Binghamton women’s soccer coach Jeff Leightman says one of the toughest things to do in sports is finish a goal in soccer.

‘You can go out there, totally dominate,” said Leightman, whose Bearcats lost, 1-0, in overtime to SU on Sept. 8, “and still not score a goal.”

For Syracuse and the 4-5-1 system it features, scoring has been almost impossible.

Consider SU’s stats: 16 goals in 14 games. Shut out seven times. The offensive ineptitude has resulted in a miserable season that has brought only two wins, none in the Big East.

The Orangewomen (2-10-2, 0-5-1 Big East) look for their first conference win when they visit Notre Dame (9-7, 3-3) tonight and Pittsburgh (4-13, 0-6) on Sunday.

The 4-5-1 system utilizes one attacking forward, five midfielders and four defenders. This provides SU few scoring opportunities and has led to its non-existent offense.

Syracuse coaches and players refused to be interviewed for this story, and are not currently speaking with The Daily Orange.

‘The 4-5-1 can be effective,’ Florida assistant coach Matthew Stubbington said. ‘The main problem with it occurs if the one forward can’t break the pressure of the defense.’

Florida beat the Orangewomen, 2-0, on Sept. 13.

Earlier this season, SU coach April Kater admitted that the 4-5-1 creates few offensive opportunities. She said the system’s success depends on forcing the opponent into mistakes.

‘We need to finish on the few opportunities we get,’ Kater said at the time.

‘(The 4-5-1) doesn’t do much,” Connecticut head coach Len Tsantiris said. “You have to let the other team open up, and then force a mistake and capitalize on it.’

Tsantiris’ Huskies beat Syracuse, 3-0, on Sept. 20, outshooting the Orangewomen, 24-5.

In the Orangewomen’s last game, a 2-1, overtime loss to Virginia Tech, SU switched to a slightly more productive 4-4-2 system. After scoring an early second half goal to take a 1-0 lead, Kater put the 4-5-1 back in place. Tech responded with a 3-4-3 formation, two goals and a win.

Of the five coaches contacted for this story, including three Big East coaches, none said they use the 4-5-1, unless they have a late-game lead to protect.

But most coaches said the system a team uses depends largely on its personnel.

SU was hit by the loss of two players to injury — defenders Courtney Spencer and Maureen Tohidi — and one to suspension, forward Nina Scalzo. These losses, in part, caused Kater to look to the 4-5-1, Tsantiris said.

Tsantiris said a lot of international teams utilize the 4-5-1, but each coach must pick the system that best fits his or her team.

‘(Kater) has to do what she has to do to win games,’ he said. ‘It may be a good idea because of the missing players.’

Boston College head coach Alison Foley also said a system depends largely on a coach’s personal preference.

Foley’s Eagles defeated the Orangewomen, 1-0, on Oct. 6. The winning goal came in the last minute of regulation, but SU was outshot 18-6 in the contest.

‘They could have created more opportunities if they (attacked) a little more,’ Foley said. ‘But they may have given up more also.’

Perhaps the lowest point of this season for the Orangewomen came Oct. 13 in a 4-0 loss to then-No. 11 West Virginia, in which SU managed just two shots. The West Virginia coaching staff declined comment for this story.

At this point last year, SU was 9-5 and eventually reached the second round of the NCAA Tournament. Now, heading into tonight’s game in South Bend, Ind., Syracuse is out of contention for the Big East tournament.

And the road gets no easier against the No. 18 Fighting Irish, who own a 43-game home winning streak against Big East opponents.

Notre Dame head coach Randy Waldrum said he has hardly seen of the 4-5-1 system and plans to make no adjustments.

‘I’m not really worrying about (the 4-5-1),’ Waldrum said.

SU was only shut out three times last year. So why the offensive drought this season — SU’s first losing campaign in its seven-year history?

Leightman, the Binghamton head coach, said soccer sometimes comes down to luck — which SU clearly has had little of this season.

‘Each coach has a different philosophy about which system to use,” he said. “Sometimes, it’s easy to score, and other times you can’t buy a goal.’

Published on October 24, 2002 at 12:00 pm