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Syracuse’s 2024 campaign was a tale of two halves. It began the season 6-1-1, outscoring opponents 16-3. The Orange had already tripled their win total from last season and were primed to finish over .500.

But then came conference play. SU finished the year 0-9-1 in the Atlantic Coast Conference, a familiar story for the Orange. They’ve failed to win their last 27 ACC games, with their last victory coming on Sept. 25, 2022, over Miami. This year boiled down to a lack of offensive firepower, leading to numerous blowout losses.

Here are the numbers behind Syracuse’s (6-10-2, 0-9-1 ACC) 2024 season:

1.17 goals scored per game

At the beginning of the season, Syracuse averaged two goals per game in nonconference play. This stretch was punctuated by 5-0 and 3-0 blowouts of Mercyhurst and St. Bonaventure.

Once SU faced ACC competition, though, it had trouble finding the back of the net. The Orange failed to tally multiple goals in all 10 ACC contests and only scored five times in those games.

Syracuse struggled creating scoring opportunities, as the ball was often stuck deep in its territory. And when SU finally got something going, its passes were usually off the mark.

“We’re having a hard time connecting with our (forwards) … having tighter connections through the midfield,” SU head coach Nicky Thrasher Adams said after its loss to then-No. 5 Wake Forest on Sept. 29. “We’re not good technically.”

The Orange were outshot in nearly every game this season, only posting more shots than their opponent five times. They notched 212 shots on the season, ranking fourth-worst in the ACC ahead of only Louisville (194), NC State (190) and Miami (187).

27 goals allowed in ACC play

Another weak point was Syracuse’s defense. It rotated three freshmen on its backline — Iba Oching, Anna Croyle and Gabby Wisbeck — while mixing in seniors Kate Murphy and Kylen Grant.

While the Orange only allowed three goals in their first eight games, they were pummeled on defense almost every game afterward. In seven-of-10 ACC matches, SU gave up three or more goals, including four to SMU and five to then-No. 2 Florida State. Syracuse’s 30 goals allowed in ACC play was the worst in the conference.

Toward the end of the campaign, the Orange also had issues defending corner kicks, allowing goals off them in three of their last five ACC games. They surrendered two against Pitt to break a scoreless tie and another versus NC State to squander a rare second-half lead.

Adams mentioned that the team ended every practice by working on corner kick defense, but it didn’t seem to work. Oftentimes, Syracuse initially cleared the ball away but lackadaisical play on rebounds led to follow-up scores.

“We chose to be lazy on a corner kick, which is something we have preached about since we’ve been getting scored on,” Adams said after SU’s loss to Miami. “Super disappointing that we’re allowing other teams to score goals they shouldn’t be scoring.”

Dakota Dorsey | Design Editor

106 total saves

Despite its struggles, Syracuse had one bright spot this season — Shea Vanderbosch. The junior goalkeeper racked up 92 saves across 15 games. She was a large part of why Syracuse played close games with Virginia Tech, NC State and then-No. 8 UNC. Vanderbosch’s 287 career saves puts her fourth all-time in program history.

“Shea is great, there’s a reason she has to start,” Adams said after falling to Notre Dame on Oct. 5. “We always know Shea’s gonna come up with unbelievable saves.”

While Vanderbosch battled injuries for three games, Florida Atlantic transfer Blythe Braun filled in, notching 14 saves and only allowing one goal. Vanderbosch and Braun combined for 106 saves on the season, which led the ACC.

Though the 319 shots the two faced made it impossible to not let some by each game. And with SU’s stagnant offense during the second half, just one goal was typically enough to defeat the Orange.

.099 shooting percentage

Even when Syracuse got open looks offensively, it mostly wasted them, amounting to an abysmal .099 shooting percentage. Of the 212 shots SU attempted, only 92 were on target. It scored just 21 goals, with Ashley Rauch and Erin Flurey leading the squad with five each.

Syracuse registered double-digit shots in six of its ACC games. An elusive conference victory was within reach multiple times but SU failed to capitalize, only scoring twice in those contests combined.

Most times, Syracuse worked its way down the field and sent a non-competitive shot over the crossbar or wide of the post. Even when the Orange forced an opposing goalkeeper to make a play, they often booted the ball right to them.

“We’re over-complicating things,” Adams said on Oct. 24. “We’re making it really difficult, and the spring is going to be really good for us to shape up.”

Published on November 3, 2024 at 9:08 pm

Contact Noah: njnussba@syr.edu