Liz Sack weaved through Louisville defenders, creating an open shot. She wound up to it, but missed the ball. She turned her body to still get off lofty air ball toward the center of the net. Elaine Carey, who was waiting for the ball, tapped it in, tying the game at 1-1.

“We drove the baseline so many times and I said to Lizzie when she drives the baseline, no one can stop her,” Carey said. “(I) saw a space around the penalty spot so I went in there and the ball came high, and I didn’t even think. I just swung on it.”

While Lies Lagerweij eventually won the game on a penalty stroke goal, Carey stepped up for the No. 4 Orange (9-1, 3-1 Atlantic Coast) on offense as it beat No. 7 Louisville (9-2, 1-2), 2-1 in overtime. Carey was in the middle of the play for most of SU’s scoring chances and accounted for 33 percent of the team’s shots, with five.

At times, she was the one starting the play. In other instances, she was ready to shoot off a rebound or a cross from her teammates.

On one play, Carey drove in on the Louisville defense, releasing a shot and colliding with Louisville goalie Ayeisha McFerran. The ball, still in the air, headed toward the goal but a Cardinals player hit it away way. Carey looked up toward the ref for a penalty corner that never came.

The next closest player to Carey in shots on the day was Emma Lamison, with three. In the team’s last game against Pennsylvania, Carey also had five shots, though she did not score a goal. She is currently the team leader in shots with 31 and second in goals, with six.

Trying to pull away from Louisville, Carey drove to the baseline often, crossing the ball in hope of an easy tap in. There were many close calls, but SU was only able to score one goal throughout regulation time.

“It was really good,” Syracuse head coach Ange Bradley said of Carey’s performance. “Very aggressive, very feisty and very fast. Just wreaked of determination.”

Carey was getting past defenders with ease because of her speed. On one play, she tapped the ball past her defender, who was closing in on her. She ran around the defender and set herself up for an open shot on goal. However, McFerran was there, sticking her leg out and hitting the ball away.

While she was active on offense, Carey was also helping out on defense as well. On plays where Louisville gained possession deep into its own territory, Carey was there to put on-ball pressure. That caused many forced passes that resulted in easy interceptions by midfielder Laura Hurff and the rest of the team.

“Elaine really stepped up today,”  Hurff said. “I felt like she was always there, like when I turned around, she was always on the ball or tackling back.”

Published on September 30, 2016 at 6:59 pm

Contact Charlie: csdistur@syr.edu | @charliedisturco