Syracuse women’s soccer dominated by No. 3 North Carolina
SU women's soccer dominated by No. 3 North Carolina
The Syracuse University women’s soccer team came into today’s match with No. 3 North Carolina mired in an eight-game losing streak. Any chance the Orange had of stopping the rot evaporated early with the Tar Heels running away a 7-1 victory.
Syracuse was able to stop North Carolina’s main offensive threat and leading goal scorer Taylor Otto from getting on the score sheet. However, the Tar Heels relied on the rest of their team to win their sixth straight game.
Bridgette Andrzejewski put early pressure on Syracuse, scoring the game’s first goal in the opening five minutes. Brianna Pinto notched her first of three assists on the goal.
Down 2-0 midway through the first half, Syracuse’s Meghan Root sneaked the ball past Tar Heel goalkeeper Claudia Dickey. The goal was Root’s second of the season and brought the game within one.
“My whole life, that’s what you work on,” Root said. “Just little finishes. So, I just played it past the goalie.”
North Carolina scored five unanswered goals to close out the game, including four in the second half. Jessie Scarpa, Alex Kimball, and Morgan Goff all recorded their first scores of the season during the Tar Heels rout of Syracuse.
Jordan Harris, the goalkeeper for the Orange, wasn’t given much reprieve all afternoon. The Tar Heels put 18 shots on goal to Syracuse’s one. Despite conceding seven, Harris saved 11 shots, including a penalty kick from Otto in the first half. The save total was a career-high for Harris.
“She’s taken ownership for some of the goals that were possibly preventable,” Syracuse head coach Phil Wheddon said of Harris. “At the end of the day, she had one of the better performances that she’s had this year.”
The loss brings Syracuse to 3-11 overall, with an 0-6 record in the ACC.
Syracuse looks to avoid dropping ten games in a row when the Orange play host to Notre Dame Saturday at 6 p.m. The Orange will be looking for their first ever win against the Fighting Irish, who hold an all-time record of 12-0-1 against Syracuse.
is a contributor to The NewsHouse.
