Syracuse Riding the Back of Lysianne Proulx
By Jesse Cook
CitrusTV Women’s Soccer Beat Reporter
Following a trio of victories, two of which resulted in shutouts, Syracuse women’s soccer (4-1-0) looks forward to a bout with Cornell (1-2-1) Thursday night.
On the back of graduate student goalkeeper Lysianne Proulx, S.U. has allowed goals in only two of five matches played this season.
In fact, Proulx is on pace for a historic mark.
Katie Karlander’s eight shutouts in the 2000 season set the record for shutouts in a single season by an Orange keeper. Proulx owns three through five matches of the 17-match season. That puts her on pace for 10 shutouts, two higher than the record.
Despite this outlook, Cuse has only played non-conference opponents, none of whom are a part of the top 25 rankings. Their first opponent in the top 25 is #5 Duke, followed in the schedule by #1 Florida State, #3 Virginia, and #20 Pittsburgh.
Proulx has played against these four teams a combined seven times. She has never won.
In three matches against Duke, two at home with one away, she allowed 12 goals and saved 23 shots. She allows just over a third of the shots she faces against Duke to make it past the goal line.
Of those four teams, she played against the Blue Devils the most, followed by Pitt. In her two games against the Panthers, both on the road, she is 0-1-1, allowing three goals and saving 16 shots. A far better mark for her than with Duke.
She has allowed goals on less than one sixth of the shots Pitt has sent her way.
With Florida State and Virginia, she has only faced each of those squads once, both last season in the fall.
The problems against the Tar Heels were not in the net, but rather with the defense. A demanding day for Proulx, she faced 14 shots, letting only two sneak by her.
The Hoos showed more of the same story as Proulx allowed five goals on 14 shots in the home matchup. Unlike the other six matchups mentioned, the offense pulled their weight against Virginia, booting through three goals.
In the six other battles, the Orange scored a combined two goals. This casts the blame away from Proulx as she likely received very little help, but these top-25 teams represent a major roadblock in her path for history.
As for Cornell on Thursday night, the Orange have never suffered a loss, however they have never played in the Proulx era.
At 3-0-2, Cuse holds the vast advantage over the Big Red. In fact, Cornell has only ever scored two goals against the Orange.
They last played each other on August 31, 2017, a match the Orange decisively won 3-0. In that match, redshirt freshman Proulx played the final 27:13 in net, facing zero shots on goal.
With their Cornell rivals, Syracuse routinely faces few offensive problems, however that tale could change as the season progresses towards those perpetually difficult top-25 opponents.
@jessecooktv | jacook@syr.edu
