It’s a continuous pattern that has plagued the Syracuse women’s soccer team this season. Offensive attacks create shots, but don’t result in goals.

SU has scored 13 goals on 134 shots in nine games this season. Opponents have scored the same 13 goals in just 75 shots.

To capitalize on goal-scoring opportunities, head coach Phil Wheddon has turned to three practice drills he’s used during his time with the U.S. national program. The drills, which include playing on a shortened field and playing one-on-one matchups inside the box, look to prepare the Orange for game-like goal-scoring situations.

SU (4-4-1) will put these drills to the test at 7 p.m. Friday in Louisville against the Cardinals (6-2). On Sunday, the Orange will play in Cincinnati against the Bearcats (3-5-1).

“These players need to feel that pressure,” Wheddon said. “We haven’t done it necessarily this season, so we’re going to be doing more and more of those types of things to make sure we’re ready for game situations. It’s easy to do exercises where you put players in situations where they’re not under pressure, but we’re trying to put our players under some pressure to score.”

In these drills, players always have a defender around them and are forced to make quick decisions.

The shortened field drill consists of moving one net to midfield and the other to the top of the 18-yard box. Players play six-on-six games for two minutes. Both teams are allowed to use a limited amount of passes to four players positioned around the perimeter of the field. Whichever team loses has to sprint to the other side of the field and back. If both teams don’t score, they both run.

In the rain on Tuesday morning, the SU forwards moved to an adjacent field to work on another drill directed at scoring from inside the box.

An offensive player lines up a few yards above the 18-yard box, while the defender lines up to the offensive player’s left atop the box. The attacker passes the ball to the defender, which is then returned to her for a shot. While the defender passes the ball back to the forward, she runs to defend the shooter. The attacker must control the ball quickly and shoot.

“We’re definitely working on finishing as forwards from the front third,” Erin Simon said. “Just trying to finish the ball more as a team and working on placement, and not shooting it over the goal.”

A third drill has an offense of six players facing a defense of five. The offense works on finding an open player and creating scoring opportunities on crosses and through balls.

Jackie Firenze, who has two goals this season, says the drills have helped.

“Every day in practice we try to make it really competitive, especially when we’re working on finishing and attacking,” Firenze said. “We always hold each other accountable, as well as ourselves, to put the ball in the back of the net, and hopefully that translates to the real game.”

The team has seen its offensive potential at times this year, including a three-goal performance against a talented UConn team. But the inconsistency remains.

“It happened again Sunday (against Providence),” Wheddon said. “We created three or four really good goal-scoring opportunities and didn’t put them away. And it cost us.

“It does seem to be a pattern for us. Obviously we’re trying to break it. We worked on finishing today (Tuesday) and will continue to do so as we move forward.”

Against Albany, St. Bonaventure and Army, Syracuse more than tripled its opponent’s shot count, but with only one more goal (3-2). In those games they are a combined 1-1-1. Syracuse has only been outshot in one game — its 2-0 loss to Ohio State in Columbus, Ohio — and they matched shots with Colgate and Providence.

“We can finish under no pressure, it’s easy.” Wheddon said. “It’s ‘Can you do it under pressure?’ Everything we’re doing now is giving our players as much of a game-realistic situation as possible.”

Published on September 20, 2012 at 2:48 am

Contact Josh: jmhyber@syr.edu