Syracuse WLAX vs. Loyola Season Opener Preview
The time has finally come. The much anticipated start to the Syracuse Women's Lacrosse season has arrived as the women in the Orange gear up to take on their first opponent of the season this Saturday at 12p.m. at the Ridley Athletic Complex.
Syracuse goes into the matchup as the underdog as far as the preseason rankings are concerned. US Lacrosse Magazine still has Loyola holding strong in the 3-spot and Syracuse sits at number 4. But fear not- being one place behind is hardly a factor and the real decision of "who's better" will be decided on the field.
So what can we expect going into this Saturday? In my estimate, a gut-wrenching, teeth-clenching nail-biter. This is the perfect opening day matchup for us viewers.
On the one hand, you have the talent-ridden, redshirt senior-heavy Syracuse Women's Lacrosse team. The Orange brought back 10 of their 11 seniors from last year, including major playmakers Emily Hawryschuk and Asa Goldstock. This is going to be a huge advantage for the Orange the entire season. Their starting lineup consists of mostly returners in every position from the goalie to the attackers.
Make no mistake: For Syracuse, this was a reloading year-not a rebuilding one. There's a big difference. With Goldstock in the cage, Sarah Cooper leading the defense, Hawryschuk putting in the dirty work in between the 30s, and the Tyrell show on attack, Syracuse is loaded in every position. Every single person on the field is a threat. Plus, the good news for Syracuse is that their bench is enormous. If one of the starters needs a rest, Coach Gait can just turn to the next woman up while the starters catch their breath.
However, even with all of this talent coming back, Loyola will not be an opponent you can simply look past. Here's why. Last year, Loyola had all the makings for a rebuilding year. Just the year before in 2019, they graduated most of their star players- Hannah Powers, Lindsey Ehrhardt, Taylor VanThof, and Kady Glynn to name a few. The Loyola team in 2020 was left with big shoes to fill.
To make matters more difficult, Loyola's first five games last season were against ranked opponents- two of which were ranked higher than they Greyhounds at that time. By all accounts, it seemed like Loyola might be gearing up for a rocky start to the season.
What happened was far from that.
Loyola steamrolled Johns Hopkins, Towson, and Penn State and also beat the two teams ranked higher than them (Florida and Penn). The Florida game in particular stood out, as Loyola beat the Gators by more than 10 goals.
In a 5-0 season, the Loyola Greyhounds went from being ranked No. 11 to No. 3.
Now of course, as is the case with all teams in the 2020 season, we can't know what would have happened had Loyola finished out the year. But I do know this: they shocked the world, and in five short games went from being ranked outside the top 10 to inside the top 5. And they did it without any of the star players who were thought to carry the team on their back.
All of this to say: don't underestimate Loyola. They have officially become one of the teams whose name is thrown around in the national championship conversation. With senior Livy Rosenzweig leading the team's powerful offense and Coach Jen Adams at the helm, this 2021 Loyola team is a force to be reckoned with.
Bottom line: bring your popcorn and get ready for a thriller.
***To hear more about what Asa Goldstock and Emily Hawryschuk had to say heading into the season, play the video above***