Maryland goalkeeper Rachelle Beanlands braced herself for a split second before watching the ball sail harmlessly out of bounds.

Maya Pitts had broken free in the 33rd minute and ripped a hard shot toward Beanlands. It was a prime opportunity for Syracuse to get on the board in the early stages of a game it needed to win.

“If we put those goals away early, it shouldn’t always come down to playing defense,” goalkeeper Brittany Anghel said. “We can’t fault anyone for the effort, but we had a lot of chances and we couldn’t get it done.”

The Orange, who needed a win to remain eligible for postseason play, failed to convert any of its opportunities in the early going. SU’s (7-10-1, 3-8-1 Atlantic Coast) defense had difficulty containing UMD forward Hayley Brock, who scored the game-winning goal in the second half and propelled Maryland (9-8-0, 5-6-0) to a 3-1 win over the Orange in front of 212 fans at SU Soccer Stadium.

From the opening whistle, the Orange relied on a heavy press to force turnovers and create scoring chances in the final third. Head coach Phil Wheddon said SU executed its game plan well, but lacked composure on the attack.

“We decided to chase and press (the Terrapins), put them under pressure, and it worked,” Wheddon said. “They gave us opportunities to score, which we didn’t capitalize on, and that was the difference in the game.”

Despite getting outplayed in the first half, Syracuse trailed just 1-0 and the players remained hopeful they could spur a second-half turnaround.

“Coming out of halftime, we knew the scoring was going to come,” Kayla Afonso said. “We just tried to keep playing hard.”

SU gathered a bit of momentum after Alexis Koval was taken down in the box early in the second half. Sophomore Jackie Firenze buried the game-tying penalty kick and gave the Orange new life.

But the quality of SU’s defensive pressure slowly deteriorated as the speed and versatility of Maryland’s premiere goal-scorer Brock took over the game.

In the 57th minute, Ashley Spivey hit a lead pass to Brock who sprinted forward to challenge Anghel for possession of the ball. Brock smartly chipped a shot over Anghel’s head and gave the Terrapins a 2-1 lead they would not relinquish.

“(Brock) was clearly head and shoulders above everyone else,” Wheddon said. “That seemed to be a big difference.”

The Orange continued to apply offensive pressure as it scrambled to even the score. In the 57th minute, Pitts used her body to deflect a cross that bounced toward the net. Beanlands made a diving save, and it was another missed opportunity for SU.

Wheddon admitted that fatigue played a factor down the stretch as Syracuse had trouble sustaining pressure. The Terrapins added another goal in the 69th minute, but the damage was already done.

“Maryland was very potent in front of the goal and we were not,” Wheddon said. “We had some great opportunities to score and we didn’t.”

Published on October 28, 2013 at 12:38 am