach said she is welcoming the difficult challenge of facing the No. 2 team in the country.

“It’s a win-win situation,” she said. “You win the game, you’re on target. You lose the game, you have things to work on. It’s really more about the process than the outcome this weekend.”

Bradley said that her team doesn’t often discuss the 29-home-game winning streak.

She’ll be pleased if the Orange can pull off the upset and keep the accomplishment alive. But if not, she said, the team will turn the page and start over again.

Bradley’s players, especially senior Kelsey Millman, are determined to protect their home field and the streak.

“The seniors remember the last time we lost (at Coyne) — it was our freshman year,” she said. “We don’t want it to ever happen again.”

Published on August 30, 2012 at 2:54 am

Contact Phil: pmdabbra@syr.edu | @PhilDAbb