An overtime, game-winning goal from Emma Russell lofted No. 1-seed Syracuse (17-0, 6-0 Atlantic Coast) over No. 5-seed Virginia (14-5, 3-4 ACC), 3-2, on Friday afternoon in the ACC tournament semifinal game. Russell scored twice in the match and Alma Fenne added one goal of her own to help the Orange remain undefeated.

Syracuse will now play the winner of No. 3 North Carolina and No. 7 Boston College Sunday at 1 p.m. for the ACC championship in Charlottesville, Virginia.

The postseason heroics are nothing new for Russell, who’s now notched nine goals and two assists in six-career ACC tournament games.

“Emma loves the ACC tournament,” said head coach Ange Bradley. “… We talked yesterday at practice and it’s like this is Christmas time for (her) … I was so glad she was able to do that and really helped us through this day.”

The Orange jumped out to an early lead behind Fenne’s goal 9:30 into the first half. She netted a back-handed chop from the left of the cage that catapulted into the top right corner of the goal.

Other than the score, Syracuse dominated the first half, taking 11 shots to Virginia’s one. Both teams managed two penalty-corner opportunities but were unable convert either in the opening 35 minutes.

Russell scored a little over two minutes into the second half to give the Orange a comfortable two-goal cushion. Freshman Zoe Wilson assisted on the play with a baseline feed to give Russell an easy look.

Virginia stormed back with two goals of its own in the second stanza to force overtime. Just more than 10 minutes into the latter 35 minutes, Virginia’s Caleigh Foust scored on an assist by Taylor Brown and Foust followed with an assist on the game-tying goal from Riley Tata.

“We were up two at that point and I think we just got a little bit … relaxed,” Bradley said. “You can’t do that this time of year. You can’t relax until that final whistle blows.”

Both teams traded blows in the waning minutes, pushing the ball up the field aggressively in last-ditch efforts to end the game in regulation, but nothing came of it.

Headed into the 15-minute overtime period, Bradley’s message to her team was simple: Win. Syracuse started the period up a player for 40 seconds due to a Virginia yellow card and the emphasis was to notch a quick score.

Virginia’s defense stifled the Orange’s advances until the game’s 77th minute. Laura Hurff ran the ball up the field 40 yards and forced Virginia’s goalkeeper Rebecca Holden out from the cage. Hurff fell to the turf directly in front of the goal where she would remain.

Lies Lagerweij trailed the play to collect the rebound. She drove the baseline and found Russell on the backside of the goal for her second goal of the day.

“It was awesome,” Bradley said.

Published on November 6, 2015 at 4:51 pm

Contact Liam: lpsull01@syr.edu