Poor game management hurts Syracuse in last-minute loss to Clemson
Syracuse failed to hold onto its early 1-0 lead versus Clemson, continuing its midseason struggles as the campaign winds down. Jacob Halsema | Staff Photographer
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Clemson packed numbers into the box, needing Jolie Jenkins’ delivery to be on point. It wasn’t, clearing out for a throw-in. But off the throw-in, Ashley Rauch had a chance to clear and failed.
The Tigers’ Carla Small’s ball into the box caused havoc, so much so that the Orange’s Anna Rupert — who played over 60 minutes for the first time this season — tripped Clemson’s Anna Castenfelt on the edge of the 18-yard box.
A game in the balance from the opening 10 minutes, which saw both teams score in quick succession, was suddenly taken out of the hands of Syracuse and was firmly put into the hands of Castenfelt. Her 90th-minute free kick left Syracuse (4-6-4, 0-5-1 Atlantic Coast) with its head in its hands as Clemson (4-4-5, 1-3-2 ACC) nicked its first conference win of the season with one of the last kicks of the game.
“My girls played extremely hard for 90 minutes and left it out there. We had really good opportunities,” head coach Nicky Thrasher Adams said postgame.
Sunday couldn’t have started better for the Orange. Shea Vanderbosch’s goal kick was flicked by Rupert into the path of Mia Klammer, who tallied her first goal in almost a month. It was the first lead Syracuse had taken in an ACC match since a 1-1 draw to NC State last October.
Two minutes later, Emily Brough’s volley tied the game. Then, referee Brad Church gave a penalty after a video review confirmed Bree Bridges had handled the ball in the box. Clemson’s top goal scorer Juju Harris stepped up and made Vanderbosch go the wrong way but didn’t keep her shot between the posts.
From there, Syracuse managed the game well. A singular goal in five ACC contests prompted the Orange to go more direct. None of their chances came from intricate or tidy play, like it did during conference play. It was all through direct play.
“Our whole game plan was to get the ball behind them because that’s where they were weakest and every time we did it, we were powerful,” Adams said. “We got the goal early, should have had a few more.”
In the 37th minute, Jasmine Nixon’s clearance eventually found the feet of Klammer, who drove past Clemson’s entire midfield with ease. She laid it into the path of Kendyl Lauher, who came off the bench for the second straight game after starting the first 12 contests. But she got too underneath her strike to trouble Clemson goalkeeper Addy Holgorsen.
At halftime, Vanderbosch registered nine saves, and SU created more quality chances.
“We were dangerous, and a lot of Clemson’s opportunities were from 30 out. We were doing our job,” Adams said.
They continued to hit the ball long, even if it wasn’t the right option. In the 54th minute, Maya McDermott had an easy ball inside but chose to play it down the line. After the whistle blew in the 60th minute, Gabby Wisbeck still punted it down the channel for Rupert to chase. If Syracuse was going to grab a winner, it would come from quick, direct play rather than a careful and calculated buildout.
In the span of a minute, Clemson and Syracuse both hit the crossbar. It looked like Syracuse was going to grab its first ACC point since a 1-1 draw against SMU on Sept. 11.
But Clemson’s last-minute free kick broke Syracuse’s hearts. Despite Adams complaining about how the referee stopped the play during the free kick because they were “delaying the game,” they have nobody to blame but themselves.
“We shouldn’t have fouled in the first place,” Adams said.
Syracuse was the most dangerous it’s been in the ACC against Clemson. It earned the Orange an early one-goal lead. But SU’s lack of experience holding a lead let a well-deserved point slip in the 90th minute.
