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There were 28 shots, 15 corners and 10 saves combined between Syracuse and Duke. Yet still, nobody scored through 80 minutes of play. In SU’s first penalty shootout of the year, Aiden Drabick set up at the top of the attacking quarter. The midfielder corralled the ball against her stick as Duke goaltender Kaiya Chepow stood tall.

As the whistle blew, Drabick dribbled the ball toward the net. She crossed over, bringing the ball from side to side before losing it. The ball rolled toward Chepow as she hit it to the other side of the field. With Drabick’s momentum, she fell over Chepow in defeat.

Seconds later, the referee blew the whistle to signal the end of the match. After 80 minutes, nine shots and seven saves, SU lost its second conference matchup of the season.

No. 15 Syracuse (6-3, 1-2 Atlantic Coast Conference) was defeated by No. 9 Duke (5-4, 1-1 ACC) 1-0 Sunday via penalty shots. After going back and forth and SU missing three of its four penalty stroke attempts, the Blue Devils converted three of their four shots to seal the victory.

In the first quarter, both teams came out slow. A combined six shots and three penalty corners filled the first 15 minutes as each team’s defense held strong. On the Blue Devils’ first penalty corner, SU goaltender Louise Pert dove right to save Macy Szukics’ shot. The Blue Devils’ second attempt came just three minutes later when, once again, Syracuse’s defense held firm on a clean insert to a hard-swiped shot.

SU’s nearest offensive momentum came when Berber Bakermans shot high with two minutes remaining in the first quarter. Totaling three shots in the first 15 minutes, the defensive penalty unit kept the Orange in the game.

The stagnant offenses didn’t light up much more at the beginning of the second quarter. Syracuse received just one shot in the 15 minutes compared to Duke’s five. Though the Blue Devils dominated offensive possession in the quarter, Pert and SU’s defense held up once again. The goalie made her fourth save of the contest just 24 minutes in, and the game ran scoreless into halftime.

The second half was similar to the first and second. SU uniquely didn’t replace Pert with Vera Hekkenberg, the recent ACC Defensive Player of the Week. SU’s Vivian Rowan also returned to play after sitting out Friday’s game with an injury she sustained in practice.

Even with her quick offensive ability and fast break potential, the Orange were held without a penalty corner attempt in the last 30 minutes of regulation. Duke had a combined five shots in the quarters, but Pert continued to impress, racking up her fifth save, a season-high.

But Pert wasn’t done. As regulation came to a close, she stayed out to play both the first and second overtime periods. In each 10-minute block, Syracuse attempted four total shots, two of which were on goal and saved by Frederique Wollaert. The Blue Devils attained six shots, where Pert found her sixth and seventh saves of the day.

Finally, after a stalled overtime, SU and Duke sent out five players to take penalty strokes. The first two strokes by Duke were converted as Pert couldn’t stay attached to Alaina McVeigh and Charlie van Oirschot.

Unlike the Blue Devils, Syracuse couldn’t convert its first attempt, with Willemijn Boogert shooting wide. Bo Madden kept the Orange in it, though, when she buried the team’s second attempt.

As Josephine Palde made the Blue Devils’ third shot, it seemed as though Syracuse’s hopes would be dwindling. After Taja Gans missed SU’s attempt, Logan Clouser set up against Pert. The midfielder dribbled in before shooting wide on Pert.

All SU had to do was make its next shot to stay alive. Drabick dribbled in and lost control. Chepow knocked the ball long, and the final whistle blew.

Published on September 29, 2024 at 6:14 pm

Contact: jordankimball28@gmail.com | @JordanKimball_