From the moment it stepped on the field, No. 2/2 Syracuse dominated No. 14/11 Georgetown (8-4, 4-2 Big East), in every way. With a strong offense and a stringent defense, the Orange (10-2, 4-0) easily defeated the Hoyas 22-11 Saturday in the Carrier Dome.
The Orange amassed a 3-0 lead after just three minutes. Sophomore Alyssa Murray [18] scored the first goal for Syracuse 43 seconds into the game off a pass from sophomore Katie Webster [19]. Murray then tallied an assist when senior Sarah Holden [20] scored, and junior Michelle Tumolo [21] scored SU’s third goal in three minutes.
“We stepped on the field prepared and ready to play,” Syracuse coach Gary Gait [22]said. “I think both ends of the field were very well organized and prepared. We executed our game plan to perfection — certainly in the first half and throughout the game.”
That was the mentality for the Orange for the most of the game: shooting early and often. The fast-paced offensive play by Syracuse was too much for the Georgetown defense. The Orange made the most of its opportunities, scoring on 22 of 32 shots. The Hoyas shot 30 times and produced 11 goals.
Webster connected with Murray for another goal at the 13:06 mark to grow to the Orange lead to 8-4. That started a 7-2 run that sent the Orange into halftime with a 14-6 lead.
Every time Georgetown scored, Syracuse was able to respond with multiple goals of its own. The Hoyas opened the second half with a goal, but the Orange quickly responded with three more to bring the lead to 17-7. After Georgetown scored again with 17 minutes left in the game, Syracuse netted four unanswered goals to earn its largest lead of the game, 21-8.
“We’ve just been able to execute at a high rate of efficiency. And I think that has been the key offensively and defensively,” Gait said.
In the last two games, the Orange had outscored a pair of top-15 opponents 44-15. Gait attributes such success to the cohesiveness that his team possesses.
“They’re feeling it right now,” Gait said. “They have great chemistry on and off the field.”
Nine players scored for the Orange, lead by freshmen Devon Collins [23] and Kailah Kempney [24] and their five goals apiece. The type of defense Georgetown played allowed Collins and Kempney to get so many open looks at the goal, Gait said.
Tumolo led Syracuse with eight points, on three goals and five assists.
“We had many players contributing on the offensive end, we had lots of players get in on defense so it was a great team effort from top to bottom,” Gait said.
Syracuse was prepared for the Hoyas' offensive onslaught. GU averaged 19.8 goals in its last four games. Gait said the defensive philosophy for this game was to put pressure on the shooters to help the goalies out.
“When we execute, stay with our player, match with them, and let them take shots with a little bit of pressure, we’re getting saves and sparking some transitions,” Gait said.
Orange goalkeepers Alyssa Costantino [25] and Kelsey Richardson [26] each played a half in net, combining for 14 saves. Costantino had eight in the first half, while Richardson recorded six in the second half. Even with the shooting-happy Hoyas constantly ripping shots at the goal, Costantino and Richardson stood strong, which contributed to the win.
