No. 22 SU’s late offensive push not enough in 1-1 draw to NC State

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Syracuse needed a bit of luck. Down 1-0 in the second half, the Orange got hit on a counterattack six minutes in. On a day where little seemed to be going right for SU, it finally got a break.

The Orange poured numbers forward in search of an equalizer. In the 77th minute, Mateo Leveque delivered a ball to Felipe D’Agostini, who found a pocket of space at the top of the box. D’Agostini quickly slipped it to Lorenzo Boselli, who made a run in behind.

Boselli fired a low one-timer, which NC State goalkeeper Samuel Terranova stuck his left foot out for a kick save. Fortunately for Syracuse, the ball ricocheted back off Vusumzi Plamana and into the back of the net.

“We talk as a group about not just scoring goals, sometimes they’re not all pretty goals,” Syracuse head coach Ian McIntyre said postgame. “Sometimes they’re ugly goals. This was an ugly goal today.”

The stroke of luck leveled the match as No. 22 Syracuse (7-3-5, 2-1-4 Atlantic Coast Conference) and NC State (6-8-2, 1-5-1 ACC) drew 1-1. The Orange have struggled to finish throughout the season. They appeared to be turning the corner in their 2-0 win over Yale on Wednesday. Yet, against NC State, SU had difficulty burying its chances. Syracuse failed to score on any of its 18 shots, with six coming on target — its most on target since Sept. 1 against Penn State.

SU controlled possession the entire game, but it wasn’t until the last portion where it truly looked dangerous. The Orange registered their first shot on target in the 63rd minute, pushing higher as NC State’s defensive line dropped deeper.

“You can’t play that open as we did from the start of the game,” McIntyre said about Syracuse’s final push. “We started the game well, the first 20 minutes, we dominated possession, we just didn’t create enough stuff. But when a team puts nine guys behind the ball, it’s difficult to break them because that was their plan.”

In the last minute of the first half, a misplaced header from a Wolfpack defender off a Nate Edwards cross set up Leveque. The midfielder brought the ball down, but once again missed wide, leaving the Orange without a shot on target in the first half for the third time in four games.

“Our ball movement was good, we were overloading in wide areas in the first half,” McIntyre said. “It was just not creating enough.”

After NC State scored in the 51st minute, Boselli said Syracuse started moving the ball quicker and playing less long balls.

In the 62nd minute, D’Agostini and Leveque worked a give-and-go at the top of the box before Leveque unleashed an outside of the foot shot that was saved by Terranova. On the ensuing corner, D’Agostini peeled away at the back post, powering a header that was also stopped.

Seven minutes later, Michael Suski had an effort deflected up into the air, which Boselli chested down at the back post before attempting another shot. Boselli’s chance was thwarted by Terranova. The next Boselli shot would lead to the own goal which tied the game. Syracuse’s top goal scorer’s drought continued, despite recording a career-high four shots on target.

“It’s just a period of time where we are struggling to find the back of the net,” Boselli said. “It’s going to come eventually, we just have to keep working, keep creating chances.”

Syracuse continued to push forward in the 84th minute as Leveque whipped in a corner. Boselli flashed to the near post, something he’s had success with all season. Boselli flicked his header back over Terranova, but it deflected off the crossbar.

Less than two minutes later, Leveque played a through ball to Boselli, who got in behind NC State’s defense. Boselli’s left-footed shot was saved by Terranova again.

Syracuse attacked one last time in the 89th minute. D’Agostini had one of his shots blocked behind for a corner. Kocevski sent the ball in and after a scramble, the ball fell to D’Agostini at the far post. He chested the ball down but rushed his shot, blazing it over the bar in what would be Syracuse’s last chance of the game.

The Orange finished with 11 shots in the second half, but the barrage wasn’t enough as they tied their fourth ACC game this season.

“On another day we score that second goal, I think the overall performance would have deserved that,” McIntyre said.