All breaths were held and eyes were locked on junior midfielder Mia Abello with 54.6 seconds remaining in the game Sunday. She stood over the ball as if she was the only player on the entire field. That was not the case, however, as Syracuse freshman goalkeeper Tane King stood seven yards away from her and in the cage, at the ready to protect the net from a last minute Abello invasion.
As Abello sized up the ball, the Cavalier star showed calmness and grace, tactfully stepping up and driving it at the lower left corner. King was no match for the shot which threatened to put a hole in the back of the cage. As Abello turned and faced her teammates, the visage of tranquility dissipated, and a thunderous scream left the deepest part of her lungs.
54.6 seconds later, the clock struck zero and the scoreboard read 2-1. No. 3 Virginia, after being on the ropes, had clawed back and won a thriller in JP Coyne Stadium against No. 4 Syracuse. This was yet another heartbreak for the Orange (6-2, 0-2, ACC), who had lost just two nights prior to Wake Forest in an overtime battle of the same score. For the Cavaliers (6-0, 2-0, ACC), the team showed a new aspect that had yet to be tested — resilience.
“In the first half we played too lethargic and without the necessary fire to get scoring opportunities,” Coach Ole Keusgen said. “We changed that in the second half and got it done.”
The tale of two halves might be a cliché in sports, but Sunday it stood true. The game resembled a well-organized match of keep away, with Syracuse dominating all possession and scoring chances. It capitalized for the first time with less than a tick left in the first, after the referees signaled for an Orange penalty corner, despite senior midfielder Madison Orsi’s protests.
After receiving the free pass, graduate defender Bo Von Kempen dished the ball to senior forward Pati Strunk who fired a shot on a net that, after a deflection, found the back of the cage. Virginia had found itself in a new position, trailing for the first time this entire season. A dominant first quarter for Syracuse ended 1-0, as the Cavaliers were outpossessed and outshot 5-0.
Syracuse remained staunchly in control into the second, continuing to add pressure to the trailing Cavaliers. The ball seemed glued to the sticks of the Orange — even when Virginia managed to grab possession, a moment later possession inevitably returned to the other team. The lone bright spot for Virginia came in the form of junior goalkeeper Nilou Lempers, whose staunch defense kept the Syracuse lead from growing too great. She recorded a career-high eight saves compared to eight shots on goal for the game and could very well have been the main ingredient to the eventual Cavalier victory. Going into the locker room, Virginia had not recorded a single shot, and it became clear a tactical adjustment would be necessary.
The Cavaliers picked up the intensity to start the second half, playing with a newfound fire. Despite that second wind, though, looks on goal were still few and far between due to the pesky Orange press. Virginia continued to grind, eventually earning a penalty corner with a few minutes left in the third. Attempts one and two resulted in do-overs, and the third was blocked as well, but the ball squirted loose in the crease.
After several redirects and ricochets, the ball bounced in front of an empty net, found the stick of freshman forward Frederique Vernooij and then the back of the cage. Virginia had finally gotten its chance and did not squander it, tying the game 1-1 going into the potential deciding period.
With just over a minute left and the game still knotted at one goal apiece, the Cavaliers gave themselves a last ditch chance with a penalty corner. After a couple of deflections off the feet of Syracuse’s defenders, the ball was played in, and graduate midfielder Suze Leemans took aim. Her shot whizzed past the first line of defense and deflected off of Kempen, who was standing in the net in a moment of desperation. After a brief review, the officials called for a stroke, and with 54 seconds to play, Mia Abello stepped up for the deciding penalty shot.
Her goal proved to be the edge the Cavaliers needed, jolting the team with both excitement and relief. On the other side of the field, the Orange embodied despair — a game they so firmly controlled had been pried from their clasp in an instant.
“Super proud of the team and this win,” Keusgen said. “It was a huge team win where everyone contributed.”
For Virginia, this win proved the team had reserves of strength previously untested. This ability to get up off the mat will be vital for the rest of ACC play, as the Cavaliers look to emerge on top of the star-studded conference. Their next test will be on the opposite coast in Berkley, Calif. against the Golden Bears, who have lost their last two games. While on paper, Virginia looks to be the more well-rounded squad, the travel and unfriendly territory will lead to an intriguing test at 9 p.m. Friday.
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