Preseason Profile: Goalkeepers
8/9/2018 6:00:00 PM | Women's Soccer
SYRACUSE, N.Y. - As the start of Syracuse women's soccer's regular season draws near, head coach Phil Wheddon and his staff continue to work around the clock inside Manley Field House to put the finishing touches on this year's squad. The Orange open their season at 6 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 16 against La Salle at SU Soccer Stadium.
Position previews will follow on Cuse.com in the days leading up to the home opener.
ABOUT THE ORANGE
The Orange finished the 2017 season with a 7-8-3 record, winning five non-conference matches and earning a pair of conference wins against Pittsburgh and Miami. Syracuse also nabbed double-overtime ties against two ranked opponents, No. 21 Connecticut and Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) foe No. 19 Clemson.
Junior forward Sydney Brackett, who led the squad in scoring with five goals last season, and sophomore Kate Donovan return this year to lead Syracuse's attack. Donovan, the forward from Boxford, Mass., led all freshmen in goals (three), points (six) and shots (12) last season while Brackett also led the team in points (11) and shots (29).
Elsewhere on the pitch, the Orange return midfielder Mackenzie Vlachos and defender Shannon Aviza. As freshmen, Vlachos and Aviza started in all 18 of Syracuse's games in 2017, helping the squad's defense tally eight shutouts.
Syracuse returns one goalkeeper - Lysianne Proulx - from last year's team, but bolstered its depth with the additions of transfer Jordan Harris and freshman Ally Wakeman. Harris, a redshirt senior who comes from Arkansas, and Wakeman will compete with Proulx, a sophomore who played 86 total minutes in her freshman season, for the starting spot.
THE GOALKEEPING SITUATION
Courtney Brosnan, arguably the most accomplished goalkeeper in program history, is gone. The now-graduated goalkeeper leaves Syracuse as the all-time saves leader (344), second in career saves per game (5.13) and third in career shutouts (18).
Brosnan delivered her best season as a senior, recording a .823 save percentage with an ACC season-best 102 saves - good for third in Syracuse program history. She was tabbed to the All-ACC Third Team after the season.
Syracuse now looks to Proulx, Harris and Wakeman to fill her shoes.
HEAR IT FROM COACH WHEDDON
"[Proulx, Harris and Wakeman]Â all bring something different. For us to be effective in our play, we've got to have a goalkeeper who's good with her feet. Someone who can distribute out the back. Someone who's very confident, someone who's good in the air dealing with service. Each of our goalkeepers has something about them that's special, and we're looking for one of them to really step up and earn the spot. There's no incumbent number one, so they're fighting for a position. It's great to have depth, it's great to have the competition."
GETTING TO KNOW THE KEEPERS
Experienced and inexperienced simultaneously define Syracuse's goalkeepers this season.
Proulx enters her second season with the team, but played limited minutes as a freshman while serving as Brosnan's understudy. The Montreal, Quebec native made her first career appearance in last season's 3-0 win against Cornell (8/31) and played a career-high 31 minutes in the Orange's 3-0 win against Fairfield (9/3).
Wheddon is encouraged by her development since last fall, noting that her familiarity with the team and its gameplan is greatly improved.
"[Lysianne] is a continental-styled goalkeeper," Wheddon said. "She relies heavily on her distribution and her blocking. She's maybe less technical than some others, but she gets herself into good positions. I think Lys has a ton of potential, and, having been here a year, she's very comfortable. She knows the system, she knows the players."
Harris brings Southeastern Conference-tested experience to the Orange, but faces her first season in the ACC. The transfer spent three seasons in goal at Arkansas and was part of a team that earned back-to-back NCAA Tournament bids in 2015 and 2016.Â
At Arkansas, she played in 33 games, totaling 83 career saves. Last season, she posted a 0.77 goals against average and a .787 save percentage, tallying eight shutouts and compiling a 8-6-2 record.
Wheddon credited Harris for her unwavering confidence and willingness to step up as one of the team's leaders.
"Jordan's very confident," Wheddon said. "She's very outspoken and great supporter of the team. When she wasn't playing in the scrimmage, she was encouraging her teammates, and that's something that we really value. The hope is when you bring in a more mature player, they have that type of leadership and impact on your team. She has not only a vocal presence but a physical presence, as well."
Wakeman comes to Syracuse from Lawrenceville, N.J., where she was a four-year goalkeeper at Lawrence High School. The freshman notched 75 saves as a high school senior, earning Goalkeeper of the Year and All-CVC First Team honors.
Her prep school accomplishments and accolades caught Wheddon and the coaching staff's eyes, and she was recruited to make an immediate impact.
"We bring in freshmen to play, and Ally's come here to play," Wheddon said. "I've been really happy with her development. She's very coachable, she's very willing to learn and try new things. She's looked very composed and confident in practice. She adds to our depth and makes the goalkeeping position even more competitive."
WHAT LIES AHEAD
Syracuse opens the 2018 regular season against La Salle at 6 p.m. Aug. 16 at SU Soccer Stadium.
