Jackie Firenze lobbed a corner kick in the direction of Syracuse’s tallest threat Blake Johnson, and West Virginia swarmed her with defenders. The ball floated innocently over Johnson’s head, toward midfielder Rachel Blum.

Blum trapped the ball with her thigh and volleyed a sharp shot off the bounce, aiming to score the decisive go-ahead goal.

But she couldn’t convert. It was another missed opportunity for the Orange.

“Unfortunately (the shot) was right at the goalkeeper. Anywhere else and it probably would have gone in,” SU head coach Phil Wheddon said. “It was a quality chance, and I know Rachel would like to have another try at that.”

The Orange created plenty of scoring chances against ninth-ranked WVU. But self-inflicted mistakes plagued the SU scoring attack as it suffered a heartbreaking loss in the closing moments. SU (1-1) will rely on stronger play around the net when it hosts Albany (1-1) on Friday at 7 p.m. and Colgate (2-0) on Sunday at 7 p.m. at the SU Soccer Stadium.

SU graduated two of its top goal scorers from last season, and the lack of scoring identity was exposed against the Mountaineers. The Orange generated plenty of scoring chances, including the missed corner kick, but the inability to convert resulted in a loss.

Wheddon said he will rely on a multitude of players to fill the void left by former captains Jenna Rickan and Alyscha Mottershead.

In its season opener against Hofstra, SU demonstrated a balanced attack it could have. Three different players scored for the Orange. Sophomore Erin Simon also flashed signs of her potential.

“She’s been creating attack,” senior goalkeeper Brittany Anghel said. “She’s so fast, I think she can go up against any of the defenders in the country because of her speed.”

Syracuse is known as a stout defensive team. But moving forward, the Orange will look to capitalize on missed opportunities and finish opponents at the end of games.

SU’s practice this week focused on its attack around the net. The players ran combination drills, which placed an emphasis on making quality one-touch passes. The drill also stressed maintaining vision of the entire field to enable finding seams and gaps in the opponents’ defense.

Quality ball possession will also take pressure off the SU defense, which is forced to play a majority of close games under duress.
“(Playing from behind) definitely puts some pressure on (the defense),” senior defender Kayla Afonso said. “Against Hofstra, I was very stressed out because we were losing 2-1, but when we scored it relieved a lot of stress and helped us get back into the game.”

Anghel also said her confidence is boosted when the Orange plays with a lead.

SU will try to become a cohesive unit on the attack in its home opener. Expect the goal scoring to come from a variety of players. Regardless, Wheddon said he is confident in his team’s ability.

“We created some very good opportunities against a very good team. In all honesty, we should have finished those chances,” Wheddon said. “But we know if we can create those chances against WVU, we can create them against teams in the (Atlantic Coast Conference), and whoever else we play.”

Published on August 29, 2013 at 1:14 am