With one of the country’s best goalies defending Florida’s cage, the Syracuse defense couldn’t afford to allow the Gators 14 goals. The Orange did on March 2. On Saturday, SU needed to match or exceed Florida’s defensive intensity.

And the Orange did just that.

“You can’t really compare our defense to when we first played Florida at the beginning of the year,” SU defender Becca Block said, “because we’ve obviously had a lot more experience and believe in each other on a whole different level.”

Syracuse’s defense took a tough stand against the Gators, who boast the No. 4 scoring offense in the nation, in the Orange’s 13-9 quarterfinal victory at the Carrier Dome on Saturday. SU advances to the final four in Villanova, Pa., where the Orange will take on No. 1-seed Maryland.

Three SU players were handed yellow cards in the first half, presenting Florida three man-up opportunities in a low-scoring first period.

“There were mistakes made,” head coach Gary Gait said, “but there were plays made … We’re all going to make mistakes but it’s how you rally and how you step up and respond to those mistakes.”

Kayla Treanor was sent to the sideline about nine minutes into the game, and a foul on Block gave UF’s Kitty Cullen a free-position opportunity against SU goalie Kelsey Richardson. Richardson was all over it.

The netminder deflected and saved the next two shots. But just as Treanor was released from her penalty, Natalie Glanell took her place.

Richardson continued to deny Florida, making a stop at the doorstep off a free-position pass. But before SU could get the ball back, the Orange succumbed to the Gators’ ball movement and UF scored from in close.

Toward the end of the first half, another yellow card again crippled Syracuse’s defense. But Richardson and SU’s man-down defense came up with two more saves and allowed the Gators just four goals by halftime.

“Our defense played great, even when we were man-down,” said Richardson, who finished with six saves – all in man-down situations. “They got very limited looks when we were man-down. We did have a couple of lapses, gave them multiple possessions, but one goal in three man-downs is awesome.”

While Syracuse’s defense in the first frame fought with its back to the wall, Florida goalie Mikey Meagher put forth one of her best games of the season with 12 saves, six in each half. Meagher entered the game ranked in the top five nationally with a 6.54 goals-against average and a .504 save percentage.

“I think Mikey did a phenomenal job,” UF head coach Amanda O’Leary said. “She played her heart out today and we couldn’t have asked for more from what we got from her.”

Even when Gait pulled Richardson and inserted junior Alyssa Costantino in the cage after halftime, the defense didn’t waver.

UF’s Ashley Bruns drew a free-position shot. Costantino deflected it over the top of the cage for one of her three saves.

On the same play, Block raced behind the net to be nearest to the ball as it rolled out of bounds, thus gaining possession. And with that possession, a score by Devon Collins extended the Orange’s lead to three goals as SU began to put some separation between itself and UF on the scoreboard.

But it wasn’t just the Orange defenders who hassled the Gators into 10 first-half turnovers. Syracuse’s pressing ride, though not as stifling as it was in previous performances, was responsible for thwarting three of Florida’s clear attempts throughout the contest.

Combined with Syracuse’s aggressive second-half offense, the Orange defense was consistently rock-solid when it needed to be. And because of it, Syracuse is final four-bound.

“Our defense played outstanding today,” Richardson said, “and that’s one of the main reasons we won that game.”

Published on May 18, 2013 at 10:48 pm

Contact Phil: pmdabbra@syr.edu | @PhilDAbb