Kelly Scores Goal in Season-Opening 2-1 Loss at Syracuse

Thursday, August 18

Syracuse, N.Y.

7 PM

University of New Hampshire

0-1-0, 0-0-0

Syracuse

1-0-0, 0-0-0

New Hampshire

Syracuse

8/18/2022 9:45:00 PM | Women's Soccer

Box Score

SYRACUSE, N.Y. – Junior captain Alivia Kelly (Pembroke, Mass.) scored a goal and grad student captain Cat Sheppard (Nesconset, N.Y) recorded eight saves in Thursday night's 2-1 season opening loss to Syracuse University at SU Soccer Stadium.

Sheppard made three saves in the opening 45 minutes and five more after halftime. Kelly's goal in the 65^th minute was set up by classmate Emily Bini (Guilderland, N.Y.) and lifted the Wildcats within 2-1.

Syracuse goalie Michaela Walsh was credited with four saves. Erin Flurey and Florence Vaillancourt scored in the third and 52^nd minutes, respectively.

WSOC stats_08.18.22

UP NEXT

UNH returns to action Aug. 21 (1 p.m.) at St. Francis College Brooklyn.
The Wildcats' home opener is Thursday, Aug. 25 (6 p.m.) against Siena College.

FIRST HALF

Flurey scored on the first shot of the game at 2:13 to give Syracuse a 1-0 lead.
In the 11^th minute, Flurey struck another shot high on frame but Shepard made the save.
UNH generated its second corner kick of the game in the 12^th minute and junior Ella Dudley (St. Augustine, Fla.) sent a shot toward the upper-right corner that was stopped by Walsh.
That resulted in another UNH corner kick, however, and Kelly sent in a high shot that Walsh saved.
Sheppard made her second save in the 29^th minute when she denied Emma Klein.
In the 38^th minute, Syracuse generated three successive corners, the last of which Sheppard stopped Maya McDermott's shot to keep the 'Cats within 1-0.
After 45 minutes, the Orange had a 9-2 shot advantage that included 4-2 on goal, as well as a 7-3 edge in corner kicks.

SECOND HALF

The home team continued to pressure early in the second half as Sheppard was forced to make another save, this time on Vaillancourt's shot in the 50^th minute.
Vaillancourt extended the lead to 2-0 in the 52^nd minute (51:18).
New Hampshire generated pressure in the 55^th minute, which resulted in a shot by grad student Maddy Warren (West Covina, Calif.) that was blocked and, seconds later, an attempt by junior Emily Bini (Guilderland, N.Y.) that sailed high.
One minute later, Warren sent a shot over the crossbar.
The Wildcats converted a corner kick into a goal when Kelly scored from the middle of the box at 64:04 to lift the 'Cats within 2-1. Bini, who tied for the team lead in assists last season with four, was credited with the assist.
Momentum continue in UNH's favor, as Bini had a shot blocked in the 69^th minute and Warren's shot was also blocked in the 72^nd minute.
Warren's team-leading fifth shot -- 10 yards from the right post -- was stopped by Walsh in the 81^st minute to keep the score 2-1 in favor of Syracuse.
In the closing seconds, junior Logan Nicholson (St. Augustine, Fla.) fired a shot from the top-left corner of the box wide left of the goal.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS

'Cuse recorded a 19-11 shot advantage that included a 10-5 edge in shots on goal.
The Orange also finished with a 13-4 edge in corner kicks.
UNH committed three fouls in comparison to Syracuse's six.
Both teams were whistled for offsides twice.

UNH NOTEBOOK

New Hampshire has a 5-2-2 record in season openers in head coach Steve Welham's nine-year tenure. That includes 1-1-0 on the road.
Kelly now has career numbers of two goals and two assists for six points in 27 caps.
Bini, who played 62 minutes off the bench, increased her career assist total to seven in 27 caps.
Three Wildcats made their UNH debut in the starting lineup; they were grad students Gudrun Haralz (Kópavogur, Iceland) and Warren, as well as freshman Delaney Diltz (San Diego, Calif.).
Senior Whitney Wiley (Vienna, Va.) returned to action with a spot in the Starting XI. She was sidelined last year following an injury in the spring of the 2020-21 season.
Grad student Lauren Ruth (North Wales, Pa.) and freshman Lily Johnson (Wyckoff , N.J.) both made their UNH debuts late in the first half.
Including Sheppard, four 'Cats played the full 90; the others were Dudley, Kelly and Diltz. Haralz, Warren and junior Anna Hewlett (Webster, N.Y.) all played 87 minutes.

SERIES NOTEBOOK

UNH has an 0-2-0 lifetime record against Syracuse.
The Orange was a 2-0 victor last September in Wildcat Stadium; they scored goals in the 72^nd and 81^st minutes.