Syracuse is fresh off its first-ever win in the Atlantic Coast Conference against Pittsburgh, but getting caught up in that moment could derail any postseason aspirations in the ultra competitive ACC.

That’s why it’s right back to work for the Orange (5-7-1, 1-5-1 Atlantic Coast) and its counterattack to No. 7 Florida State (10-0-3, 5-0-2) and its potent offense  Thursday at 7 p.m at SU Soccer Stadium. The powerful offense of the Seminoles is led by forward Berglind Thorvaldsdottir, who is tied for 13th in the ACC in goals scored.

SU also faces Miami (Fla.) (7-4, 2-4) at noon Sunday.

“Going against some of the best forwards in the country, communicating has been extremely important for us,” Syracuse defender Taylor Haenlin said. “But we’ve really held our own on defense and have been able to contain some of the best offenses.”

On Sunday against Pittsburgh, the Orange recorded its first win in more than a month. The tough stretch for the Orange included seven matches without recording a victory and six shutouts.

But the Syracuse defense has been superb against several nationally ranked ACC opponents, such as Wake Forest, Duke and Notre Dame. In the seven-game winless stretch, SU didn’t concede more than three goals in any game and lost 1-0 four times.

“The amount of shots we’re giving up is far less than a lot of other teams, in addition to the amount of goals we’re conceding,” head coach Phil Wheddon said. “All of the close games we’ve played this season are a testament to our defense.”

Syracuse has allowed an average of 1.31 goals per game, better than six other conference teams. On the back of goalkeeper Brittany Anghel, the Orange ranks fifth in the ACC in saves with 48 saves.

“Dropping back and staying compact, being close to the ball at all times has made it tough for other teams to break us down on defense,” Anghel said.

Anghel and the defense will need to continue playing on par to contain a Florida State offense that averages 1.85 goals per contest.

As the Orange’s defense continues to try and shape its season into a successful one, different preparations and adjustments are made for each opponent. For example, a signature weapon of the Florida State offense is the extremely long ranged and low trajectory throw-ins from defender Megan Campbell. The SU squad has been specifically preparing to counter her throw-ins and whatever else the Seminoles may attack the Orange with Thursday evening.

SU midfielder Rachel Blum has been working on these adjustments with her teammates on the offensive and defensive sides of the ball.

“We’ve been working on offense as well as maintaining our defensive shape and staying compact,” she said. “We’ve been preparing to counter them and have them counter back.”

Published on October 10, 2013 at 3:06 pm

Contact Connor: cgrossma@syr.edu | @connorgrossman