Head coach Dean Foti talked about it all season: Syracuse needed to cash in on its numerous scoring opportunities, or it would wind up on the wrong end of the score every time.

The scoring chances need to be there before the ball can go in the net.

Syracuse reverted to its old habits Wednesday night against Big East rival Villanova, mustering only four shots on goal for the entire game. The Wildcats defeated the Orange, 3-1, at SU Soccer Stadium in front of 486 fans. The crushing defeat left the players scratching their heads, searching for answers to a season that continues to baffle them.

‘To be honest, I have no idea what happened tonight,’ senior midfielder Kenny Caceros said. ‘We came into this game excited, but we just came out flat and there’s no excuse for that.’

Foti did not speak with the media after the game.

Syracuse went on the road and registered a breakout offensive performance against a tough Rutgers team last Friday, tallying three goals and shutting down the Scarlet Knights’ offense. Against Villanova, the anemic side of the Syracuse offense reared its head once more.

Syracuse had scored only once in six games prior to the contest against Rutgers. After a statement win against a team that sat atop the Red Division of the Big East, the Orange had a chance to build on the momentum and record a winning streak for the first time this season.

Instead, the only life the Syracuse offense showed Wednesday was its lone goal, which came off the foot of senior midfielder Elliott Townsend. But even the lone bright spot of Syracuse’s night emerged amid a cloud of frustration.

‘When I saw it set up, I figured I might as well have a go,’ Townsend said. ‘At this point, I had nothing to lose.’

By the time Townsend scored in the final 10 minutes of play, the game was already lost. Syracuse and Villanova engaged in a stalemate for the first half, with neither team able to bring the ball deep into the opponent’s zone with any regularity.

For all the questions lingering after Syracuse’s performance Wednesday night, Townsend may have had some answers. The game plan for Villanova, he said, was different than the team’s strategy against Rutgers because rain had soaked the field at SU Soccer Stadium, causing more balls to skip out of bounds. Syracuse tried to carry over the elements that made the team successful against Rutgers, but field conditions made that a difficult task.

The weather and field conditions were by no means Syracuse’s sole problem. Technical issues also hampered the Orange attack throughout the night.

‘In the first half, we weren’t getting enough numbers forward,’ Townsend said. ‘We weren’t putting enough pressure on their back four. In the Rutgers game, we had made a real conscious effort to put at least three guys going forward in every attack, especially getting in behind defenders.’

The result of a weak Syracuse attack on an unforgiving playing surface was a lack of scoring opportunities, a problem that the Orange had hoped to bury in the past. The win at Rutgers gave the team a chance to build momentum and put its offensive woes behind it, but Villanova kicked Syracuse back in time.

The Orange managed to keep Villanova’s offense at bay for much of the first half and went into halftime tied, 0-0. But the Wildcats’ offense roared to life in the latter part of the second half, scoring midway through the period and eventually putting the game out of reach with two late goals, assuming the 3-0 lead.

A lackluster Syracuse offense could only respond with Townsend’s goal, never recovering from the Villanova onslaught.

If Syracuse could not build on the momentum it gained from the win over Rutgers, maybe it can build on the anger and frustration from its latest loss. After Wednesday night, those emotions abound on the field after the game.

‘Everyone’s pretty pissed right now,’ Caceros said. ‘We just dropped three points. We just got to keep going. I’m kind of upset right now. I don’t know what else to say, really.’

azmeola@syr.edu

Published on October 9, 2009 at 12:00 pm