Ange Bradley challenged the Syracuse penalty corner unit. During last Tuesday’s practice, the SU head coach spoke with Leonie Geyer and the rest of the group, instructing them not to settle for mediocrity.

She pointed out the strengths and weaknesses of the unit, then pushed the players to improve and strive to maximize their potential. The Orange proceeded to earn 30 penalty corners in two games this past weekend. And on Sunday against Vermont, Geyer stepped up and buried three of her four goals on corners.

‘They got out of their comfort zones, and they responded to my challenge,’ Bradley said. ‘(Geyer’s) hitting the ball really well.’

Her four-goal outburst for the No. 5 Orange in a 12-0 romp of Vermont on Sunday matched the Syracuse record for scores in a game. The record is shared with Shannon Taylor, Joanne Lombard, Kristin Aronowicz and teammate Kelsey Millman. Millman, a junior forward, accomplished the feat just two days prior in an 11-1 win over Georgetown.

Together, Geyer and Millman stepped up to lead the SU offense in impressive fashion, much to the delight of their coach.

Both players frustrated the opposing defense with an onslaught of shots, but they scored goals in different ways and from different areas of the field. Millman found open space in front of the net during SU scoring threats, while Geyer ripped outside shots on penalty corners.

On Sunday, Geyer served as a decoy for one of the Orange’s previous corner attempts. But in the 53rd minute, it was her shot to take.

Geyer lined up behind Martina Loncarica, squared her body to the net and lowered her stick as Kelsey Millman prepared to send the ball into play from the baseline. Millman fired a pass toward Loncarica, and Geyer sprung forward while drawing her stick backward.

Loncarica stopped it, and Geyer smacked it into the bottom left corner past Vermont goalkeeper Stephanie Zygmunt. It was her third goal of the game and second off a penalty corner. Ten minutes later, the trio replicated the process for an equal result, with Geyer picking out the bottom right corner of the goal instead.

‘I know where I’m going to hit the ball, and that’s what I’m trying to focus on,’ Geyer said. ‘ … Usually, I hit the bottom right, but I choose it before the ball gets to me, and then I’m just trying to execute it. Whether it’s left or right, it doesn’t matter.’

While Geyer shined with her outside shot, Millman knocked her four goals home Friday by finding gaps in the middle of the UVM shooting circle.

With just more than three minutes left in the first half, the Orange was threatening to score its seventh goal of the half. Geyer dribbled viciously through the top right side, penetrating the Hoyas’ shooting circle and drawing additional defenders from the left side. Millman dropped back behind the shifting defenders as Geyer wound up and launched a shot.

The GU goalkeeper discarded the attempt, swatting the ball out toward Millman. In one smooth motion, she collected the deflection and flicked it into the bottom right corner of the net.

‘I just think she’s doing great,’ Bradley said of Millman. ‘She’s finishing and she’s playing with a lot of confidence. We’re going to need that come next week (against No. 11 Boston College and No. 4 Connecticut).’

With 14 goals this season, Millman is tied for 15th in the nation in goals per game and trails Heather Susek by only one goal for the team lead.

Bradley said Millman is entirely capable of eclipsing the single-game scoring mark, and she would like to see that mark broken. Geyer and Susek are both candidates to put home five goals in a game and etch their names atop the SU single-game scoring list.

‘I want to see their names on top of Shannon (Taylor’s),’ Bradley said. ‘I don’t care whose name, but I’d love to see somebody on this 2011 team rewrite that record.’

sebail01@syr.edu

Published on October 16, 2011 at 12:00 pm

Contact Stephen: sebail01@syr.edu | @Stephen_Bailey1