Syracuse soars past Pittsburgh 16-4 in ACC opener to stay undefeated

Adam Avin | @_adamavin

CitrusTV Women’s Lacrosse Beat Reporter

PITTSBURGH, P.A. – For the first time this year, the Orange left the JMA Wireless Dome… but it didn’t feel like it. No.2 Syracuse (4-0, 1-0 Atlantic Coast) took down Pittsburgh (2-2, 0-1 Atlantic Coast) today in the second all-time matchup between the two. Syracuse went into the halfway mark with a big lead, up 12-2. Last game, Coach Kayla Treanor gave the starters a rest early in the 4th quarter, but after Binghamton went on a run late, she decided today that no chances would be given to Pittsburgh. The starters played the majority of the fourth quarter until they knew a double-digit comeback would’ve been impossible, with them all heading to the bench around the four minute mark.

For the fourth straight game, Megan Carney led the team in scoring. The all-star Attacker had 4 goals, and was backed up by Emma Tyrrell (3), who made some impressive shots in the first half. The two were causing so much trouble early that the Panthers switched their defense from Man to Zone to try and contain them. What’s so special about the Syracuse attack is that even when you’re able to take someone away from scoring, another player jumps right in. The versatility of this offense is like no other. Six other players scored for the Orange today, but Meaghan Tyrrell wasn’t one of them. She only took a couple shots and had 2 assists, but even without her scoring, just having her on the field causes such a problem for opposing defenses.

Even though Syracuse scored 16, they took 39 shots. In the goal for Pitt was Hannah Van Middlelem, who left the Orange after four years with the team (2018-2022). Van Middlelem made some noise in the crease with 13 saves, and maybe her familiarity with the ‘Cuse attack played a role, but if she didn’t anchor the defense today it would have looked a lot worse for the Panthers. Syracuse’s defense made it a little more tough for Pitt, only allowing four goals (one in each quarter) on 16 shots. The zone was lockdown causing 16 turnovers, and when you’re going up against one of the best teams in the country, limiting as many mistakes as possible is key. 

Syracuse returns to the Dome on Wednesday, March 1st where UAlbany is making the trip up once again. In the 15 all-time matchups, the Orange have never lost to the Great Danes and will look to extend that streak in just a few days. Gametime is at 4!

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