The Syracuse Orange women’s soccer team will get its season underway on the evening of Friday, August 15, at the SU Soccer Stadium. The match will be the first official competition for SU Athletics for the 2024-25 season.
The Orange will take on the University of Massachusetts in their home opener, followed by a series of non-league matchups against the likes of Northwestern, Cornell, and Binghamton. The Orange will begin ACC play on September 12 in Dallas against SMU, one of the ACC’s newest additions.
In the Orange’s last matchup against UMass, in the early throes of last season, they lost 2-0 behind two first-half goals. UMass enjoyed a strong campaign last season, finishing with a 9-5-4 record and the opener could give us an early idea about Syracuse.
The Syracuse women endured a tumultuous campaign in 2023 as they suffered due to a difficult schedule, injury issues, and constant lineup rotation. The Orange finished the 2023 campaign with a record of two wins, two draws, and 14 losses.
The Orange’s wins came against local rivals Binghamton and Siena. The team averaged 0.9 goals scored per game and conceded 2.66 goals per game on average.
Last season saw Cuse finish bottom of the ACC. Going into this year, the ACC women’s soccer coaches poll did not have a higher opinion of the team, ranking them last out of the 17 ACC teams this season.
Although this prediction may be disheartening, it does set the Orange up for a season of potential surprises and overachievement. The ACC again looks to be far and away the hardest division in NCAA women’s soccer this year, and SU will run out a team that gained tons of valuable experience from a young age over the last few seasons.
But the question persists, can the team turn this promise into results?
One advantage they have will be the return of some important veterans from injuries. Emma Klein, Kate Murphy, Kendyl Lauher, and others all missed portions of last season with injuries, and Head Coach Nicky Thrasher Adams will be hoping to keep her team much more healthy this time around.
As mentioned, the Orange will also return the bulk of their squad from last season, which should provide a boost from a chemistry and continuity point of view. This battle-tested team will be motivated and experienced in difficult situations, which could be the difference in tacking on a few extra wins this season
The Orange’s two stars this season look set to be two of the players who led them last season. Junior Shea Vanderbosch has already established herself as arguably the best goalkeeper the program has ever had. All that's missing is the winning record to go along with her insane highlight reel.
Last season, Vanderbosch had double-digit save games against elite sides such as Wake Forest, Louisville, Pitt, and UNC. She totaled 129 saves with a 73% save percentage which is frankly ridiculous considering how many times she kept games close for her team through perilous situations. If SU wants to improve this year, Vanderbosch will need to put up similar performances throughout the season.
In the attacking department, Erin Flurey, returns for her redshirt junior season after leading the team in both goals (six) and assists (three) during the 2023 campaign. Flurey was also hampered by injuries last season, yet started every game, demonstrating how crucial she is to the team, but also how determined she is to contribute game-in and game-out.
Flurey’s hard work in the attack and midfield was critical to the Orange’s game plan last season. Her ability to beat her defender one-on-one, carry the ball through the lines, and create scoring opportunities through moments of brilliance will also be needed if the Orange want to compete against the ACC’s best this year. Coach Adams will also hope that Flurey’s hustle and tenacity can help inspire and motivate those around her.
Although the Orange will be mostly reliant on returning players, there will also be some new faces who will have the chance to make immediate impacts. The team features nine freshmen, a few of whom have already played at international level. The team also has seven new transfers.
Freshman Amanda Goldstein has already featured at U-20 level for the Panamanian national team, and possesses the ability to create goals and assists from the midfield where she starred throughout high school.
The most impactful newcomer may be senior transfer Mia Klammer, who made NCAA D2 her playground over the last three seasons, tallying a ludicrous 44 goals and 38 assists across 60 games.
The forward earned numerous honors during her time at St. Rose, most notably in 2023, where she was captain, D2 Player of the Year, and Conference Player of the Year after totaling 18 goals and 17 assists in just 21 games.
Klammer brings a dimension to the attack that was only really provided by Flurey last season, and for that reason, she should be an integral part of the team. Klammer’s marquee attribute is probably her finishing, as she is capable of finding the net from any angle, with any technique, at any time. She also boasts a quick first step, an insatiable hunger for goals, and a tendency to pick defenders' pockets to generate easy opportunities for herself and her teammates.
So far this season, the Orange have won their two warm-up games against UAlbany and Colgate and will be hoping to keep building momentum as they head into their opening stretch of matches, which are relatively easy compared to the rest of their schedule.
UMass and Maine will be good litmus tests to gauge the Orange’s level this year, and Siena and Mercyhurst should provide opportunities for results against lower-tier D1 opponents. If the Orange can get two or three results in these first four matches, they can gain confidence and momentum as they head into the meat of the schedule.
As mentioned, everyone is counting the Orange out, but they have some elite pieces in the squad and could surprise some teams who expect an easy matchup. They also have plenty of players who have gained invaluable experience in games against the best teams in the country. Keeping the team healthy will be a critical test, but the Orange can really only improve and raise the standard of the program this year. Even a few strong ACC results would be a plus worth celebrating.
Stay tuned for more updates on Syracuse soccer here at Nunes Magician.
