Sheppard Stops Six Shots in 2-0 Loss to Syracuse

Sunday, September 5

Durham, N.H.

2 PM

University of New Hampshire

1-3-1, 0-0-0

Syracuse

4-1-0, 0-0-0

Syracuse

New Hampshire

Photo by: Andrew Yourell

9/5/2021 6:20:00 PM | Women's Soccer

Box Score

DURHAM, N.H – Senior goalkeeper Cat Sheppard (Nesconset, N.Y.) made six saves, including one on a penalty kick, but the University of New Hampshire women's soccer team was defeated by Syracuse University, 2-0, on Sunday afternoon at Wildcat Stadium.

Sheppard, who recorded her 10^th career shutout in the Sept. 2 double-overtime 0-0 tie against St. Francis College, continued her strong play Sunday against the Orange with four first-half saves and two more in the second half.

The game's first goal came from Kylen Grant in the 72nd minute, followed by a corner kick that was finished by Pauline Machtens in the 81st minute. SU goalie Lysianne Proulx was credited with one save, and the Orange also recorded a team save.

The Wildcats are now 1-3-1 overall, while Syracuse is 4-1-0.

VIDEO HIGHLIGHTS | PHOTO GALLERY

WSOC scoreboard graphic_090521

UP NEXT

UNH returns to action Thursday, Sept. 9 when they travel to Siena College for a 3 p.m. start.
The Wildcats' next home match is Sept. 30 (2 p.m.) against UMass Lowell.

FIRST HALF

Prior to the penalty kick, Sheppard made an acrobatic save in the 15^th minute when Meghan Root struck a rising shot that Sheppard tipped over the crossbar.
And just moments before the PK, the senior goalie charged off her line to smother Root's low shot from 10 yards.
Syracuse was awarded a penalty kick in the 20^th minute, but Sheppard dove to her left to fight the ball away from the bottom corner and deny Telly Vunipola.
One the ensuing corner kick, the ball landed to Emma Klein and her half-volley toward the upper-left corner was batted away by Sheppard's lunging effort.
The Wildcats' best chance in the first half came when grad student Casey Peterson (Round Hill, Va.) sent a nice crossing pass from the right corner that landed on senior Francesca Picicci 's (Massapequa, N.Y.) right foot, but her redirection was deflected just wide of the right post.
In the 34^th minute, Picicci attacked deep on the left wing and her centering pass found freshman Meghan Guarente (Sewell, N.J.) at the top of the goalie box. Her quick shot beat Proulx, but a Syracuse defender was in position to block the shot (for the team save) and the rebound rolled to Proulx to end UNH's threat.

SECOND HALF

In the 54^th minute, the Wildcats' best chance of the day came when freshman Abbie Burgess (Killingly, Conn.) blocked a pass and found herself in the clear with just the goalie to beat. Proulx, however, was able to get a piece of the ball 30 yards from the goal line and turn the opportunity away.
On a set play from the left wing, UNH sophomore Alivia Kelly (Pembroke, Mass.) served the ball into the box and classmate Ella Dudley (St. Augustine, Fla.) headed the ball into the net, but she was ruled offside to negate the play.
Grant gave Syracuse a 1-0 lead at 71:42 when she tracked down Megan Root's thru ball deep in the penalty area, cut back to her left to avoid a UNH defender and chipped a left-footed shot inside the right post.
The Orange converted their sixth corner into a goal and 2-0 advantage at 80:34. Natalie Weidenbach served the ball from the right corner and, from the top of the goalie box, a cutting Machtens headed the ball inside the lower-left corner of the net.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS

Syracuse finished the game leading in shots (11-6) and shots on target (8-2), as well as corner kicks (7-1).
Sheppard was able to stop all of the shots that she saw in the first half, including the penalty kick.

UNH NOTEBOOK

Sunday's match marked the first time UNH lost at Wildcat Stadium since October 13th, 2019. The 'Cats had a 10-game unbeaten streak (9-0-1) between the losses.
New Hampshire had not conceded a goal in the first two home games of the season, and over the past seven home games, UNH had allowed a total of two goals.
The Wildcats begin a four game road trip Thursday when they head to Siena College.
Guarente and sophomore Emily Bini (Guilderland, N.Y.) both recorded a team-high two shots for New Hampshire.

SERIES NOTEBOOK