Syracuse women’s soccer snaps losing streak with late 2-1 victory over Pitt

Farrah Stephens-Martin’s late goal gave Syracuse women’s soccer a 2-1 victory over Pitt on Thursday night. The win snaps the Orange’s four-game losing streak and gives them their first ACC victory of the season.

The win also ended an offensive drought. SU was scoreless through five consecutive matches, with the last goal coming against Niagara on Aug. 27.

Syracuse wasted no time changing that.

Just two minutes in, sophomore midfielder Abby Incorvaia thought she had given the Orange the lead before it was taken off the board for offside. She did not have to wait long for another chance. In the fourth minute, Incorvaia finished a rebound to put Syracuse ahead 1-0.

The Orange continued their all-out pressure registering three shots on target in the first twelve minutes of the game. 

That aggressive start was exactly what Syracuse coach Nicky Adams wanted to see from her team.

“Our mentality this week was we were going to be the one to punch first […] We wanted to be the initiators and dictate.” 

After controlling play at the beginning, momentum started to shift and the SU goalkeeper Maya Naimoli had to be superb. Sophomore defender Natalie Magnotta made a huge block on one of Pitt’s most dangerous chances halfway through the half. Not much later, Naimoli followed with a series of saves that kept SU in the lead.

The defensive trio of Bree Bridges, Magnotta and Jasmine Nixon held their ground, preventing the Panthers from roaring their way back into the game late in the first half. 

With seconds left in the half Naimoli again made a save to send SU into the locker room up 1-0. She entered the match with the most saves in the ACC, and she tacked on 8 more in this one.

Adams said Naimoli’s consistency is something Syracuse has come to rely on.

“Maya is Maya,” she said. “She makes the saves she is supposed to […] and you can always count on one or two big saves.”

To start the second half, Pitt came out the same way SU did in the first and forced Naimoli to make a big save to keep it 1-0.

Syracuse nearly doubled its lead midway through the second on a set piece that hit junior midfielder Anna Croyle on the head and then the crossbar. Emery Streets had an opportunity at the far post on the rebound, but the Pitt defense cleared it away.

Less than two minutes later the momentum shifted again.

Pitt’s Desiree Reed found the ball from a corner kick and buried it into the back of the net to tie the game 1-1. Naimoli got a hand on it, but the shot was just strong enough to get by and give Pitt it’s equalizer.

The Panthers continued to apply pressure after the goal forcing long shifts for SU in their defensive end. But the collective group defense stood tall and stopped Pitt from taking the lead.

With about two minutes remaining, Syracuse earned another set piece. The ball was headed across the penalty area before Stephens-Martin found it near the back post and put it into the net, giving the Orange a 2-1 lead.

The Orange still had to survive a late push from Pitt.

Naimoli punched away a dangerous cross shortly after the go-ahead goal. Pitt then earned a corner in the final minute, but after the ball bounced through the penalty area, Naimoli gathered it to end the threat and the game.

With the win, SU moves to 4-5-2 on the season. The Orange will look to continue this momentum when they play Virginia on the road next Saturday night.