Alma Fenne wasn’t at Syracuse in 2014 when the team lost to Wake Forest in the Atlantic Coast Conference finals, but she heard her teammates talk about the loss. She understood the frustration and knew another ACC accolade — clinching first-place in the conference — was on the line against a familiar opponent Saturday when the Demon Deacons visited Syracuse.

Fenne — a senior transfer — watched two or three clips from the 2014 loss, studying Wake Forest’s players and feeling an “extra drive.”

“We were looking into each other’s eyes before the game (thinking), ‘We’re going to smash them,’” Fenne said. “And we did.”

The senior notched seven points — scoring three goals on her team-high six shots while also dishing out an assist — in just the first half as No. 1 Syracuse defeated No. 6 Wake Forest, 6-0. Fenne had help from forward Emma Lamison, who assisted on two of Fenne’s goals. The way the pair exploited an aggressive Wake Forest defense left head coach Ange Bradley feeling proud, she said.

“We really connected today,” Lamison said of Fenne. “We were just able to manipulate the defense together.”

33:32 into the first half, Fenne scored on Lamison’s assist after she drew the defense away. Seconds after the ensuing restart, midfielder Alyssa Manley created a turnover and sent a long through ball to Lamison, who gained position on a Wake Forest defender. As Lamison dribbled, she spotted Fenne running to her right.

“I felt the girl on my back so I knew if I pulled right I’d be in traffic,” Lamison said. “So I pulled left and as soon as the goalie dropped her stick I did a reverse pass to Alma when I saw her coming off the corner.”

As Wake Forest goalie Valerie Dahmen dove, the ball slid to Fenne, who lightly tapped the ball into the bottom right corner for the Orange’s second goal in 39 seconds. As Lamison and Fenne celebrated, Dahmen ripped off her face mask and started shouting and pointing at her teammates.

Fenne had beaten Dahmen all afternoon, including when Fenne dribbled through the defense herself to the top of the circle and scored just 3:55 into the contest.

“Seeing her go through the defense and making those shots—she makes those on me every day at practice—I was like, ‘Yes, make another goalkeeper pay,’” goalkeeper Jess Jecko said, laughing.

After the five-goal first half, Fenne ran to the bench and high-fived teammates. She stopped, putting her right hand up in the air and her left hand on her hip, similar to the “Nae Nae” dance move from the popular Silentó song, “Watch Me (Whip/Nae Nae).” It wasn’t that specific move, but one Fenne made up with teammate Erin Gillingham when the two wanted to dip-dye their hair together.

“I was just really happy,” Fenne said. “Five in the first half was ridiculous.”

Fenne had assisted Gillingham’s third goal of the season with 12:44 in the first half.

Part of what makes Fenne so dangerous is that she plays the hybrid of midfield-forward and has the skill-sets of both positions, Laura Hurff said Tuesday.

Fenne dropped back in the second half, not leading attacking rushes and playing more of the midfield. She dictated the flow of the game, sometimes passing the ball back to Lies Lagerweij and Roos Weers on defense to reverse the ball. Other times Fenne played the ball forward and led attacks.

Twice in the second half, Fenne fed Lamison leading passes, which Lamison took into the circle and shot, but Dehman’s athletic saves prevented goals.

When the final horn sounded, Fenne received hugs from her teammates, more than a few of whom had walked off the field after the 2014 ACC tournament loss to the team across the field.

“(Last year’s loss) focused all of the girls,” Fenne said. “We were determined to make goals…and I had a really good connection with Lamison. Today, everything worked.”

Published on October 17, 2015 at 5:26 pm

Contact Sam: sjfortie@syr.edu | @Sam4TR