After the post-game team meeting, Sydney Brackett turned toward the stands and put both fists in the air as Sheridan Street pranced around the field, smiling ear to ear.

“Good game coach,” a woman yelled from the stands. SU head coach Phil Wheddon simply turned and nodded his head with a slight grin.

Syracuse (7-1-1) took down Buffalo (3-3-2), 2-0, on Thursday night at SU Soccer Stadium, a result of controlling possession and outshooting the Bulls, 21-11, in the Orange’s final nonconference game of the season.

Going with a small back line of only Jess Vigna and Taylor Bennett, Syracuse’s two center backs didn’t allow any of their opponents past them in the open field, as Buffalo generally got their only opportunities off of failed corner attempts.

“The forwards are making runs, but we’re figuring out how to use the back ends to connect to the forwards,” freshman forward Sydney Brackett said. “The forwards are just the ones getting the credit.”

The forwards are getting the credit because of their ability to dominate the possession in games, like the Orange did against the Bulls.

The connections on the front end are what is allowing the Orange to be successful. On Friday, it proved to be the play of Eva Gordon and Brackett and their ability to create opportunities.

“I think Eva and Syd have started to recognize each other’s tendencies,” Wheddon said. “It takes time to grow as a unit and I think the two of them, in particular, work really well together.”

In the seventh minute a through-ball from Street left Brackett one-on-one against Buffalo goalkeeper Laura Dougall on a breakaway, but she narrowly rolled the ball wide left.

The freshman hung her head in disappointment and retreated on defense, something she did several more times throughout the game. Despite generating five shots and adding an assist, Brackett was visibly upset over her failure to score.

“I just told her just be patient,” Wheddon said. “It will come. She’s going to be a prolific scorer for us.”

After Brackett’s breakaway miscue in the seventh minute, the Orange didn’t have another chance until the 49th. The freshman forward launched a shot high as Dougall went to collapse on the ball. It deflected off her hands and shot straight backward, but Buffalo defenders were there to clear the ball just before it crossed the plane.

Despite failing to score, Syracuse had been thriving in the midfield and controlling the possession and flow of the game.

SU finally generated a goal in the 63rd minute when Brackett spread the pitch on a breakaway and send a rolling cross into the box as both Opal Curless and Street were crashing. Curless received the pass and sent a shot on goal that was deflected, but Street positioned herself for the rebound and put the ball in the back of the net.

“Two people crashed the box. I aimed for Opal,” Brackett said, “but we practice dummies and Opal did a great dummy, so it went to Sheridan.”

The game was stagnant until the closing moments when Buffalo launched three shots in the final minute — one hit SU goalie Courtney Brosnan in the face.

Vigna cleared the ball, which led to an Alana O’Neill breakaway that left her wide open as she sent a lob over the outstretched hands of Dougall to put the Orange up by two as time expired.

“We made mistakes tonight and didn’t get punished. Going into the ACC though, you get punished for those mistakes,” Wheddon said. “We just have to clean it up around the box and play better defensively.”

Published on September 15, 2016 at 11:47 pm

Contact Matt: mdliberm@syr.edu