All season long, Asa Goldstock’s goal has been to play closer to the net. But against Louisville, she couldn’t have gone further.

The sophomore, with her eyes on the UofL players who were spaced on her wings, just walked. To the 30-yard line, the 40-yard line, midfield and then as she breached opponent territory, she still looked for a place to go with the ball, but again, she still walked. SU’s goalie marched forward until she could go no more, forced to rid herself of the ball at the clear line on the opposing 30-yard line.

It was a meaningless play for Syracuse, who passed the ball around a few times before UofL regained possession. But the routine was telling of Goldstock, who has this season exuded confidence in an ability that has never escaped her.

“I’ve been trying my best to take the ball up the field quick,” Goldstock said. “If I make the save, might as well start the transition and take the ball up the field quick.”

While the sophomore has made improvements in goal, she said SU head coach Gary Gait has told her to not lose her aggressiveness which has caused her to jumpstart the Syracuse (9-9, 1-6 Atlantic Coast) offense on multiple occasions this season. Freshman Sam Swart put it into perspective: Goldstock, perhaps the Orange’s most dynamic player on the defensive side, sometimes also acts as SU’s “quarterback” on offense. Goldstock’s play on both sides of the field will be instrumental as the Orange opens the NCAA tournament against Princeton (12-5, 6-1 Ivy League) on Friday.

“Asa can handle it herself,” Swart said after Syracuse’s early season win over then-No. 4 Florida, where Goldstock dominated in and out of the net.

Max Freund | Staff Photographer

While Swart noted that the Orange doesn’t run set plays for immediately following saves, the Orange players run sequential routes every time the ball finds its way into Goldstock’s pocket. Midfielders cross and defensive players, particularly Ella Simkins, streak upfield to receive the ball.

Her hand in the offense has not showed on the stat sheet — Goldstock only has one assist in her two years with the Orange — but some of SU’s offensive success is dependent on her ability to clear the ball down the field. Playing more steady, the sophomore has retained similar turnovers numbers this year (1.32 last season and 1.27 per game this year) and is the top clearer on an SU team with an .816 clear percentage.

While this is just an average — sometimes her attempts at long clears or audacious advances up the field backfire — Goldstock’s aggression has led to more good than bad.

The goal of the Orange this season has been to get the ball out quickly to give offensive players a chance to convert on the other end, Goldstock said. The 19th-ranked SU scoring offense has gotten that help from multiple contributors, particularly its young goalie.

Goldstock admitted that in her trips up the field, although getting the ball to her teammates is her top priority, she sometimes looks towards the goal. She said it’s “not possible” in lacrosse for a goalkeeper to score, but that hasn’t stopped her from dreaming.

“Maybe one day,” she quipped.

Gait said that Goldstock, despite what the sophomore said about her coach encouraging her aggressiveness, needs to work on making better decisions. He said Goldstock “doing a little bit too much” granted Cornell opportunities in SU’s 14-7 domination of the Big Red.

He said she would benefit, on some occasions, by getting the ball out to a streaking defender rather than taking the ball upfield.

“Rather than giving up the short pass, (she’s) giving up the long bomb,” Gait said. “Sometimes you need to make better decisions.”

Despite her coach’s preaching, Goldstock’s play style hasn’t changed. Her attacking mindset hasn’t wavered and, when Syracuse faces a Princeton team anchored by the country’s 35th-ranked defense, the Orange will take all the help it can get, no matter how it gets it.

“I’d like to ignite something in my team,” Goldstock said, “if that makes me a quarterback, then so be it.”

Published on May 9, 2018 at 11:00 pm

Contact Michael: mmcclear@syr.edu | @MikeJMcCleary