Syracuse Narrowly Avoids Loss, Early Exit in ACC Tournament
Just six days after suffering their first loss of the season, Syracuse came very close to picking up another against Virginia Tech. The Orange barely bested the Hokies, beating them 14-12 in the ACC Tournament quarterfinals.
Unlike in previous games, Syracuse was never in control. The first time these two teams squared off, Syracuse dominated all 60 minutes, crushing VT 16-5. The Hokies were determined to not let that happen again.
Virginia Tech’s only lead of the game came with them scoring the first goal of the game. Despite never retaking the lead, it felt as though VT was firmly in control. They came ready to play, making few mistakes and playing team-oriented lacrosse.
A major reason for Syracuse’s struggles against the Hokies was Delaney Sweitzer. The Tewaaraton Award nominee had one of her worst games of the season. She allowed 12 goals and made just seven saves.
On the other end, Jocelyn Torres didn’t fare much better on the stat sheet, allowing 14 goals and racking up eight saves. The difference, though, is that Torres was able to make saves in critical moments; Sweitzer couldn’t do the same. Sweitzer allowed five free position goals, whereas Torres didn’t allow either of the two she faced to find the net.
The Orange’s struggles go far beyond goalkeepers, though. While the stat sheet looks even, it’s all in the timing. Syracuse committed 26 fouls to VT’s 20, and both teams committed 14 turnovers. The Orange’s turnovers were often a result of poor decision making and risky passes; in other words, they were not forced turnovers.
While Virginia Tech wasn’t immune to errors, theirs were far less consequential and came in less critical moments. It seemed as though the Hokies made all the right plays at all the right times. As for the Orange, it seemed like they were making some of the right plays in some of the right moments.
What carried the Orange to victory was individual performances. While the majority of Syracuse’s goals were assisted, it was the usual suspects that did the vast majority of both the scoring and assisting.
Well, the usual suspects, plus one rising star.
Sierra Cockerille followed up her career day against Boston College with another hat trick and an assist on top of the goals. The only other member of the Orange squad with more points was the queen of points herself. Meaghan Tyrrell scored twice and assisted three goals for a team high total of five points.
Emma Ward put up the same scoring numbers as Cockerille, but was far more efficient. Ward scored three goals on three shots, compared to Cockerille’s three goals on seven shots. Emma Tyrrell and Megan Carney both scored twice, with Tyrrell picking up an assist.
Syracuse was able to escape a brutal upset because of the efforts of their standout players. Virginia Tech was able to stay in the game because of the efforts of Blair Guy.
Guy, a sophomore midfielder, scored five goals on five shots. She also picked up one draw control and did not commit a turnover. She set her season high in goals; her previous single-game high was four.
The rest of the Hokies offense was relatively quiet. Olivia Vergano, the team’s leading scorer, scored just once, assisting two more goals for a total of three points. Aside from Guy, the only VT player that scored more than once was freshman standout Ella Rishko.
With this loss, Virginia Tech’s season likely comes to an end. The Hokies are now 10-9 overall and unranked. With just one ranked win, it’s unlikely that the NCAA selection committee will deem their resume good enough for an NCAA Tournament at-large bid.
The Orange, on the other hand, improve to 16-1 and will face a familiar foe in the ACC Tournament semifinals. North Carolina awaits the Orange after steamrolling Clemson. The last time these two teams faced off, which was not even two weeks ago, Syracuse snapped the Tarheels’ 41-game home winning streak, beating the defending champs 14-12.
Syracuse will take on UNC on Friday in Charlotte, NC. The game is set to begin at 3:30 p.m. and will be broadcast on ACC Network.
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