Laura Hurff, a senior, inserted the corner that led to Syracuse’s first goal against Pacific. The goalscorer was a freshman, Chiara Gutsche. She had gone down to her knees to reach and deflect the ball shot by Roos Weers. Before Gutsche could stand up, it was Hurff coming over to hug her and almost knock her to the ground.

No. 12 Syracuse (12-5, 2-4 Atlantic Coast) beat No. 24 Pacific (8-8, 4-2 America East) Saturday, 3-0. Two of SU’s goals came from freshmen, Gutsche and Audrey Matthew. The Orange also tied the program single-season shutout record (11) behind freshman keeper Borg van der Velde. All three players are freshmen. The scoreline matched that of the first time SU played Pacific this season, an Orange victory on Aug. 27 in Stockton, California.

“It’s a great sign for our future and I’m proud of (the freshmen) and the way they were able to contribute today,” SU head coach Ange Bradley said.

For the first 15 minutes of the match, Pacific looked to be the more dangerous side. On the Tigers first corner of the match, defender Savannah Burns had her shot partially blocked by a Syracuse player. The deflection floated in the air towards the goal and made it over van der Velde. But the ball landed in the netting atop the goal and Pacific missed out on an early lead by just a foot.

The near-miss gave Syracuse a chance to get out in front, and the Orange would do just that almost 20 minutes into the game. Matthew drove from the left wing into the arc and drew a foul, leading to a Syracuse corner. Weers was set up for the shot off the insertion and hit a low ball towards the center of the goal. That’s where Gutsche dove with her stick outstretched to lift the ball over Pacific’s Marlise van Tonder for the opening tally.

“The seniors have helped us so much, settling in and stuff,” Gutsche said. “It’s kind of a good way to give it back to them.”

Matthew wasn’t done, though. With just five minutes left in the first half, she took on another player on from the left wing. This time, Matthew spun 360 degrees around the defender in front of her before being fouled in the arc and drawing another corner. Weers shot just wide, but Matthew’s hard running would pay off in the second half.

Syracuse’s third goal of the game came with just over five minutes remaining in the match. The game was all but decided but that didn’t stop another freshman, Florine Hogendoorn, from setting up Matthew for a goal. The play in Pacific’s arc was congested but somehow Hogendoorn found Matthew with a pass towards the left post. With a Tigers defender on her hip, the initial touch knocked the ball into the air. As it hovered around shoulder height just feet from being across the goal line, it was Matthew’s stick that reached up and got the ball first. It was the freshman from San Diego’s first goal in her Syracuse career and cemented the final scoreline.

“(Audrey is) tough, aggressive, and she’s a complete team player, she’s really competitive” Bradley said. “She’s learning that about herself.”

Pacific entered the game with two double-digit goalscorers: Burns and Kriekie van Wyk. In helping tie a shutout record, van der Velde denied both of them in the second half. First it was van Wyk shooting high towards the right corner but seeing her shot denied by the left blocker of the Syracuse freshman. Burns had her chance off a corner with 12 minutes remaining with just a two-goal difference, but van der Velde got herself in front of the ball to preserve the shutout.

Before Saturday’s game, Syracuse recognized six players for Senior Day. Each senior walked through a tunnel formed by every other player’s sticks held aloft. Each player received a framed picture of herself, then stood in a line while more pictures were taken. During the pregame festivities, it was all about the seniors. Once the game started, SU’s freshmen stole the show.

Published on October 28, 2017 at 4:00 pm

Contact Billy: wmheyen@syr.edu | @Wheyen3