Syracuse stunned in 2-1 loss to Clemson at SU Soccer Stadium

Syracuse women’s soccer fell 2-1 in heartbreaking fashion to Clemson Sunday afternoon.

The Orange came into today with a 4-5-4 record, and the Tigers sat at 3-5-4. Both teams were on the hunt for their first ACC win.

Syracuse returned to the SU Soccer Stadium after a challenging two-game West Coast road trip that ended in consecutive conference losses; most recently to No. 3 Stanford. The Orange weren’t the only team coming into the game this way; the Tigers dropped their previous two games to No. 1 Virginia and No. 2 Notre Dame, respectively. 

Clemson has historically dominated Syracuse, holding an 8-0-2 record over the Orange since 2013. Syracuse has failed to score more than one goal in those matches, including in last year’s matchup, when Clemson won 5-1.
Syracuse seemed to be playing catch-up early as Clemson began the game with four shots in the opening six minutes. One of those shots gave Clemson a great chance in the second minute. Syracuse goalkeeper Shea Vanderbosch had to dive to her left to deflect it, leaving the goal unattended. Clemson defender Reese Klein was in position for a putback goal but missed it high, keeping the game knotted at zero.

Even with the early offensive threat from Clemson, it was Syracuse who was able to net the first goal of the game on the team’s first shot attempt. In the 7th minute, a goal kick from Vanderbosch was beautifully headed by forward Anna Rupert, advancing the ball deep into Clemson territory. Senior Mia Klammer was able to beat the Clemson defense to the ball and slotted it into the bottom left of the net to put the Orange up 1-0. That was Klammer’s team-leading sixth goal of the season.

Though it was Syracuse who took the early lead, it was Clemson that found its way to SU’s side of the field more often.  The Tigers responded quickly to the Orange goal as midfielder Emily Brough delivered the equalizer for her first goal of the season.

The story of the first half was the shot disparity and goalkeeper Shea Vanderbosch. Clemson tallied 17 shots with 10 on goal compared to the Orange’s five shots with two on goal. The Tigers’ extended time of possession, along with their constant attack, gave the impression that they were in control, but Vanderbosch’s nine saves kept the first-half scoreboard tied at 1-1.

It was more of the same in the second half as Clemson continued to outshoot Syracuse. The Tigers’ 14 shots with three on goal in the second half once again largely outnumbered the Orange’s five shots with two on goal. Syracuse’s defense was surely disruptive, but a lot of the credit goes to Shea Vanderbosch.

“She’s a stud. This was probably her best overall performance all year. She was clean in her saves, decision-making good, her clearances were good. She was fantastic, player of the game,” said head coach Nicky Thrasher Adams.

There were opportunities for both teams down the stretch as both teams found themselves striking the crossbar within a minute of each other. Clemson’s Alessandra Washington would hit in the 84th minute, and Syracuse’s Ashley Rauch answered just one minute later with a shot of her own that crashed into the woodwork.

With nobody able to find the back of the net, the drama came in the final minute of play. A Clemson free kick in the 90th minute practically gave the Tigers possession through the end of the game, but with time ticking down, it seemed the game would end in a tie.

A tie would mean Syracuse still earns a point in the standings, but a foul called with 16 seconds remaining then snowballed into a delay-of-game call, stopping the clock. The clock was stopped at 7 seconds, and the Tigers were left with a free kick from just outside the penalty box.  Clemson’s Anna Castenfelt beat Vanderbosch to the bottom right of the net to win the game 2-1.

“It’s a shame that we were playing against 12, the entire second half with the referee. I’ve never seen anything like it. I did not know when we caused a foul that it was our responsibility to go get the ball and hand it to them.” Thrasher Adams said. “They said we were delaying game. The ball was by the goal. I don’t get it, so I don’t know why the ball was stopped. Very upset with that,” 

Clemson improves to 4-4-5 and 1-3-2 in ACC play after picking up its first conference win of the season. 

Syracuse moves to 4-6-4 and 0-5-1 in conference play. The Orange have another shot at earning its first conference win when they travel to Coral Gables to face the Miami Hurricanes on Saturday at 7 p.m.