Get the latest Syracuse news delivered right to your inbox.
Subscribe to our sports newsletter here

Mercedes Pastor weaved her way around Laura Graziosi and Eefke van den Nieuwenhof to get a clear shooting window. Pastor, who has 10 goals on the season and averages 2.7 shots on goal per game, didn’t get her first shot until the 65th minute in overtime. But that was all she needed, as she drove a shot to the right post, past Emily Streib, and gave Louisville the golden goal for the win.

No. 8 Syracuse (8-5, 4-3 Atlantic Coast) lost its first game of the spring to No. 5 Louisville (12-4, 2-2) in a defensive battle. Neither team had a shot in the first quarter, and both defenses pressured hard, leaving the game scoreless heading into overtime. Pastor’s lucky break secured the win for the Cardinals.

The Orange had a chance on a corner in the middle of the quarter, but they couldn’t convert it. Syracuse, who had scored on a corner every game prior this spring, had two more corners in the second quarter. Both times, the Orange bobbled the ball off the pass from SJ Quigley.

Louisville also started to put pressure on the Syracuse defense, with two shots on goal from Erica Cooper midway through the second period. Streib blocked the first shot, and Cooper couldn’t place the rebound on target.

In the 35th minute of the third quarter, Syracuse finally got its first shot from Charlotte de Vries, but it was high and went over the net. Syracuse received a penalty corner but once again could not convert.

The Orange found themselves in trouble in the fourth quarter when Alli Bitting made her way into the circle. In an attempt to prevent a shot, Streib came far out of the net but tripped Bitting, giving Louisville a corner.

Streib had to sit out for the corner, so Louisville had the perfect opportunity to score. Emilia Kaczmarczyk drove a shot into the upper-left corner of the net, but the call was overturned due to a high stick from Kaczmarczyk.

Minutes later, de Vries tip-toed by the end line and put in a cross right in front of the goal, but no one from Syracuse was able to get their stick on the ball. It was Syracuse’s last shot of the game, as it was outshot 9-2.

Syracuse began to lose energy in overtime, as Louisville amped up the pressure with three straight shots before Pastor finally knocked one in.

The Orange will look to bounce back with another road game against No. 11 Boston College on Saturday.

Published on April 4, 2021 at 3:42 pm

Contact Adam: amccaffe@syr.edu