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In Syracuse’s first game since top-scorer Emily Hawryschuk announced she’s out for the season with an ACL tear, Syracuse’s offense was relentless. The Orange couldn’t replace Hawryschuk’s presence inside of the 8-meter arc, but they still scored 15 goals on Saturday, throwing their stick down ferociously after each. 

No. 2 Syracuse (3-0, 1-0 Atlantic Coast) dominated on both sides of the field against No. 11 Duke (4-2, 1-2) in its first ACC matchup of the season, winning 15-5. SU scored 10 first-half goals as six different Syracuse players found the net on Saturday afternoon. The victory marked head coach Gary Gait’s 200th career win and is third straight win for the Orange this season. Freshman Emma Ward recorded the first four goals of her career on five shots, and Meaghan Tyrrell notched five goals and an assist.

The first 10 minutes were slow offensively for SU, but players then began cutting into the middle of the 8-meter arc. Syracuse heated up after Ward scored her first career goal 22 minutes in, and the Orange ended the half on a 9-0 run. 

Duke tried to play aggressive with Syracuse’s offense, checking players near the midfield line. But this aggressive nature caused the Blue Devils to accumulate penalties, with one of its players, Abby Landry, even getting sent off after picking up two yellow cards. 

The Orange played past Duke’s aggressive defense by moving the ball swiftly and letting the clock wind down to preserve its lead. After Duke’s Gabby Rosenzweig received a yellow card with 10 minutes left in the first half, the Orange looked to capitalize on their man-up opportunity.

SU rotated the ball, with each pass inching Syracuse’s offense closer to the goal. It forced Duke’s defense to shift, and several passes laster, Morgan Alexander was wide open on the right side of the arc. She shot the ball toward the left corner of the net and connected for her second goal of the season.

Three minutes later, Duke committed two more fouls as Syracuse started to wear down the Blue Devils’ defense. This time, Ward sprinted from the left side of the arc, catching Tyrrell’s pass and throwing the ball behind her back from point-blank range for a hat trick.

Without Hawryschuk, Syracuse tied the Blue Devils in the draw control (11-11). The Orange usually run a rotation at the draw, with Hawryschuk as the primary option, but SU’s rotation on Saturday started with Grace Fahey, then Katelyn Mashewske and Ella Simkins.

Syracuse’s inability to dominate the draw didn’t make a difference, however, because Syracuse’s defense held strong. The unit was a perfect 15-15 on clears and caused eight turnovers. Goalie Asa Goldstock recorded 12 saves and finished with a save percentage of 75%, too.

With nine minutes left in the first half, Duke’s offense was able to inch its way inside of the 8-meter, with Catherine Cordrey looking for an open pass from behind the goal. When she finally found a teammate sprinting toward the goal and threw a pass in an attempt to get the Blue Devils their second goal, Goldstock — who’d been watching all along — jumped in the way. Her stick was right there, and Duke didn’t score again in the first half.

Published on March 6, 2021 at 3:49 pm

Contact Anish: asvasude@syr.edu | @anish_vasu