Syracuse offense continues to sputter in 2-0 loss to NC State
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Following a stalled offensive possession from the Orange in the 13th minute, NC State forward Jameese Joseph received possession. With space down the right sidelines, she drove the ball into the middle of Syracuse’s defense before finding freshman forward Hannah Jibril.
Remaining onside, Jibril had a step on SU’s backline. She met Joseph’s pass approaching the 18-yard box. As Jibril entered the box and prepared to fire a shot, SU defender Kylen Grant closed in on her. The ensuing contact was minimal but proved enough to gift the Wolfpack a penalty kick. Grant was issued a yellow card.
Jibril took the kick and aimed for the top right corner. SU goalie Shea Vanderbosch got her fingertips to the ball but couldn’t stop it from rifling into the back of the net.
Jibril’s first collegiate goal put NC State. in the drivers seat for the entire contest. Then, with three minutes remaining, the Wolfpack (3-7-6, 2-3-3 Atlantic Coast Conference) added another to clinch a 2-0 victory over Syracuse (2-12-2, 0-7-1 ACC). The Orange were held scoreless for the sixth time this season despite outshooting NC State 12-11 and matching its shots on goal (5).
Early on, Syracuse generated several opportunities to answer NC State’s 14th-minute strike. In the first half, Erin Flurey looked to have a clean look on goal before three defenders swarmed her in the box. The increased attention on Flurey left Anna Rupert open on the left side but she was called for offsides.
Syracuse tallied three corner kicks in the opening half but couldn’t capitalize on any of them. NC State’s defense consistently forced the Orange back into its own half on set pieces, making it difficult for the visitors to get anything going.
SU defender Alyssa Abramson was tasked with taking two free kicks but both fell short. In the 17th minute, Abramson’s first effort flew straight toward NC State goalkeeper Olivia Pratapass for an easy save. Her second attempt came 10 minutes later but ricocheted off the Wolfpack wall.
In the second half, Syracuse’s attack started quick, pressuring NC State’s backline. And though the Orange did well to threaten with a flurry of crosses and optimistic moves forward, they produced empty possessions for the next 20 minutes. On the defensive end, however, Vanderbosch and the rest of SU’s defense successfully thwarted NC State’s attacks.
Approaching the 70th minute mark, Syracuse received its best chance of the second half. Pratapass spilled a searching Erin Flurey free kick from 25 yards out, giving the SU forwards a brief opportunity to tap the ball in. But Pratapass did well to dive on the loose ball, knocking it out of play before anyone else could get to it to give the Orange their sixth corner kick of the game.
SU decided to play the ball short to Flurey who beat her immediate defender. She lined up a shot for the near right corner but missed badly, efficiently ending the attack. In the 85th minute, Flurey received enough space to rifle another shot goalward, but her effort from well outside the box was caught by Pratapass.
Then, two minutes later, NC State scored on a counter-attack. Joseph broke away from a desperate, high-pressing Syracuse back line to scamper down the left wing. She found forward Annika Wohner for a straight forward finish in the bottom right to put the game out of reach for Syracuse.
