Orange and Huskies Play to 1-1 Tie in Home Opener

Monday, September 1

1:00 pm

Syracuse University

1-1-2

Connecticut

2-1-1

OT 3

OT 4

UCONN

Syracuse

Photo by: Michael J. Okoniewski

Orange and Huskies Play to 1-1 Tie in Home Opener

9/1/2014 5:15:00 PM | Women's Soccer

Box Score

Box Score | Photo Gallery | Coach Wheddon Postgame Press Conference

SYRACUSE, N.Y. – Sophomore goalkeeper MacKenzie Moranz made a diving save in the 107th minute of play to preserve Syracuse's 1-1 tie against rv/-- Connecticut in the squad's home opener at the SU Soccer Stadium. The Orange is now 1-1-2 on the season while the Huskies go to 2-1-1.

"I'm disappointed in a tie," said Syracuse head coach Phil Wheddon. "We could have and probably should have won the game. We hit the crossbar twice. We were dangerous off of our set pieces. I thought our choice of passes in the attacking third weren't very good, especially in the first half. I thought we could have been a little bit more dangerous in the final third. A tie is okay, but as a team, we felt we should have won."

All of the scoring took place in the first half. Connecticut struck first in the 10th minute when Danielle Gottwik put a hard shot from outside the box into the back of the goal. Syracuse answered in the 36th minute when Alexis Koval came off the bench and provided an offensive spark. The sequence started with a throw in by junior Taylor Haenlin. The ball was played back out to Haenlin, who served the ball into the box where she connected with Koval, who headed the ball into the left corner of the net for her first goal of the season.

The Orange had the best scoring chances in the second half on back-to-back corner kicks. On the first corner, junior Jackie Firenze served the ball into the box where sophomore Stephanie Skilton's header hit the crossbar in the 68th minute. Two minutes later, Syracuse was awarded another corner kick. Firenze again served the ball into box and this time Haenlin's header hit the post.

Both teams had three shots in the first extra session but couldn't find the back of the net. Connecticut had three shots in the second overtime, but only one on goal. That came in the 107th minute when Moranz dove to her left to stop Gottwick's shot to preserve the tie.

The Orange recorded 14 shots and seven corner kicks to 19 shots and three corner kicks for Connecticut. Moranz tied her career high with seven saves, while Emily Armstrong finished with one save for the Huskies.

Syracuse will take part in the Colgate Nike Classic in Hamilton, N.Y. next weekend. The Orange takes on UMass-Lowell on Friday, Sept. 5 at 3 p.m. and Vermont on Sunday, Sept. 7 at 11 a.m.