Syracuse Welcomes Siena on Thursday Night

Syracuse vs. Siena Game Details	Aug. 29 \| 6 p.m. SU Soccer Stadium Syracuse Twitter \| Instagram
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SYRACUSE — The Syracuse women's soccer team is set to play its second home match of the season against Siena on Thursday, Aug. 29. Kickoff for the game is set for 6 p.m. at the SU Soccer Stadium. Parking and admission are free.

The match will be available to stream online via ACC Network Extra, but only if your cable provider carries the ACC Network. If your provider does not carry the ACC Network, you will not be able to watch or stream the match. To find out whether or not your provider carries ACCN, please go to GetACCN.com

"Siena's going to be interesting," head coach Nicky Adams said. "They're coming off a tough road trip in Colorado where they dealt with a time change and an altitude difference. I look at that week they just had where they lost both games and I think they'll be a better side playing against us more in their territory. They're a bit similar to Colgate though so we won't need to reinvent what we've been working on. My focus this week will be on really good defending and securing that first pass after we win the ball."

Looking Back
Syracuse is coming off a 1-0 victory against Colgate last weekend, with the Orange's game-winning goal coming from redshirt sophomore Laurel Ness off an assist from Mackenzie Vlachos halfway through the second half. Syracuse's victory was a total team effort and marked the first time since 2016 that Syracuse has won the first match of the year when starting at home. It was also the first shutout since September 2018 when the team traveled to Northeastern (1-0).

Scouting the Competition
The Saints went 11-8-3 (6-2-2 MAAC) last season and return their leading scorer in sophomore Emily McNelis (five goals, one assist). Backing her up is Ashleigh Sarafin, who contributed three goals and three assists in 2018.

In goal for her senior season is Taylor Dorado, who played in 20 games for Siena last year. She recorded an .837 save percentage while averaging a 1.03 goals-against average, and earned MAAC Goalkeeper of the Year honors.

International Duty
The Orange will be without senior captain Georgia Allen for the next two games as she'll be competing with England's U21 squad in the Nordick Tournament in Loughborough, England. Allen and the rest of the squad are scheduled to take on Sweden (Aug. 28), USA (Aug. 30) and Norway (Sept. 2).

"This is a huge honor for Georgia to be called back in to the U21s now for the tournament," Adams said. "She's proven over time what she's capable of doing with them so we're so excited and supportive of her continuing her dream of playing at the next level."

For club 🍊and country 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿

We're extremely excited to share that senior forward Georgia Allen has been selected to represent England in the women's U21 Nordic Tournament!

England will take on Sweden (Aug. 28), USA (Aug. 30) and Norway (Sept. 2)!🍊⚽️ pic.twitter.com/EYzRzl4RrW
— Syracuse Women's Soccer (@cusewsoc) August 27, 2019

Enter the Thrasher Adams Era
There's a noticeable excitement in the air this year for Syracuse women's soccer; for the first time in a decade, the Orange began the season with a new coach at the helm. 'Cuse look to two-time Conference USA Coach of the Year Nicky Adams to lead them to success. Adams joined the Orange after a 15-year career at Rice University where she started as an assistant coach, before advancing up the ranks to take over as head coach from 2010-18. Adams coached Rice to an 87-55-23 overall record and a 57-25-11 mark in C-USA contests in her tenure.

The El Paso, Texas native played four seasons as a forward for Texas A&M (1997-01) where she featured on the 1997 Big 12 championship squad, was the 1998 Big 12 tournament MVP, and was selected first-team All-Big 12 in 1999. For her accolades, Adams was inducted into Texas A&M's Athletic Hall of Fame in 2015.

Returning Orange
The Orange return 19 letterwinners to the team this season, including 10 starting field players and a seasoned shot-stopper in junior Lysianne Proulx.

New Kids on the Block
The Orange add six freshmen to the roster this year, along with 'Cuse volleyball standout and 2018 AVCA Honorable Mention All-American Santita Ebangwese. Newcomers entering the fold this season include Michaela Walsh, Alexandra Panaggio, Gianna Villoresi, Kailey Brenner, Teri Jackson, and Alex Steigelfest. The group of six collectively represent New York state, New Jersey, Massachusetts, and California.

Fans unable to make it out to the game will be able to watch the contest live on ACC Network Extra, but only if your provider carries the network. Fans unsure if their provider carries ACCN are strongly encouraged to visit GetACCN.com and check. If your provider does not carry ACCN, we encourage you to contact them and demand they get ACCN.

For complete coverage of Syracuse women's soccer, follow us on Facebook (Syracuse Women's Soccer), Twitter (@CuseWSOC) and Instagram (@CuseWSOC).