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Syracuse center back Grace Gillard weaved and looked up. She found Kendyl Lauher on the left sideline, who relayed a pass to Anna Rupert before two Binghamton defenders converged.

Lauher managed to squirm free and played a quick one-two with Rupert. Receiving possession, Lauher produced an awkward, trickling bouncer, which deflected off Binghamton’s Allison Falvo and into the top right corner for the game-winning goal.

Syracuse (2-2, 0-0 Atlantic Coast Conference) topped Binghamton (0-3-1, 0-0 America East Conference) 2–1 on Sunday. The Orange applied continuous, unrelenting pressure to a fragile backline throughout the full-90 and outshot the Bearcats 18-11.

Though Binghamton dominated possession during the opening five minutes, Syracuse was never unnerved and responded with an early goal.

In the seventh minute, Erin Flurey won the ball against Grace Vittoria and sprinted down the middle of the field. As Flurey marched 30 yards toward goal, with Vittoria in close pursuit, she sent a pass through into the box, destined for Ashley Rauch on the left wing. Rauch instantly tapped a high-arcing chip over a diving Kaitlyn Williams to give Syracuse a 1–0 lead.

“Ashley is really good in space,” Syracuse head coach Nicky Thrasher Adams said. “I feel like she kind of played on the island a little bit tonight but she was so dynamic we can play her in multiple roles and she’s definitely an x-factor for us.”

Flurey kept her momentum on the offensive end after assisting SU’s opening goal. Following a Shea Vanderbosch save, Syracuse quickly broke on a counter and Flurey earned a corner kick for Syracuse. She located her target, and whipped the ball to the net, but Williams arrived first to thwart out any sense of danger.

Even though the Orange looked comfortable with their one-goal lead, a multitude of Syracuse defensive collapses ensued. At the 16-minute mark, Binghamton drew level when Olivia McKnight broke away from a tackle. She delivered a ball into the path of Paige Luke, who netted her first collegiate goal by finding the bottom left corner of the net.

Syracuse did well to bounce back, generating many offensive opportunities. In the span of 20 to 30 minutes within the first half, Syracuse recorded five shots, four of which were on target. But it couldn’t capitalize. Kate Murphy and Mags Thornton both came close in the 21 and 28 minutes, striking the upper woodwork with thunderous efforts.

“I just thought we panicked,” Adams said. “I think we got frustrated.”

Alyssa Abramson felt pressure along the left flank. She had taken a heavy touch and the Binghamton offense lunged forward. Somehow, Abramson, utilizing a slew of mazy dribbling moves, escaped the oncoming Bearcats. In the 36th minute, Binghamton’s striker Lauren Clark broke through the box but Abramson was prepared. She positioned herself perfectly to block the attempt.

To begin the second half, Binghamton commanded possession for the first nine minutes. It strung together organized and well-advised shots. But Syracuse remained competitive. The Orange won the ball back through a Gillard tackle in the 58th minute. She then launched a lob shot which narrowly missed the target.

However, Gillard’s miss proved to be a turning point. Syracuse grew more aggressive, just like it was in the first half. SU tallied two shots within the 80th minute alone, and while it wasn’t able to find a long-awaited insurance goal, the eventual 2-1 victory clinched the Orange’s first home win of 2023.

Published on August 28, 2023 at 12:38 am