STANFORD, Calif. - Emma Lamison's goal with time winding down in the first overtime lifted No. 4 Syracuse past No. 6 Stanford 2-1 on Friday afternoon.
With less than two minutes remaining in the first period of extra time, the Orange (1-0, 0-0 ACC) capitalized on their 16th penalty corner of the game. After an initial save from Dulcie Davies, a scrum in front of the net ensued, through which Syracuse was able to score the game-winner.
The Cardinal (0-1, 0-0 America East) clawed back in the 68th minute thanks to an opportunistic goal from Maddie Secco, whose give-and-go with Lauren Becker provided Stanford a lifeline.
“I felt Maddie played exceptionally well,” said sixth-year head coach Tara Danielson. “We are a tenacious team, and when Maddie gets the ball going early it really helps us capitalize on our strengths.”
Stanford found it hard to fight its way out of its own half early, with Syracuse outshooting the Cardinal 9-1 and holding a 7-1 advantage in penalty corners. In the second half, Stanford had only a few chances on goal, including a chance by Kristina Bassi minutes before Secco's equalizer.
Stanford withstood immense pressure from a Syracuse offense which attempted 22 shots, 13 of which were on goal. Dulcie Davies made 11 saves, including a fantastic stop just before the end of regulation to keep the Cardinal in the game.
“I'm proud of my team because they played together and stayed in the game as a team,” added Danielson. “Now we have a measure on what we need to be better at and what we need to work on as a team throughout the season.”
The Cardinal returns to action on Sunday (Aug. 30) when it hosts No. 5 Duke on the Varsity Turf at 2 p.m. PT.
