All season long, no matter the outcome, one thing has held true about Syracuse: it can score. The fifth-ranked offense coming into Saturday, the Orange’s scoring attack has always toed the line of the country’s elites. But, the weaknesses are just as glaring. The draw-control has lacked all season, the Orange’s defense has faltered on multiple occasions and against conference opponents this season, it hasn’t won.

On Saturday, the latter continued on as No. 12 Syracuse (7-5, 0-3 Atlantic Coast) lost 17-10 to No. 20 Duke (7-4, 2-2). The Blue Devils were able to win by exploiting all of Syracuse’s weaknesses and slowing its only strength. The loss leaves Syracuse still without a conference win three games into the league schedule.

“It just is disappointing because I thought that we were super deep,” SU head coach Gary Gait said reflecting on SU’s conference slate.

The pregame disadvantages were apparent. Perhaps the Blue Devils’ biggest strength has been Syracuse’s most frequent Achilles heel. Duke came into the game the second-ranked team in the nation in draw controls. Syracuse ranks 48th in the same category. Duke seemed to know it, too.

With the game set to start, Duke’s second-ranked draw control specialist Olivia Jenner lined up with teammates Catriona Barry, Abby Landry and Ellie Majure. Their coach blew the whistle and tossed the ball in the air for players to grab and the teammates continued at their coaches’ discretion going through various draw control drills. Gait, who admitted the Orange have been “scrambling” to figure out the draw, just waited until the first whistle.

Even before the anthem, when starters were announced for the Blue Devils, Duke cleared its benches and disregarded the names called out as they all separated into two single-file lines, did a handshake routine with the player next to them and ran out to the field, lining the field together as a team. The choreographed routine foreshadowed the preparation the Orange did not have, as the Blue Devils toyed with them at every opportunity after the first second ticked off clock.

“We looked at it,” attack Emily Hawryschuk, who was the most common player taking draws for SU in the game, said of the Blue Devils draw control. “But, it really comes down to what’s going on in the games. No matter how much you prepare for it.”

The game didn’t bring the different result the Orange had hoped for. The Blue Devils jumped out to a 3-2 lead after Sam Swart’s strike for SU at the start of the game proved to be the only time the Orange would lead all game.

Almost immediately, SU displayed the worst version of itself. The first 10 minutes exemplified everything that’s been wrong with the Orange this season and why it was a step slow Saturday. The turnovers returned. On one of Syracuse’s first possessions, Ella Simkins, with Asa Goldstock following her up the field and hounded by Duke defenders turned the ball over up the field leaving a open net.

While Duke didn’t convert, the Blue Devils never missed another opportunity. It took advantage of the Orange’s 82nd-ranked defense to the tune of 17 goals, which ties SU’s second-worst defensive performance of the season. But, the Orange don’t lack experience being on the wrong side of an offensive domination.

“It’s a carbon-copy of two other losses we had,” Gait said.

Syracuse thought it had the answer. It followed Charlotte North, Duke’s top scorer, and face-guarded her all game long. But then, her teammates started to make plays around her and Syracuse had no answer. Late switches provided opportunities for Blue Devils to cut to the net for uncontested finishes and when they got going, “Little Charlotte North,” as Gait referred to her just a day earlier, got hers, finishing with three goals of her own.

The Duke offense continued to score and the supposed answer continued to look more and more false. When it became clear that the Blue Devils would pull away, Gait pulled Goldstock for Hannah Van Middelem. The sophomore who has played so well all season went straight to her coach on the sideline. Gait offered his right arm and Goldstock leaned on his side for a minute and retreated to her position at the end of the Syracuse sideline.

After the game, in a white hoodie that covered the gray snapback guarding her head, SU’s goalkeeper expressed a hint of optimism in the midst of the disaster that has been the Orange’s first few conference games.

“I’m fine,” Goldstock said. “Tough game, we’ll come back.”

Goldstock wasn’t the only shell-shocked member of SU’s team, as any bit of preparation and game planning Syracuse did proved futile. The close-guarding failed, a play drawn up before the half led to nothing and the lower-ranked Blue Devils looked made it seem as if the rankings were switched.

“No excuses,” Gait said and then he proceeded to offer one, albeit one that has very clearly played a role.

Coming off of a stretch where the Orange saw three top-10 teams, Syracuse was hit with another scheduling nightmare. After five-straight road games, the Orange’s bout with Duke was the culmination of the six games in 13 days. With little rest, Gait said the Orange had little time to prepare which “especially in the ACC,” Gait said, made the Orange’s fiasco stand out that much more.

“Well… It was nice to be back at the dome,” Gait said, breaking his sentence with subtle laughter. “Great fans. We let them down a little bit today.”

Sighs rung amongst the SU contingent who gathered to watch the Orange seek its first win in the ACC. When the game wasn’t in doubt for a small amount of time after Riley Donahue cut Duke’s lead to two early in the game, the song that blasted on the Carrier Dome speakers seemingly urged the Orange to give more than it has.

Bob Marley’s “I Wanna Love You” played as Syracuse fans cheered.

“I wanna love ya.’”

“I wanna love ya.’”

But, in the end the Orange would continue to get no love in conference play. And the team that came in with an elite offense was defined by its shortcomings, stamping a place further down in the ACC standings.

Published on March 31, 2018 at 2:38 pm

Contact Michael: mmcclear@syr.edu | @MikeJMcCleary