Syracuse loses 2-0 to No. 7 Duke, misses postseason for 13th straight year
Syracuse fell to No. 7 Duke 2-0 on the road Thursday. The loss sealed SU’s 13th straight year without playing postseason soccer. Aaron Hammer | Staff Photographer
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It’s an odd feeling when you know there isn’t much left to play for. And entering its final weekend of the season, Syracuse faced that existential dread.
SUs momentum from its first Atlantic Coast Conference victory in 1,112 days, which even made Syracuse goalkeeper Shea Vanderbosch ponder an NCAA Tournament run, subsided after it fell to Boston College 1-0 Sunday.
The ACC Tournament was already out of the question way before it beat Miami. The NCAA Tournament was a long shot, with the Orange needing to win at least two of their final three matches to reach .500 and have any chance of making the tournament for the first time since 2001.
But with a 2-0 defeat to No. 7 Duke (10-3-1, 5-3-0 ACC), Syracuse’s (5-8-4, 1-7-1 ACC) postseason aspirations were put to bed for the 13th consecutive season. Thursday also marked the sixth ACC game Syracuse has been held scoreless in, as the Blue Devils outshot it by 26.
SU began the game with a bank of five, yet it didn’t stop the Blue Devils from registering five shots inside the first 15 minutes and forcing Vanderbosch to make two saves. SU, on the other hand, recorded zero and barely got out of its half.
Syracuse’s all-time save holder was left to watch as Duke forward Kat Rader hit the right woodwork in the 20th minute. Then, Blue Devils box-to-box midfielder Devin Lynch hit the left post with a header five minutes later. It was a nonstop onslaught.
But it’s nothing it hasn’t dealt with before. Syracuse has been outshot in all but two ACC matches. Some days, they would get battered. Others would see them lose by a slim margin or even squeak out a narrow victory.
Soccer is a results-driven business, and the team with more shots or possession isn’t guaranteed a victory. Syracuse knows that.
On one hand, SU’s deep defensive line was a one-way ticket to another ACC loss. Duke’s five shots in the opening 15 minutes grew to 21 by the end of the first half. Bree Bridges even had to play hero to clear Phoebe Goldthwaite’s goal-bound shot off the line. On the other hand, it’s a smart way to frustrate your opponent, giving you a chance to nick one at the other end. In turn, it looked like Syracuse would escape the first half scoreless.
That was until referee Sergio Gonzalez awarded the Blue Devils a penalty after he deemed Bridges touched the ball with her hand in her penalty area. Rader stepped up, sent Vanderbosch the wrong way and gave the Blue Devils a deserved lead.
Duke’s first clear opportunity in the second half didn’t come until the 61st minute, when Avery Oder made a yard on the outside to deliver a ball into the box toward Lynch, who completely whiffed at it.
Syracuse could’ve had a penalty after Mia Klammer was charged down by Duke center back Daya King in the box, but it wasn’t given after being checked and reviewed by Gonzalez. Two minutes later, the Blue Devils doubled their lead courtesy of Syracuse’s poor corner kick marking and Duke captain Mia Oliaro’s toe poke.
Julia Arbelaez had Syracuse’s best chance on Thursday, but saw her effort saved by Duke goalkeeper Caroline Dysart.
Syracuse’s win over Miami was easily the biggest in head coach Nicky Thrasher Adams’ tenure. They dug deep to hold Miami to nothing, and pounced when the opportunity to score came about. But after the loss to BC, Syracuse’s season felt pretty much over.
Its 2-0 loss simply confirmed that, after Sunday, SU will once again be forced to watch others play in November and December.
