Syracuse watched as Virginia Tech easily won the 42nd and final draw control of the game. It watched as Tristan McGinley sliced through what had been a stout defense and scored the game-winner in a contest that spent nearly seven extra minutes needing a decider.

“We didn’t get the job done today,” SU head coach Gary Gait said.

SU entered Blacksburg, Virginia, looking for its first conference win. After wasting two four-goal leads, a more-than-serviceable performance at the faceoff X, and a six-goal showing from sophomore Nicole Levy, the No. 18 Orange (8-6, 0-4 Atlantic Coast) fell to the No. 14 Hokies (11-4, 4-1), 15-14, in double-overtime on the road. Syracuse has never started its ACC slate with four losses. With three games left, it clinched a losing conference record, another first.

Aside from Levy, Sam Swart and Emily Hawryschuk each contributed a hat trick for SU. Goalie Asa Goldstock played the entire 66 minutes, stopping 11 of the 33 shots she faced. Meagh Graham played the majority of the game in net for the Hokies, tallying four saves on 25 shots faced.

Levy, who notched one goal in SU’s previous two games combined, opened the scoring with a free-position strike in the first two minutes of the game. The Hokies jumped out to a lead with two goals of its own. Syracuse responded with a 4-0 run in a 10-minute span in the middle of the first half to earn a 5-2 lead.

An extended 3-0 run was bracketed by goals from Sam Swart and Levy, giving SU an 8-4 advantage. Yet, a five-minute span saw the Hokies score four-straight and tie the game, even with the Orange holding steady at the faceoff X.

As it did all game, the Orange turned to Levy for offense. She finished off an 8-meter and SU regained the lead. SU added four more over the next couple minutes to build another four-goal margin, 13-9.

Virginia Tech stormed back by capitalizing on SU mistakes, Gait said. Two turnovers allowed the home team to cut the lead in half. A Taylor Gait shot slammed against the post and fell into a Hokie stick. That ensuing possession brought the deficit to one.

“It was a game of runs,” Gait said. “We made some plays or some miscues and let them back in at the end.”

A yellow-card and a few free-position shots gave Virginia Tech plenty of chances to knot the score at 13. Petty did so off an eight-meter with 3:30 remaining. After the referees discussed a possible stick violation, the Orange came away with a crucial draw control thanks to Alexa Radziewicz.

Hawryschuk converted a free-position shot with two minutes left to give SU a lead. She scored the game-winner on Thursday against No. 6 Loyola, and seemed to have clinched this matchup.

Less than a minute later, the Hokies’ Taylor Caskey scored on her own eight-meter to tie the game.

Hawryschuk came up again and won the following draw control and gave SU the final possession. The Orange bled the possession and game clock before starting its offense. Levy worked inside and fired a shot but it was saved, sending the game to overtime.

Despite SU winning the overtime’s draw control, both defenses forced a turnover and the three-minute period went scoreless. The Hokies controlled possession in the second overtime, but SU clogged the interior of its defense. It forced a turnover and pressed forward in the period’s final minute. Hawryschuk had a door-step attempt fly over the cage.

McGinley’s winner on the other end was followed by a delayed celebration by the Hokies as the referees discussed a possible violation. Once the confusion was cleared, Virginia Tech’s bench rushed its hero. Meanwhile, Syracuse sauntered off, further into the ACC’s basement.

“We made a couple too many mistakes,” Gait said. “We gave them the ball back at the end. This is what happens when you do that.”

Published on April 7, 2018 at 7:42 pm

Contact Nick: nialvare@syr.edu | @nick_a_alvarez