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In the second half, Syracuse seemed to have been beaten. Vermont’s Yaniv Bazini was dribbling toward the box, just Russell Shealy approaching him, as the Orange held onto a 2-1 lead.

But from behind, Olu Oyegunle tracked back, slide tackling Bazini, getting most of the ball as Shealy picked it up and began in transition. Vermont argued for a foul, so much that the bench received a yellow card, but the game continued.

It was one of Vermont’s best chances all afternoon, but it couldn’t find the back of the net. Shealy had made a few key plays and Syracuse (17-2-4, 5-1-2 Atlantic Coast) as a whole defensively provided crucial stops when needed against Vermont (16-4-2, 5-1-1 America East) to secure its spot in the College Cup for the second time in program history. The Orange will play Creighton on Friday, Dec. 9.

“As it got down to the wire, we trust our backline, we trust our goalie Russell,” Curt Calov said. “He stood on his head today and I think it just comes down to the trust and belief we have within the team.”

Back in September when the teams first played each other this season, Vermont generated more of the scoring opportunities, outshooting Syracuse 10-7, though that game ended in a 1-1 draw. On Saturday, the Orange limited the Catamounts to just six shots, only one of which ended up on goal — Vermont’s game-tying score.

After Syracuse temporarily cleared the ball, Daniel Pacella shot the ball from way outside the box. SU couldn’t close out in time and Pacella’s shot had Shealy wrong-footed, and it zoomed into the lower left corner. Other than that, Syracuse held up defensively, despite Vermont’s offense creating opportunities.

Similar to Oyegunle’s tackle, Vermont slipped in a through ball from the midfield to Jacob Vitale with 17 minutes remaining in the first half. Vitale had open space, no SU defender in front of him. At least, not until Abdi Salim hustled back and regained possession. And on an earlier play in the first half, Oyegunle stopped another potential Vermont attack.

Vermont also generated six corner kicks, while Syracuse had five. The harsh winds caused the ball throughout to just float, which allowed more runners to get involved in the ball, but Syracuse eventually cleared the ball out.

“The way (Vermont) got the ball forward, they got some real big boys, our guys had to stand up and try to win those (tackles),” head coach Ian McIntyre said.

As the game progressed into the later stages of the second half, Shealy was called on more often. As expected, Vermont added more numbers forward while Syracuse tended to sit back, though the majority of the game was played in Syracuse’s attacking half. In the final five minutes, Buster Sjoberg entered the game for the first time, similar to how the Orange closed out the Round of 16 win over then-No. 14 Cornell.

Late in the first half, Shealy faced a knuckleball shot from deep. The wind conditions caused the ball’s trajectory to be challenging, but he made a routine save on a more difficult shot.

But his biggest stop came on a Vermont set piece. The game itself was physical as both teams combined for 24 fouls. In the September matchup, they combined for 35. Besides the yellow card on the bench, the Catamounts racked up four more, all for hard tackles. Amferny Sinclair, who returned to the lineup after missing the game against Cornell, also picked up a yellow card.

On the free kick, Syracuse tried to maintain a high line, trying to get Vermont offside. But thinking it had forced the Catamounts offside, SU’s line didn’t move. Instead, it watched the free kick curl into a Catamount attacker in the left side of the box all alone. Shealy was forced to come out, diving on the ball on a potential game-tying goal opportunity with under six minutes remaining.

“We’re fortunate to have a terrific goalkeeper in Russell,” McIntyre said. “That maturity that he shows. He brought that calmness to us when our backs were against the wall towards the end of the game.”

Shealy also made a save on a Vermont corner, immediately getting the ball out of his box and starting a counter. The counterattack worked against Cornell last week. It also worked against UNC, Clemson and Virginia Tech, but the Catamounts managed to stop it, even having a player stop right in front of Shealy to delay him. Sometimes, Shealy punched the ball out as many players crowded into the box.

Syracuse’s backline of Christian Curti, Salim and Oyegunle has been consistent throughout the tournament. Sjoberg’s come in occasionally to provide additional assistance as he’s still coming back from an undisclosed injury. The Orange didn’t face too many threatening opportunities other than some shots that went wide of goal, including a header that went left of the goal.

In the waning moments, after the ball lingered in SU’s own box, Lorenzo Boselli cleared it away to midfield. Eventually, Syracuse stole the ball and Camden Holbrook had a breakaway opportunity in the final few seconds. His shot missed just right, but it didn’t matter as SU advanced to Cary, North Carolina for the College Cup.

“Even the last five minutes, you’re trying to focus on the game but you’re looking at the score,” Vermont’s Garrett Lillie said. “And you see a situation that’s a reality that’s looming.”

Published on December 3, 2022 at 6:39 pm

Contact Cole: colebambini@gmail.com | @ColeBambini