For complete coverage of Syracuse women's soccer, follow us on Facebook (Syracuse Women's Soccer), Twitter (@CuseWSOC) and Instagram (@CuseWSOC).
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Position previews will follow on Cuse.com in the days leading up to the home opener.
ABOUT THE ORANGE
The Orange finished the 2017 season with a 7-8-3 record, winning five non-conference matches and earning a pair of conference wins against Pittsburgh and Miami. Syracuse also nabbed double-overtime ties against two ranked opponents, No. 21 Connecticut and Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) foe No. 19 Clemson.
Junior forward Sydney Brackett, who led the squad in scoring with five goals last season, and sophomore Kate Donovan return this year to lead Syracuse's attack. Donovan, the forward from Boxford, Mass., led all freshmen in goals (three), points (six) and shots (12) last season while Brackett also led the team in points (11) and shots (29).
Elsewhere on the pitch, the Orange return midfielder Mackenzie Vlachos and defender Shannon Aviza. As freshmen, Vlachos and Aviza started in all 18 of Syracuse's games in 2017, helping the squad's defense tally eight shutouts.
Syracuse returns one goalkeeper - Lysianne Proulx - from last year's team, but bolstered its depth with the additions of transfer Jordan Harris and freshman Ally Wakeman. Harris, a redshirt senior who comes from Arkansas, and Wakeman will compete with Proulx, a sophomore who played 86 total minutes in her freshman season, for the starting spot.
THE GOALKEEPING SITUATION
Courtney Brosnan, arguably the most accomplished goalkeeper in program history, is gone. The now-graduated goalkeeper leaves Syracuse as the all-time saves leader (344), second in career saves per game (5.13) and third in career shutouts (18).
Brosnan delivered her best season as a senior, recording a .823 save percentage with an ACC season-best 102 saves - good for third in Syracuse program history. She was tabbed to the All-ACC Third Team after the season.
Syracuse now looks to Proulx, Harris and Wakeman to fill her shoes.
HEAR IT FROM COACH WHEDDON
"[Proulx, Harris and Wakeman]Â all bring something different. For us to be effective in our play, we've got to have a goalkeeper who's good with her feet. Someone who can distribute out the back. Someone who's very confident, someone who's good in the air dealing with service. Each of our goalkeepers has something about them that's special, and we're looking for one of them to really step up and earn the spot. There's no incumbent number one, so they're fighting for a position. It's great to have depth, it's great to have the competition."
GETTING TO KNOW THE KEEPERS
Experienced and inexperienced simultaneously define Syracuse's goalkeepers this season.
Proulx enters her second season with the team, but played limited minutes as a freshman while serving as Brosnan's understudy. The Montreal, Quebec native made her first career appearance in last season's 3-0 win against Cornell (8/31) and played a career-high 31 minutes in the Orange's 3-0 win against Fairfield (9/3).
Wheddon is encouraged by her development since last fall, noting that her familiarity with the team and its gameplan is greatly improved.
"[Lysianne] is a continental-styled goalkeeper," Wheddon said. "She relies heavily on her distribution and her blocking. She's maybe less technical than some others, but she gets herself into good positions. I think Lys has a ton of potential, and, having been here a year, she's very comfortable. She knows the system, she knows the players."
Harris brings Southeastern Conference-tested experience to the Orange, but faces her first season in the ACC. The transfer spent three seasons in goal at Arkansas and was part of a team that earned back-to-back NCAA Tournament bids in 2015 and 2016.Â
At Arkansas, she played in 33 games, totaling 83 career saves. Last season, she posted a 0.77 goals against average and a .787 save percentage, tallying eight shutouts and compiling a 8-6-2 record.
Wheddon credited Harris for her unwavering confidence and willingness to step up as one of the team's leaders.
"Jordan's very confident," Wheddon said. "She's very outspoken and great supporter of the team. When she wasn't playing in the scrimmage, she was encouraging her teammates, and that's something that we really value. The hope is when you bring in a more mature player, they have that type of leadership and impact on your team. She has not only a vocal presence but a physical presence, as well."
Wakeman comes to Syracuse from Lawrenceville, N.J., where she was a four-year goalkeeper at Lawrence High School. The freshman notched 75 saves as a high school senior, earning Goalkeeper of the Year and All-CVC First Team honors.
Her prep school accomplishments and accolades caught Wheddon and the coaching staff's eyes, and she was recruited to make an immediate impact.
"We bring in freshmen to play, and Ally's come here to play," Wheddon said. "I've been really happy with her development. She's very coachable, she's very willing to learn and try new things. She's looked very composed and confident in practice. She adds to our depth and makes the goalkeeping position even more competitive."
WHAT LIES AHEAD
Syracuse opens the 2018 regular season against La Salle at 6 p.m. Aug. 16 at SU Soccer Stadium.
For complete coverage of Syracuse women's soccer, follow us on Facebook (Syracuse Women's Soccer), Twitter (@CuseWSOC) and Instagram (@CuseWSOC).
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Players Mentioned
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