Syracuse senior captain Taylee Hughes converted the PK in the 64th minute and the Titans remained undefeated in Region 1 play, outdueling the Darts 1-0.

“The goalie was standing more to the left, and the right side is my spot, so I stuck to my spot,” Hughes said. “It all comes down to who wants to take it. I knew I was confident and I could bury it in the corner.”

In addition to sweeping the season series against the Darts with Thursday’s win, Syracuse also captured its first region championship since 2018.

“It’s huge. This is my senior year … this is awesome. We found a way to win,” Hughes said. “The whole team played amazing, and (keeper Erin) Bott, she doesn’t get enough recognition. She played great and so did our back line.”

Shutout was the only way Syracuse (13-2, 6-0 Region 1) could capture the win, and Bott and company are on a roll.

“This is a really big one for us because it’s been a minute since we got a shutout. We got one against Farmington, so two in a row is a big deal; we haven’t done that in a while,” Bott said. “It shows how much our defense is trying and how much we can help each other. We’ve had a lot of injuries.”

Hadlee Durrant went down with a torn ACL against Layton last week, but Eva Christensen returned for the Titans from a hamstring injury suffered in the first Davis game 16 days ago.

“Eva starred in particular; she’s been out for a bit. … She came back and battled the whole time,” Bott said.

Watching from one end of the field, Bott says she stays engaged in the game when it counts.

“I feel the pressure, but feel I can turn it on and off; I’ll stay focused once the ball gets to my defensive line. I’ve made mistakes … worked through them and learned to concentrate when it counts, even if it’s not a difficult shot,” Bott said. “We split with them last year, so it’s nice to beat them twice. It’s the first time since I’ve been at Syracuse that we’ve done that.”

Davis (8-5, 1-4) lost on a tough — though probably correct — call, when keeper Kaitlyn Harris blocked a Syracuse shot in front of the goal and it ricocheted off teammate Lola Martineau’s elbow, resulting in the penalty kick.

“Whenever the ball’s in the box and it’s bouncing around, there’s a chance for a penalty; that’s why the game is fun. It’s unpredictable, it’s out of control and there are moments like that,” Davis coach Dillon Richens said. “It is what it is, and you move forward. Overtime would have been a better way to finish the game.”

Syracuse spoiled senior night for the Darts, in a clash played under the lights on the artificial turf of the football field, to Bott’s preference.

“I like playing on turf; it’s so much faster. I’m more willing to come out on a ball because I know it’s going to be true and I can slide easily and not get caught,” she said.

In a study of contrasts, Davis has struggled in region play while Syracuse has a clean slate.

“Syracuse is a good team and they obviously deserve to be in the position they are,” Richens said. “You want to peak at the right time and we are not. … There’s still time to get better. You’re not going to win a game if you don’t score.

“It’s the little things here and there; you hope they go your way when it matters. We’re doing enough to win games, it hasn’t bounced our way in region. … Not a lot to fix, just put the ball in the back of the net,” Richens said.

That’s something Syracuse has done well this season.

“It ultimately comes down to who finishes their chances, and we’ve finished ours,” Hughes said. “We’ve won all of our (region) games so far. We know we have to come out strong every game, because everyone in our region is so good.”