Syracuse’s comeback victory was nearly complete. Asa Goldstock made a save and looked to clear the ball up the field to start the Orange counterattack. Only this time, Goldstock launched the ball more than 40 yards to Megan Carney. The pass never made it to the freshman attack.

Syracuse fans groaned. One screamed “Why,” as the ball was in the air and Goldstock had played such a risky pass in a tie game with four minutes to play.

The pass found an SU stick, though it wasn’t Carney’s. Nicole Levy jumped in the air, corralled the ball and led the attack that ended in the game-winning goal by Emily Hawryschuk.

“I saw they were both there,” Goldstock said. “I knew one of them would get it.”

No. 4 Syracuse (10-2, 3-1 Atlantic Coast) rallied from three goals down in the second half to defeat No. 8 Notre Dame (9-1, 2-1), 10-9, on Sunday afternoon at Christian Brothers Academy. The comeback wouldn’t have happened if not for Goldstock, who posted 11 saves, tied for the second-most in any game this season. And on the final goal, Goldstock’s pass caught the transitioning UND defense off-guard.

“I know I can get it there,” Goldstock said of her long clear. “It’s all about the last 20 times I had cleared it in the game, they had a defensive clear set. Kerry (Defliese) or Sarah (Cooper) runs over, and I pass to them. That time I saw an opening.”

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Goldstock had a long clear before that resulted in a turnover, but she tried again with the game on the line.

“You ask yourself, ‘Why would you throw that,’ SU head coach Gary Gait said of Goldstock’s previous errant pass. “Sometimes it doesn’t go exactly the way you draw it up, but you make the plays when you need them.”

When Syracuse needed plays as its offense sputtered for most of the game, Goldstock made them. Midway through the first half, Goldstock denied Maddie Howe on a free-position shot. As Howe ran in toward goal, she fired high, and Goldstock calmly tipped the ball into the air, then turned around and caught it.

Not only was that save No. 400 for Goldstock, making her the fourth player in program history to reach that total, but she kept Syracuse within one goal as the Fighting Irish probed to extend their lead. She finished with 11 saves in total and a .550 save percentage.

“She’s been having a great year all year,” Gait said. “She made timely saves, in the second half she shut the door, and every time they had a goal to extend the lead, she made the stops.”

Two minutes after the free-position save, Howe challenged Goldstock again. And the SU junior was equal to the chance, deflecting the ball out where Defliese was able to clear and start the counterattack. Repeatedly in the opening half, Howe broke through the SU defense and came face-to-face with Goldstock. Initially, Howe converted. She scored three first-half goals and dominated Syracuse until the Orange changed their defense to match her.

While SU’s defense changed its approach on Howe, opting to faceguard her with Allyson Trice, Goldstock remained a constant in net. For 20 minutes, Notre Dame tried to beat Goldstock and extend its lead. Five times, the Fighting Irish asked questions. Each time she had the answer.

The Fighting Irish only found nylon one time in the second half, when the Orange were down a player, and Howe finished over Goldstock’s right shoulder.

With 23 minutes left in the second half, Samantha Giacolone earned a free position attempt. The Orange hadn’t beaten Notre Dame the last two seasons, and Goldstock said that was in the back of her mind. Trailing by three goals, another goal could have ended the game.

“I thought a lot about how we had never beaten Notre Dame since I had been here,” Goldstock said. “I was nervous this morning, but I knew this team was nothing like the last two teams we had here.”

Goldstock made one save high, then another low moments later, before picking up the ball with her hand. One section of the SU home crowd shouted and yelled her name as the momentum shifted toward the Orange in their late-game charge.

“Asa!” “Asa!” “Asa!” one section yelled.

While Hawryschuk scored two goals late to finish off the comeback, it began 100 yards away, on Goldstock’s stick.

Published on March 24, 2019 at 4:19 pm

Contact Anthony: amdabbun@syr.edu | @AnthonyDabbundo