When Syracuse moved into the Atlantic Coast Conference in 2013, its offensive production increased. Every season, SU found the back of the net 20 or more times, and the Orange assisted on up to 75 percent of its goals. Until this year.

This season, Syracuse is seeing the lowest totals in both categories since joining the ACC.

Tied for last place in the ACC in assists, second-to-last in shots and third-to-last in goals, Syracuse’s (7-8-2, 2-6-1 Atlantic Coast) offense has had its least productive scoring season since 2010, when it finished the season with 18 goals and 12 assists. With the final regular season game Thursday against Virginia Tech (7-6-4, 1-5-3), SU could tie its second-worst offensive season under Phil Wheddon.

“Are there games we wish we would’ve won?” senior Eva Gordon said. “Yeah, but we have to capitalize on our opportunities, and we’re kind of struggling with that in the ACC.”

The Orange has taken 163 shots this season, which would be the lowest total since Wheddon’s first season as head coach in 2009 if the Orange fire three shots or fewer in Thursday’s game. Still, since joining the ACC, SU has scored 21 or more goals each season, scoring 24 goals in the 2013 season. SU hasn’t scored fewer than 20 goals in a season since leaving the Big East.

“In the early part of the ACC season, I don’t think we were taking enough shots,” Wheddon said. “We were trying to make things look good, and by make things look good I mean find that perfect opportunity, and we just weren’t shooting.”

When SU does find opportunities to shoot, it only misses 45 percent of the time.

Against No. 4 Duke on Oct. 22, senior Alana O’Neill took the ball up the field after a Blue Devil defender punted it to Syracuse’s end. She passed the ball to freshman Kate Hostage who shifted it to sophomore Opal Curless, who saw her opportunity and shot. She sent the ball over the crossbar.

SU puts the ball on frame 55 percent of the time, the highest rate since Wheddon came to SU. The low number of shots and the choosiness that Wheddon mentioned in finding the “perfect opportunity” play tandem roles in SU recording it highest shot accuracy in recent years.

However, the 91 shots on goal this season is the second lowest since SU put only 81 shots on goal in 2013. In that season though, the Orange scored on 14 percent of its shots as opposed to 11 percent this season.

“I mean we’ve gotten better,” sophomore Taylor Bennett said. “But just as we’ve gotten better, every other team has gotten better so your opportunities are going to be slim.”

Thursday’s game against Virginia Tech will pit the Orange against one of the two teams that has scored less than SU. The Hokies have put up 16 goals this season and are tied with Syracuse with the fewest assists in the ACC. If Syracuse score three or more goals, its season will fit in with the recent offensive trends.

“I think every game is going to be different,” sophomore Sydney Brackett said, “and you know there’s going to be fluctuations in shots and assists, but we’re not going to really focus on the negative parts.”

Brackett leads the team in shots and goals this season with 28 and five, respectively. SU will lose two of its top three shooters next season in O’Neill and Alex Lamontagne. They combined for 44 shots this season. Lamontagne is also tied with Gordon to lead in assists with two each.

“I think we’ve got to take more shots,” Wheddon said, “and obviously if you’re taking more shots there’s going to be an assist somewhere. I think it all comes down to shot selection and that is something we’re going to address as we move forward.”

Published on October 26, 2017 at 1:43 am

Contact Kaci: klwasile@syr.edu