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Syracuse had its first slip-up of the season on Saturday, falling to No. 2 North Carolina in a contest that was never close. Without top attacker Olivia Adamson, the Orange plummeted offensively with just two first-quarter goals.
Meanwhile, UNC’s attacking duo of Ashley and Chloe Humphrey helped the Tar Heels reach eight goals through 15 minutes, finishing with 16 to down SU. Following its first loss, SU returned home Tuesday for another top-five clash, this time with No. 3 Northwestern.
Against the Wildcats, without Adamson again, the Orange were shut out in the first quarter and failed to scrape back despite a late comeback effort.
Here are some observations from No. 5 SU’s (3-2, 0-1 ACC) 12-8 loss to No. 3 Northwestern (5-1, 0-0 Big Ten) Tuesday:
No draw, no ball
When it comes down to it, lacrosse is a simple game. If you don’t win the draw, you won’t get the ball. Syracuse knows this all too well in the season’s early going. They learned it again versus NU.
The Wildcats started the game by winning 4-of-5 draw opportunities, fluctuating between Sammy Smith and Niki Miles against SU’s Meghan Rode. Madison Taylor also helped out in the circle, using her lightning speed to corral a draw. While on a power play to end the first quarter, Syracuse held on to the ball to avoid the draw, securing the possession to begin the second quarter.
Rode and Co. saw a major bounce back in the second frame. Winning all four draws, Rode collected two herself while helping Sam DeVito and Mileena Cotter collect on the perimeter. At halftime, Rode stayed out on the field to practice the draw. It worked. She started off with an impressive win, flipping it to herself and jumping to collect it.
The Orange lost all momentum on the draw with a stick issue. Rode was forced to miss a draw due to a problem with her netting, forcing Molly Guzik in for a draw. Northwestern won that one. Then the next. Then 10 more in a row to close the game as the Wildcats took control.
Adamson’s absence lingers
Adamson’s absence as an elite attacker was on full display as Syracuse’s offense grew stagnant against the Tar Heels. SU scored just eight goals and notched single-digit goals for the eighth time under head coach Kayla Treanor while Adamson missed the contest with an undisclosed injury. In her second absence, this one coming against the Wildcats, Syracuse again was limited but made progress.
The Orange had opportunities early on. A spin inside by Muchnick. A free-position chance. Two inside misses by Gracie Britton. Still, SU failed to find the true finisher that Adamson often is. Emma Ward’s strength from X didn’t get anything going, either. SU failed to score in the first quarter, being shut out in a quarter for the first time since the third quarter of the 2024 ACC Championship.
After a 22-minute drought to start the game, the Orange broke through twice within a minute, both coming courtesy of Ward from X. First, she found Muchnick, who beat NU goalie Delaney Sweitzer over her right shoulder. Then, Joely Caramelli caught the ball in front of the crease and bounced it low. Ward added on as a 3-0 streak to end the, which showed a much-improved offense that had inside finishing and strong cutters at a surplus.
It continued on in the second half. Ward’s strength grew from X as she catapulted in front of the crease to cut NU’s lead to 6-5. Syracuse’s attack didn’t go away. Ward scored one on her own then found Annie Parker for her first SU goal. Caroline Trinkaus chipped in later, but it wasn’t enough. With only eight goals overall for the Orange, a flat first quarter limited any chance of a comeback effort, falling into a hole they never came back from.
Testing Taylor
Northwestern attacker Taylor entered Tuesday’s clash with seven points per game, totaling a nation-leading 35. To counter Taylor’s explosiveness, SU assigned Superia Clark to face-guard her throughout the afternoon. In her second start of the season, Clark held the Tewaaraton Award candidate down before she notched three free-position goals and two empty netters.
Clark never left Taylor’s side, sticking with her at every spot of the turf. Taylor did space out SU’s defense, dragging Clark outside and allowing other Wildcats’ weapons to thrive. She assisted a goal by Abby LoCascio to push NU’s lead to 3-0. She also added a draw control with her speed.
Clark and the rest of the defense limited Taylor and even forced three turnovers, growing further frustrated as she added multiple fouls. With SU scraping further into its deficit, Taylor forced a free position chance and buried it. With a rip from deep, Taylor beat Daniella Guyette in net to push the Wildcats’ lead to two. Following a Syracuse answer, Taylor again got to the free-position line and beat Guyette again. The sequence repeated a third time to create an 8-5 Wildcats lead.
Once more, Taylor added a free-position goal, becoming nearly automatic from there but unable to get anything going elsewhere. Her prowess on the draw added possessions for NU as she sealed the deal later with two empty-net goals.
Sweitzer’s return
Sweitzer has played in many key matchups in the JMA Wireless Dome. Over three seasons with the Orange, Sweitzer became a top goalie in the country, helping SU to consecutive Final Four appearances. Tuesday, however, Sweitzer played on the opposing side for the first time. She transferred to the Wildcats for her sixth year. And in her return to Syracuse, Sweitzer posted seven saves on a .467 save percentage.
She didn’t need to make many plays early on, as Northwestern’s defense swallowed up the Orange before they could put anything on net. Sweitzer dipped into the midfield at times, helping facilitate the attack from the back going forward. Similar to her days with Syracuse, Sweitzer attempted to clear one long-range pass but it was turned over.
Facing a familiar foe in Ward on a free position early in the second quarter, Sweitzer barely had to move, collecting the shot directly in front of her mask. The Orange did break through twice off inside finishes, but Sweitzer still stood her ground by directing traffic out front. After allowing a bounce shot from Ward, Sweitzer kept SU out of the net with under a minute to go into halftime with three saves on six shots.
As the Orange climbed back, Sweitzer sprawled to her feet at times to make acrobatic saves. She wasn’t tested nearly as much as Guyette, but a strong day in net allowed the Wildcats to pull away.
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