It took nearly five minutes for Wake Forest to complete a pass in Syracuse territory. Throughout the first half, Syracuse’s aggressive midfield intercepted WFU pass-after-pass and pinned defenders back against their own end line, which led to an early 2-0 lead. 

The Demon Deacons needed 30 more minutes to register their first penalty corner but converted two goals in the next two minutes to even the score at two apiece in the third quarter. Midfielder Carolin Hoffman called the run “unacceptable,” and SU head coach Ange Bradley labeled it a “mental lapse.”

“They were taking a nap,” Bradley said postgame. 

But on Friday night at J.S. Coyne Stadium, that two-minute stretch in the second half proved to be just a blip in an otherwise commanding 4-2 win for No. 15 Syracuse. The Orange (10-5, 2-3 Atlantic Coast) limited No. 20 Wake Forest (7-9, 0-5) to three penalty corners and outshot WFU 13-4, outplaying the Demon Deacons in every facet of the game. 

“I think it was a collective effort,” sophomore defender SJ Quigley said. “I think we stuck together, which was really important for us tonight.” 

SU built its two-goal lead in the first quarter behind a Charlotte de Vries penalty corner score and a Sarah Luby tap-in goal. Both goals started with plays in the midfield. 

On de Vries’ score — her team-leading 14th of the season — midfielder Laura Graziosi forced a turnover and drove down the baseline into the shooting circle. Graziosi drew a penalty corner, which de Vries scored on a direct shot. For the second goal, junior midfielder Claire Cooke drove into the shooting circle and centered a bouncing cross to Sarah Luby, who finished in traffic. 

Heading into the match, Syracuse’s gameplan was to swarm WFU’s backline whenever they got the ball and jump into passing lanes to put pressure on the Demon Deacons, Bradley said. At one point in the first quarter, forward Chiara Gutsche converged on a WFU back, forcing a turnover and scoring chance. The Demon Deacons’ goalie came off her line, misplayed Gutsche’s rush but recovered just in time to make a save. 

SU stuck to that scheme, holding WFU to no first half shots and maintaining possession almost exclusively, taking a 2-0 lead into halftime. Last Wednesday, during a practice after beating No. 3 Connecticut, Bradley said her team looked “complacent.” That theme repeated itself on Friday, as SU grew too comfortable with a two-score lead. 

Fifty-eight seconds into the second half, WFU scored on a penalty corner from Meike Lanckohr that redirected past SU goalie Sarah Sinck. Shortly after, WFU’s Alexis Grippo tied the game with another score just two minutes into the second half. During a video review shortly after the Demon Deacons tied the score, players bobbed up and down by their bench, dancing to “Glad You Came” by The Wanted. But the dance party didn’t last.

After regrouping, the Orange responded with a two-goal, two-minute run of their own. To break the deadlock, Quigley deflected in a Hoffmann shot off a penalty corner. Then, Graziosi stole the ball near the midfield line and took it all the way into the shooting circle — weaving in and out of defenders on the way — and launched a running shot into the top right pocket of the net.

“I think it was just a momentum shift that we needed to take control,” Quigley said. 

Four different Syracuse players scored four goals for the Orange, though Bradley said it doesn’t matter who scores as long as it’s not the other team. And on Friday, at least for 58 of the 60 minutes, SU didn’t have to worry about that.

“It was pretty clear when (Wake Forest) got the goals, we can’t allow this,” Hoffmann said. “We have to get the aggression up again, and I mean we did it and executed.”

Published on October 25, 2019 at 11:42 pm

Contact Danny: dremerma@syr.edu | @DannyEmerman