Jordan Harris jumped. She saw the ball coming and made a quick decision.

The graduate-transfer goalkeeper sprung toward the slow roller, matching the pace of Notre Dame’s Sammi Fisher. Harris extended her right arm, reaching for the ball as the two met 20 yards away from the net. But Harris hesitated.

She leaned back, bracing for the possible impact of Fisher’s right foot. The moment of doubt gave Fisher just enough time to lob the ball over Harris. Fisher regained possession near the right end line and scored into an empty net to end Syracuse’s comeback attempt. Harris never got a hand on the ball.

“It’s one that shouldn’t happen from many different areas,” SU head coach Phil Wheddon said.

Harris’ 77th-minute mishap wasn’t her only of the night with her being out of position in all but one of Notre Dame’s five goals on Saturday. Syracuse (3-12, 0-7 Atlantic Coast) dropped its 10th straight game on the season against Notre Dame (7-8, 3-4) behind the shaky play of its goalkeeper. The scoring trend continued for Harris as she’s allowed 16 goals in the last three games, only playing 90 minutes in two of those contests.

Seconds into the game, the Orange started the game with possession. SU played back as Harris shrugged her shoulders and clenched her fists but immediately Notre Dame gained possession and shot on target toward Harris before 20 seconds elapsed on the clock.

The Fighting Irish pushed forward, gaining comfort in SU’s defensive third. Four minutes into the half, Shannon Hendricks found space in the left corner and rocketed across to the far post of SU’s goal.

Squared in the middle, Harris elected to not backpedal and committed to her original position. She jumped but didn’t have the reach. The ball missed her fingers by a couple inches. It settled on the leg of Jenna Tivnan, who misfired it into her own net.

Despite the blunder, Harris started to settle into a groove, not letting her past mistake faze her. Until, UND’s Karin Muya fired a ball toward Harris. She reacted, moving left, but the ball deflected off SU’s Clarke Brown and spun right. Harris couldn’t track it, letting the ball roll in easily.

“I thought she did fairly well in some situations,” Wheddon said. “I’m not in the habit of criticizing players just yet.”

No players were made available for comment after the loss.

Harris regrouped in the second half but played indecisive. She patted down easy catches instead of reeling them in, made slow and careful movements in the box and didn’t commit to a position as easily as before. And for the half’s first 30 minutes, it worked.

Georgia Allen got the Orange on the board off a Kate Hostage rebound and cut the lead to one. Harris watched her offense play forward as SU tried to mount a comeback. But Notre Dame’s first opportunity after the score in the Orange’s box changed the game, Wheddon said.

Unlike Harris’ first two errors where she committed to her position too soon, this time she was too reluctant to act. Harris slid on the pitch after the misjudgment, immediately getting up, but she was out of the play. The net was already exposed and Fisher already had perfect position.

“I wouldn’t want to make a call on that,” Wheddon said when asked if Harris was to fault on that goal. “(My) initial thought is I’d love to see that one not go in the back of the net.”

In the waning minutes of the game, Harris allowed two more goals including an errant punch that turned into a score.

“I need to look at the goals,” Wheddon said. “That’s a private conversation between me and the goalkeeper to see if she could save those.”

Before the game, Harris was honored at Syracuse’s senior night celebration, smiling with a bouquet of flowers in hand. By the end of Sunday’s contest with Notre Dame, Harris walked off the field silent with her head down.

Published on October 13, 2018 at 10:00 pm

Contact KJ: kjedelma@syr.edu | @KJEdelman