When the clock hit zero at the end of Sunday’s game, Syracuse led 1-0. But the game wasn’t over. Albany was awarded four penalty corners, which meant four chances to tie. SU committed an infraction which awarded the first corner. Again and again and again the Orange failed to clear the ball out of the circle, committing an infraction each time and extending the game one more shot.

But the defense finally prevailed, as it always has this season.

Syracuse (2-0) has not allowed a team to score off a penalty corner yet, despite already facing 18 across two games. And so far, infractions still have been the only thing that can hurt the Orange. SU’s only allowed goal this season came as a result of a penalty shot, which is awarded as a result of a more serious infraction.

“The set pieces are becoming an even bigger part of our game now,” junior defender Claire Webb said. “The corners, both attack penalty corners and defensive penalty corners are both really big parts of our game because the attack can capitalize on that. If it’s a one goal game, it’s even more important, so it’s definitely a big part of our game.”

Penalty corners are awarded when a member of the defense commits an infraction: committing an intentional defense in the circle against a player without possession, a defender sending the ball over the backline intentionally or when a defender gets a ball lodged in their uniform or equipment, among other things.

Webb is one of the five players that finds herself in the cage during the penalty corners. She is joined by senior defender Roos Weers and sophomore goalie Borg van der Velde, along with two other Syracuse defenders. All the players in the cage don facemasks for protection — Weers has the tendency to rip hers off following the initial deflection before going to fight for the ball and clear it out of the circle.

In the season opener against Vermont, SU only committed five infractions that awarded penalty corners, as well as a more severe infraction that caused the penalty shot that gave Vermont its lone goal. But against Albany, SU allowed the Great Danes to run 13 plays from the corner.

“It was us not moving and sloppiness,” head coach Ange Bradley said after the Albany game. “Once we figured some things out in the second half, we were able to open them up.”

Despite allowing so many corners, SU’s defense has held firm. Many players say that they practice both the offensive and defensive sides of the penalty corners often, which has provided the success, including van der Velde who said: “It’s just practice.”

“We kind of get together and just instill that belief,” Webb said.

Published on August 29, 2018 at 9:24 pm

Contact Kaci: klwasile@syr.edu