Syracuse reserves kept coming and coming. Rotating quickly, scoring goals, then letting someone else get the job done.

Nine non-starters scored goals for the No. 6 Orange (9-3, 5-0 Big East) on Sunday in its 21-6 win over the Cincinnati Bearcats (6-7, 0-5) in front of 198 spectators in the Carrier Dome. Fifteen different players scored for SU, including five who scored their first goals of the season. SU’s depth and sheer talent were too much for the Bearcats to handle.

“It definitely feels good because at practice, the starters encourage us and know what we’re capable of doing,” said attack Paige Savia. “It’s just an honor to be a part of other people who care about us and know we have the ability to do it.”

Savia, Ella Thorpe, Kristiana Ferguson, Vivian Curry and Loren Ziegler all scored their first goals of the season. For Ferguson and Curry, it was the first of their careers. Tori Praino and Taylor Nims both scored twice and now have three on the year.

SU head coach Gary Gait credited the starters for being focused on building a lead so other players could get opportunities. SU’s three leading goal-scorers, Alyssa Murray, Kayla Treanor and Michelle Tumolo, combined for five of the team’s first 12 goals. Murray led SU with six points on the day with three goals and three assists.

“Opening up the game playing hard, everybody got an opportunity today, which was nice. I thought everybody played pretty well,” Gait said.

As the Orange extended its early lead from 5-0 to 9-0, Gait reached deeper and deeper into the bench. With just more than 10 minutes remaining in the first half, Praino, who has played in just three games this year and 20 in her four-year career, entered to loud cheers from her teammates. Moments later, Murray found Praino, who fired a shot past Bearcat goaltender Meg Gulmi.

Midfielder Kirkland Locey took more draws than she normally would. Locey finished with four draw controls, as did defender Maddy Huegel.

Normally stuck behind the lethal goaltender combination of Kelsey Richardson and Alyssa Costantino, Shannon Byrne saw game action for the second time in her career. In just less than six minutes, the freshman let in one goal.

At a point in the year when Syracuse has five games in 10 days, it was a nice rest for the big-minute players. For the starters, it was also nice to see teammates make plays.

“These girls come to practice every day, work hard and don’t get to play as much as (the starters) do sometimes because of tight games,” Murray said. “But when they get the opportunity, they want to be able to show what they have.

“Watching them put it in the back of the net or have their first assist or first point, ground ball, whatever it is, it’s really exciting for us because they’ve put the work in and it’s finally showing.”

On a team with as much talent as any in the country, it was different names on the score sheet that proved the difference for the Orange on Sunday.

“I think that was important to show some confidence in some of these other players,” Gait said. “Many of them will be the future.”

Published on April 14, 2013 at 10:50 pm

Contact Josh: jmhyber@syr.edu