When Nicky Adams showed up for Tuesday morning’s practice, Syracuse had just 13 available players. That number dropped one more when junior Georgia Allen had to be helped off the field to end practice.

A lack of healthy players has been an issue all year for the Orange. Notre Dame, who faced SU on Friday night, had 26 healthy players on its roster and utilized 12 substitutes alone.

It’s put Syracuse in a hole and the Orange have only scored one goal since August. With six games left in the season, Adams is getting even more creative with tactics to squeeze any offense possible out her short bench for the Orange (2-7-2, 0-3-1 Atlantic Coast) to compete. The Orange face Wake Forest on Thursday and Miami on Sunday, and Adams said that it will “probably not” have Allen available for either game.

“We don’t have the personnel to,” Adams said about finishing in the final third. “You got (Kate) Hostage out, you got (Sydney) Brackett out, these are natural goal scoring forwards … (Alexandra) Panaggio is a freshman that’s hurt. (Gianna) Villoresi’s out. We don’t have true goal scorers right now in our program.”

Adams has forced herself to “chop the season up” and look at little improvements the Orange is making. Every tactic she implements has to be done bit-by-bit, since she hasn’t had enough healthy players for an 11-on-11 practice at any point this season.

SU’s first-year head coach has started five in the back in the past two games. Despite allowing 23 shots against No. 6 Florida State, the backline held together and only gave up one goal. In a 3-0 loss to Notre Dame, Adams believed they only gave up “one really good goal” with the other two a result of simple mistakes, such as not fronting a defender on a throw in and dribbling out of the back with no help.

Against Florida State, Syracuse would almost always clear rather than start an attack. But against the Fighting Irish, they connected on more passes to push the ball up despite no shots officially being recorded in 90 minutes of play.

“We’ve been working on quick switches and quick transitions in practice a lot and getting numbers forward and being creative,” senior defender Taylor Bennett said. “We need to be more creative in the final third and that’s where we’re lacking and just finding ways to get shots.”

But an effective counter often requires fresher legs, something that’s hard for the Orange to find. SU has faced an average of over six substitutions per game, while it averages three.

Freshman forward Teri Jackson has appeared off the bench in each ACC game to provide speed. Midfielder Stephanie deLaforcade said coaches have told her to focus on bringing energy, not only with her play, but with her voice when she sets foot on the field.

 

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Defender Clarke Brown has attempted to play forward in transition, but when she was open several times against Notre Dame, Adams said the Orange dribbled back into pressure instead of passing out.

“Even though we have only a few subs, we really make ourselves seem bigger than we are,” deLaforcade said. “We’re mentally checked in because we know when it’s time for us to go in, we need to be strong.”

Adams suggested the Orange would go back to its traditional back four this weekend and Shannon Aviza would take Allen’s place at midfield, her natural position. According to Adams, goals will likely come in one of three ways — taking more aggressive shots at the top of the box, off set pieces or on the counter attack. Syracuse hasn’t been able to sustain possession in the opposition half since conference play started.

“I don’t care if we lose the rest of the season but we’re not going to drop off, give up and throw the towel in,” Adams said. “I don’t care if we have to play nine players, we’re gonna still do it, it’s just a part of who we are right now.”

Published on October 9, 2019 at 9:29 pm

Contact Eric: estorms@syr.edu