Women’s Soccer has Dream Start to Season with 2-1 Win over New Hampshire

By: Collin Davies | @DaviesCollin
CitrusTV Women’s Soccer Beat Reporter

Women’s Soccer got a 2-1 win in their season opener against New Hampshire University tonight. The debut went as well as planned for the Orange.

Syracuse came out of the gate hot, with forward Erin Flurey scoring just 3 minutes into the game. The opener came off a corner in which Flurey fired a deflected shot into the net. Flurey continued to be a big reason SU dictated the game for the rest of the half. They got seven more corners where they continued to cause havoc in the box. Flurey had three shots on goal in the first half alone.

Syracuse picked up the second half just like they played in the first. Forward Florence Vaillancourt put away a one-vs-one shot on the breakaway to double the lead for the Orange. The Quebec City native was a big part of Syracuse’s attack throughout the game getting two shots on goal within 12 yards.

The rare lapse in SU’s play came in the 65th minute as the Wildcat captain Alivia Kelly scored a header off a corner for NHU. Goalkeeper Michaela Walsh appeared to be screened on the play as the shot fired over her head.

The Orange tightened back up defensively right afterwards, keeping Kelly’s as the solo New Hampshire goal.

Syracuse accomplished coach Nicky Adams’ plan of playing offense through defense as the strong pressure kept the ball on the Wildcat’s side of the field, which generated plenty of chances for the Orange. That pressure resulted in SU outshooting NHU 19 to 11 and getting nine more corners.

Syracuse won this game without midfielder Pauline Machtens who’s eligible to come back after playing in the U-20 Women’s World Cup for Germany. ‘Cuse will host UCONN in their next game which is this Sunday at 1 p.m. The Huskies and Orange both tied their common opponent Army West Point in preseason, so it should be a close one.