Syracuse is no stranger to early deficits this season. Three times in the Orange’s four previous games, SU allowed its opponent to score the first goal.

Still, what happened on Thursday against Georgetown came as a shock. Against the Hoyas, SU was held scoreless over the first 22 minutes and allowed three unanswered goals to start the first half. And during that stretch, SU committed three turnovers.

‘(It was) certainly a low-scoring affair,’ SU head coach Gary Gait said. ‘I put it more on our offensive end that didn’t execute very well today.’

But with 8:03 remaining in the first half against the No. 4 seed Hoyas, the top-seeded Orange began to straighten itself out. Over the next 16 minutes, SU (16-2) committed just two turnovers, going on a decisive 6-1 run that helped clinch a 7-6 win.

SU will focus on limiting its near-disastrous mistakes when it takes on No. 2 seed Loyola (Md.) Saturday at 1 p.m. in the Carrier Dome for the Big East championship. The Greyhounds (12-5) defeated No. 3 seed Notre Dame 11-9 earlier Thursday to advance to the championship game.

The Georgetown game should show SU the importance of ball security. For about the first 15 minutes of the game, the Orange committed just one turnover and trailed 1-0. But after SU defender Natalie Glannell charged into the eight-meter arc to help fellow defender Jill Cammett clear the ball, GU’s Ashley Hunter stripped it away.

Seconds later, Georgetown attack Caroline Tarzian received a long pass, pumped faked SU goaltender Alyssa Costantino, and scored the Hoyas second goal for an early 2-0 lead.

‘We had the first couple possessions and slowed the ball down and usually when that happens and you don’t have the ball when you’re used to having the ball you do some things that are uncharacteristic,’ GU head coach Ricky Fried said. ‘Our game plan wasn’t to pressure them and play hard, it was to not make mistakes.’

The wealth of turnovers also prevented Syracuse from finding an offensive rhythm. With three turnovers in the first 18 minutes, the Orange’s offense found itself out of sorts.

Even normally easy plays were an adventure for SU. The last of those three turnovers occurred when Syracuse midfielder Katie Webster stepped to the edge of the eight-meter arc and tried to fire a pass through traffic to an open teammate.

Instead, the ball stuck in Webster’s stick and went just a few feet before being scooped up by the Hoyas.

‘Frankly I think that them not having the ball forced them to do things that they don’t normally do,’ Fried said, ‘and they rushed themselves a little bit to our benefit.’

Even the Orange felt it played right into Georgetown’s game plan.

‘They would hold it for periods of time,’ Syracuse attack Alyssa Murray said, ‘and we would just go right away and not give our defense a break and not get a quality shot.’

But in the final 10 minutes of the first half and into the second half, the Orange adjusted, piecing together several key scoring streaks by staying patient.

During Syracuse’s first 3-0 run, the Orange scored all three of its goals after penalties. Murray and midfielder Bridget Daley each scored on free positions and attack Michelle Tumolo scored following a foul.

Fixing the turnover problem would eliminate those early game deficits, though. If SU can fix its sloppiness, Fried said he doesn’t expect the Orange to have much of an issue with the Greyhounds.

Gait isn’t quite as outspoken in his confidence. Loyola gave SU one of Syracuse’s toughest tests of the season a week ago thanks to an amazing performance by Greyhounds’ goaltender Kerry Stoothoff.

Gait expects another close game this time.

‘They’re a very good team,’ Gait said, ‘young just like we are and (it’s) a rematch of last week’s game that was very exciting and it should be exciting and entertaining.’

dbwilson@syr.edu