Two weeks ago, a Kent State shot beat Syracuse’s Leann Stiver to her left. The Orange hasn’t allowed a goal since.

“Right now, I’d say that we’re playing pretty solid,” head coach Ange Bradley said. “It’s good.”

Syracuse (11-0) scored five goals in the first half and easily defeated Yale 5-0 in front of 242 fans at a rainy J.S. Coyne Stadium on Sunday. Four different players led the scoring attack against the Bulldogs. The win came a day after Syracuse won its first game as the No. 1 team in the nation in a 3-0 victory over No. 25 Louisville.

Syracuse has now shut out four opponents in a row and hasn’t allowed a goal since the Orange’s game against Kent State on Sept. 16.

Stiver recorded three saves against the Cardinals and didn’t face a shot on goal from Yale (3-6), extending her streak to 311 consecutive scoreless minutes.

The senior goaltender credited the defense for rarely allowing a Bulldog inside the shooting circle on Sunday.

“We have a phenomenal defense in front of me,” Stiver said. “I’m really happy for us. That’s our seventh shutout so we’re doing well.”

With no shot attempts to save, Stiver admitted that her day in the cage was relatively easy. Defensive back Iona Holloway said the goaltender was a leading presence behind the backs.

“She did a really good job of communication today,” Holloway said. “That’s something that’s important in making sure we keep our structure right.”

Syracuse continued its season-long dominance on the defensive end of the pitch. It applied consistent pressure on Yale’s offense and forced plenty of turnovers, rarely giving the Bulldogs any offensive opportunities.

Offensively, Liz McInerney was the facilitator for the Orange’s first three goals. Eight minutes into the game, the midfielder dribbled past her defender and along the end line, then found freshman Emma Russell in front of the cage for Syracuse’s first goal.

Three minutes later, McInerney assisted Gillian Pinder’s first of two goals. Soon after, Pinder inbounded a penalty corner that Jordan Page set for McInerney, who ripped a shot that deflected off a Bulldog stick into the top right corner of the cage.

Pinder’s second goal put the Orange up by four within the first 16 minutes of the game. Page tacked on the fifth goal ten minutes later for the game’s final goal, eight minutes from halftime.

Up by five for the remainder of the game, Syracuse’s offense didn’t generate much in the second half, thanks in part to the rain that soaked the turf of J.S. Coyne Stadium. The rain picked up in the second half and puddles formed all over the field.

Holloway said the whole game slowed down when weather became an issue, but the team is content with its second-half offense.

“We would’ve liked to have scored a few more goals,” she said. “I don’t think we executed our penalty corners as well as we could. But we’re happy with five (goals).”

Holloway said Page used accurate aerial passes to clear the ball out of the defensive zone since the puddles reduced the speed of balls on the ground.

Regardless of the field’s condition, the Orange defense made the proper adjustments to its style of play and kept its fourth straight opponent off the scoreboard.

“It was a little bit of adversity for us,” Stiver said. “But we just changed how we played. The defense in front of me played amazing.”

Published on September 30, 2012 at 11:40 pm

Contact Phil: pmdabbra@syr.edu | @PhilDAbb