Shea Vanderbosch pushes No. 3 Florida State to brink in 1-goal loss

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With eight minutes left, Florida State’s attack pushed into Syracuse’s final third. On the 30th Seminole shot of the match, forward Jordynn Dudley ripped the ball towards the top left corner of the net.

With 15 saves already, Syracuse goalie Shea Vanderbosch swatted the ball away with her right hand, forcing a corner kick.

The save kept the game tied at 2-2 as Vanderbosch recorded her sixteenth save of the night, in a historic game for the sophomore. Although SU ultimately fell 3-2 in the match, Vanderbosch was stellar.

“She’s a stud,” Coach Nicky Thrasher Adams said following Thursday’s loss. “I regard Shea as one of the best shot stoppers in the nation”.

Coming into the match, Vanderbosch had her work cut out for her. Facing No. 3 Florida State (7-0, 2-0-0 Atlantic Coast Conference) meant facing a top offense in the ACC as the Seminoles ranked second in the conference in goals per game with three. Vanderbosch’s 16 saves was one shy of Syracuse’s program record, but ultimately the Orange (2-7-1, 0-2-0 ACC) fell 3-2 to the Seminoles.

FSU started the season 6-0 and scored four goals against No. 8 Clemson in its last match.

“I felt like I needed to put my best foot forward for the No. 3 team especially,” Vanderbosch said.

Despite the large task, Vanderbosch held her own.

In the first half the Seminoles outshot the Orange 13-2, yet the Orange held a 2-1 lead. Vandebosch recorded seven saves in the half. The persistent Florida State attack had Syracuse on its heels despite holding the lead.

Following a quick strike by SU in the third minute, the Seminoles answered right back with a goal of its own four minutes later. The Florida State goal was one that as a keeper Vanderbosch could do nothing about. Dudley played an outside of the foot right footed pass to her left to midfielder Ran Iwai. Iwai played a one touch pass in the middle of the box. Forward Beata Olsson one-touch struck the ball past Vanderbosch to tie the game.

Five first half corner kicks also had Vanderbosch and the SU defense pinned in its defensive third, but Vanderbosch continued to keep the game level. With 30 seconds left in the first half, a Seminoles own goal gave Syracuse the lead entering the half.

As expected, FSU came out of the half firing once again, looking to bounce back from a first half deficit. With Vanderbosch facing immense pressure, she faced an injury as well.

Ten minutes into the second half, Vanderbosch sprawled in the air to attempt a save on a high shot. The ball went over the net, but left Vanderbosch on the ground for an extended period of time.

“I’ve had some shoulder issues,” Vanderbosch said. “I went to the doctors a few times, but we’re going.”

Vanderbosch stayed in the game despite the injury and recorded eight more saves. While Florida State gifted Syracuse a goal in the first half, the Orange would return the favor early in the second.

Just two minutes after the stoppage, FSU had Syracuse’s back against the wall. On its eighth corner of the game, Taylor Huff drove a ball to the near post. SU forward Hannah Pilley was covering the near post. The ball was directed to Pilley at the near post, with her back on the post she accidentally kicked the ball into the net for an own goal, tying the game at two.

Vanderbosch could’ve been more assertive to knock the ball away from the frame, but she trusted her team in front of her.

“It does stink that we’ve had to rotate so many people in front of her (Vanderbosch) based on injuries,” Coach Thrasher Adams said. “The consistency in personnel has been different”.

Florida State’s offense didn’t give Vanderbosch a rest. In the second half FSU dominated possession, rarely allowing SU to cross into the Florida State half. The Seminoles totaled 19 shots and 10 corners in the second half alone, bringing the game total to 32 shots and 15 corners.

“I knew I needed to put my body in front of the ball,” Vanderbosch said. “Come up big and close the angle down.”

Eventually, Florida State’s continuous offensive pressure would beat Vanderbosch.

With six minutes remaining, FSU forward Onyi Echegini took a right footed touch to open up space for herself. At the top of the box, Echefgini struck the ball perfectly into the right corner of the net. Vanderbosch stood still, knowing there was nothing she could do to prevent the goal.

Despite the loss, Vanderbosch was historic. She recorded nine saves in the second half and 16 overall. The 16 saves were the most from a SU goalie since Lysianne Proulx’s 15 save effort against Duke in 2021. The total also came one shy of Shannon Myers’s program record against Princeton in 2004.