During yesterday’s Syracuse-Maryland game, you couldn’t help but notice the contrast in the styles of play between these two rivals.
While Maryland kept the ball around the outside, looking for a quick pass, or giving the ball to Kori Edmonson to go in on goal, Syracuse went back to an attack you might not have seen since the mid-2000s. Emma Ward and Olivia Adamson play a very strong possession style on the crease, something you haven’t seen since the days of Amy Appelt when she was leading Virginia to the national title game in 2003 and 2004.
The pair scored seven of Syracuse’s 15 goals on the day, working the space on the crease and scoring some goals that were truly works of art. One came just seven minutes into the game, as Ward, stationed on the left wing a few yards from goal, shoveled a backhand over her shoulder with her back to the cage. It’s a goal which might have been whistled back a few years ago for being a blind shot, but is now allowed under the present rules.
Another extreme goal was Joely Caramelli’s quickstick in the 25th minute, as she went high to catch a Carlie Desimone pass and put it over the line. A half-minute later, Emma Munchnick ran around the right wing, bore in on the goal, and finished from an extreme angle.
I know that, traditionally, all goals count for one point on the scoreboard. But being able to score goals that bring a roar from the crowd can give your side an extra psychological boost.
I’ll be interested to see what Syracuse, and other teams, do when it comes to innovation this year.