Syracuse Women’s Soccer falls 3-0 to No. 1 Virginia

With about 20 minutes to play in the Syracuse Women’s soccer game against Virginia, play was briefly suspended. Spectators turned their attention to East Colvin Street, where firecrackers had just been set off on the fence separating the road from the field.

The firecrackers were the closest fans got to seeing any fireworks during the game. The Orange lost to the country’s top-ranked team, 3-0, Saturday at the SU Soccer Stadium. They were only able to muster one shot on target and two shots total.

Despite the loss, head coach Nicky Thrasher Adams was happy with the way her team fought. 

“[Virginia is] a very, very solid, great team,” Thrasher Adams said. “I’m glad we got to play them on our pitch and I’m proud of our girls for their effort.”

The Orange were able to stay engaged in the first half, but were certainly on the back-foot. Goalkeeper Shea Vanderbosch saved the first four shots put on frame by the Cavaliers, and made history along the way. The fourth save moved her into second-place on the program’s all-time saves list with 331. 

“Shea is an incredible shot stopper,” Thrasher Adams said. “Shea is Shea. And I’m glad she’s on our side.”

Virginia’s fifth shot on target was not save 332 for Vanderbosch. The Cavaliers moved up the field quickly. The ball ended up on the foot of midfielder Lia Godfrey, who drove a close-range shot into the bottom corner of the net with just under ten minutes to play in the half. 

For the next few minutes, Virginia seemed ready to find another goal. It dominated possession, but was unable to create an opportunity to threaten Vanderbosch’s net. But, with ten seconds to play in the half, that changed. 

Virginia forward Allie Ross entered the game as a substitute and had a chance just outside the six-yard box. Vanderbosch rose to the occasion, palming the ball away. It was eventually cleared over the net, and the Orange went into halftime down one.

Virginia did not relent at the start of the second half. It maintained strong possession and found a scoring opportunity just over one minute in. Defender Olivia Rademaker tested Vanderbosch from outside the box, but the goalkeeper was able to push the ball over the crossbar. 

Syracuse settled in after the early Virginia chance. The Orange had more success with quick, short passes, but struggled to make the key breakthrough pass to put serious pressure on their opponent’s backline. 

Of course, Vanderbosch was still called upon. Virginia midfielder Ella Carter took a shot that seemed labeled for the top corner. The Orange goalkeeper dove up and pushed the ball over the bar. It was probably the most impressive of the ten stops she made over the course of the match. 

After constant pressure from Virginia, Syracuse’s second-half pipe finally burst. Vanderbosch made an unreal point-blank stop on Ross, but the defense failed to fully clear the danger. Carter blasted a shot through a crowd of bodies and into the net. Virginia led 2-0, and with less than 20 minutes to play, the game felt out of reach for the Orange.

Later, Syracuse defender Aleena Ulke tripped in her own box. She fell on top of a Virginia attacker, and the referee awarded a penalty. Cavaliers forward Maggie Cagle finished off the spot kick, putting the game out of reach with seven minutes to play. 

Cagle, a senior, has been a thorn in the side of Syracuse since she arrived at Virginia, scoring in each game she has appeared in against the Orange. Thrasher Adams, who played with Cagle’s mother professionally, joked about Virginia’s star player after the game. 

“She plays just like her mama,” Thrasher Adams said. “She’s a senior… So we will miss her.”

Cagle and Virginia proved why Virginia is a top-ranked team in the nation on Saturday night. They smothered the Orange defensively and were able to generate quality chances through their passing. It was their third consecutive match with three goals, and they’ve only allowed two goals the entire season. 

With the win, Virginia moved to 8-0-1, and 2-0 in ACC competition. Their next test will be on the road against Clemson on Thursday.

Saturday’s loss dropped Syracuse’s record to 4-3-4, and 0-2-1 in the ACC. The Orange look to earn their first conference victory on Thursday at 7 PM against California.