High press, defensive stability, helps Syracuse hold on for 2-2 draw against No. 17 Wake Forest
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Hannah Pilley pressed Wake Forest’s defense, preventing the Demon Deacons from building out from the back. Abbie Colton passed to Malaika Meena with Pilley applying pressure. Erin Flurey joined the press, picking off the pass, kickstarting a Syracuse attack.
Flurey accelerated, completing a one-two play with Pilley. After Pilley returned the ball, Flurey dribbled into the box, before smashing the ball into the roof of the net to give Syracuse the lead.
“We stuck to the game plan,” Syracuse head coach Nicky Thrasher Adams said. “I was really proud of my team.”
Syracuse (2-9-2, 0-4-1 Atlantic Coast Conference) tied 2-2 against No. 17 Wake Forest (8-1-3, 2-1-2 ACC), ending its four game losing streak in conference play. The Demon Deacons outshot 29-3, but the Orange battled on defense, and despite allowing two goals in the second half, hung on for the draw. Syracuse’ goalie Shea Vanderbosch contributed 12 saves in the game.
Syracuse implemented a high press during the first half, pressuring Wake Forest’s backline. In the first minute, Syracuse earned a chance after pressing Wake Forests’ defense. Flurey forced the turnover from Colton who intercepted a pass from Wake Forest’s goalkeeper Payton Cahill. Flurey dribbled to the middle of the box and attracted three defenders. Flurey then distributed back to Ashley Rauch for Syracuse’s first shot of the game which flew off the bar.
Syracuse’ backline stayed tight to Wake Forest’s attackers, playing a high line which forced four offsides from Wake Forest. In the 11th minute, the Demon Deacons’s Emily Morris maneuvered behind SU’s defense, but it was flagged for offsides. She patrolled forward with the ball and sent it to Nikayla Small who was ahead of Syracuse’s defense. The shot was blocked by Vanderbosch before the referee waved the flag.
Syracuse competed on both ends, tightening up the defense to limit the space for the Demon Deacons. In the 19th minute, Wake Forest midfielder Caiya Hanks dribbled down to the left. She juked out Kylen Grant but Anna Rupert quickly closed her down, gaining back possession for the Orange after drawing a foul on Hanks.
“Wake Forest is an overly possession-oriented team,” Adams said. “So we decided to step up and put pressure on those two center backs and started defending higher up in the middle. It paid off in the first half.”
After Flurey scored to give Syracuse the lead in the 28th minute, the Orange sat back and soaked up pressure. In the 38th minute, Small started an attack, crossing the ball for Dempsey Brown in the box but it was deflected by Mackenzie Dupre. In the 39th minute, Rauch turned the ball over after pressure from Morris. Zoe Van de Cloot covered up and cleared the danger before Colton touched it.
The Orange’s high pressure again helped them extend their advantage. Aysia Cobb sprinted back to intercept a pass at midfield. After several passes, Flurey controlled the ball. She picked her head up and delivered a long pass to the right where Rupert was open. Rupert waited for the reinforcements until Raia James rushed for a shot. James won the 50-50 ball with Brown, converting the cross from Rupert into the bottom left corner for her first collegiate goal of her career.
In the second half, the Orange couldn’t maintain their pressure that they had in the first half. The Orange conceded in the 56th after the substitution of Flurey due to a potential injury.
Small got past Cobb and attacked through the box. Van de Cloot then tackled her down but couldn’t clear the danger. Wake Forest’ Anna Swanson followed and rocketed a shot to the top right of the net.
“I think we got confused in the middle with that substitution,” Adams said.
The Orange conceded their second in the 76th minute. Emily Murphy received the cross from Swanson on the right, and passed the ball to Hannah Johnson who then collided with Vanderbosch as the ball dribbled into the bottom left corner.
Adams changed the formation from 4-3-3 to 4-1-4-1, trying to solidify the defense with Syracuse under pressure late. The Demon Deacons’ pushed forward looking for a game-winner in the last ten minutes, but the Oranges backline held strong, with Vanderbolsh recording three saves in that span. Vanderbosch’s saves helped the Orange hold onto a tie.
“You gotta just commend these girls for wearing the Syracuse uniform with ultimate pride and fighting tooth-and-nail to represent this university in the best way,” Adams said.
