Olivia Adamson sets career-highs with 7 points, 14 draw controls
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Olivia Adamson held the ball at the top of the 12-meter three minutes into Saturday’s game against Clemson. With her team down 1-0, she drew a one-on-one matchup. Adamson dodged past the defender and went around to her right.
She now had space to take a shot, despite her position at a odd, narrow angle to the side of the goal. But, Adamson whipped the ball past Clemson’s Emily Lamparter to knot the game up at one.
“I thought Olivia was great early in the game, just being really aggressive,” head coach Kayla Treanor said. “We’re asking her to do a lot. We’re asking her to get better every time she goes on the field, and she is. I’m so proud of her performance today.”
Adamson posted two career-highs on Saturday, with seven points and fourteen draw controls to propel Syracuse to an 19-10 win over Clemson. She got going early, producing SU’s first two goals of the game and an assist in the opening quarter. After draw specialist Kate Mashewske went down with a season-ending injury a few weeks ago, Adamson has also been tasked with filling in on draw controls. The sophomore has improved every game and has now recorded at least six in four of the last five contests.
Half a minute after her game-tying goal, Adamson got busy again. Natalie Smith handled the ball in the middle of Clemson’s end as she ran up the field. Smith angled to her right while approaching the arc and sent a pass over the Tiger defenders to Adamson near the left post. The attacker charged, extended up to grab the ball, and placed the ball in the net to give SU the lead.
Late in the quarter, Adamson struck again. Following a Meaghan Tyrrell goal, she won the draw and Syracuse moved the ball upfield. Maddy Baxter drove up the left side and dished it to Adamson on her right. Adamson took a few steps forward as she scanned the field before spotting Emma Ward hanging by the left post. She delivered a pinpoint pass to Ward who finished to put the Orange up 6-2 to end the first 10 minutes.
Adamson had a quiet second quarter, with just two draw controls and a shot on goal. She won three more draws in the third and sparked some offense later, right before halftime.
Adamson held the ball at the top left of the 12-meter. She slotted a pass through the Clemson defense to set up Tyrrell at the right post. Tyrrell ran in toward the left and found the back of the net to give the Orange a 13-6 lead with just three minutes remaining in the penultimate quarter.
The Orange possessed the ball within Clemson’s 12-meter arc when Sierra Cockerille looked toward goal. But, instead of taking the shot, Cockerille backed up, pivoted and tossed the ball to her left to Adamson.
Once Adamson fielded the pass, Smith cut forward to the right post. Adamson hit her in stride and Smith tapped it in over the Lamparter’s left shoulder to put the score at 14-7.
“All the credit to my teammates for moving, feeding me the ball, and cutting,” Adamson said. “I was just able to finish and find my teammates.”
At the beginning of the fourth quarter, she won a draw that set her team up in Clemson’s zone yet again. After a Tiger foul, and a Meaghan shot that ricocheted off the post, Adamson set up Ward again for a score that gave Syracuse its first double-digit lead of the contest.
Later in the period, Adamson took a shot that sailed over cage. The Orange kept the pressure on in the Tigers’ zone and eventually were awarded a free position chance. Adamson got the nod and waited for the whistle at the top of the 8-meter. She charged in and slotted one through to give Syracuse its 18th goal of the afternoon.
Adamson recorded more draw controls than Clemson’s entire team. She said Mashewske and the coaching staff prepared her to take on a role that she’s never had to do before in her career.
“All the credit to our circle people and our coaches,” Adamson said. “Having Kate be able to coach me up throughout the week is awesome. I was just seeing the ball really well.”
Adamson also accounted for half the team’s assists and also recorded her most shots in a game all year. She said her career day was just a result of her team’s great performance.
“I think we did a really great job executing our game plan and I just got to be on the scoring end of that.” Adamson said.
