Top-seeded Maryland (21-0, 5-0 Big Ten) has ended No. 4 seed Syracuse’s (19-5, 5-2 Atlantic Coast) season in each of the past three years. All three of those matchups came in either the Final Four or national championship game. And the two teams will face each other again on Friday at 7:30 p.m. at Talen Energy Stadium in Chester, Pennsylvania with a trip to the national title game on the line.

Here’s how beat writers Sam Fortier, Tomer Langer and Liam Sullivan forecast the game.

Sam Fortier
Maryland 13, Syracuse 12
The Tortoise and the Hare

In April, we saw the greatest women’s college basketball player in history end her career with a thumping of Syracuse. In May, we’ll see the greatest women’s college lacrosse player in history get to the end of her career the same way. Taylor Cummings isn’t the statistical leader of the Terrapins, but Maryland goes as she does. Add in that Nicole Levy, Syracuse’s second-leading goal-scorer — who feasts behind the 8-meter arc with a low-to-high shot that takes rotation — has an injured rib and Syracuse might be forced out of its comfort zone. The Orange could afford to take time to solve a defense like Stony Brook’s. That can’t happen against Maryland. Cummings will keep plugging away en route to likely becoming the only three-time Tewaraaton Award winner, given to the nation’s top player, in the sport’s history. And greats like that don’t lose in spots like this.

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MORE COVERAGE

• Syracuse attempting to break from history in NCAA semifinal against Maryland
• Nicole Levy battling rib injury ahead of Syracuse’s NCAA semifinal
• Syracuse women’s lacrosse opponent preview: What to know about Maryland
• 3 things Cathy Reese said before Syracuse’s NCAA semifinal matchup against Maryland
• 3 things Gary Gait said before Syracuse’s NCAA semifinal matchup against Maryland

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Tomer Langer

Maryland 14, Syracuse 11
Hard shell

If there was a Syracuse team that could beat a Maryland team, it would be this year’s version of both. Syracuse returned most of its starters and its key positions were littered with upperclassmen, with Kayla Treanor and Halle Majorana leading the attack, Erica Bodt and Taylor Gait at midfield and Mallory Vehar and Kaeli O’Connor at defense. Meanwhile, Maryland returned just five starters and is starting a freshman goalie. But the Terrapins are undefeated for a reason, and I don’t expect anything to change on Cummings’ farewell tour. It should be a close game, but Maryland will come out on top.

Liam Sullivan
Syracuse 11, Maryland 10
Shell shocked

All the evidence points to Maryland continuing its winning ways and completing its undefeated run to a third-straight national championship. But the Terrapins have been mortal at times this season, barely escaping Penn State and North Carolina during the regular season with one-goal wins over each. Even Syracuse, which Maryland defeated 14-9 on March 12, had a fighting chance before surrendering five straight second-half goals. Expect Cummings and company to take a commanding lead early, but SU will make it interesting with a late push led by Treanor controlling possession from the draw circle. Also, the Orange defense, which has played in close games all tournament long, will challenge and control a Maryland attack that’s had its way with opponents recently. SU knows the stakes and has felt pressure in each tournament game so far. It’ll need to lean on those experiences and bring the edge seen in the overtime win over USC, but if it does, Syracuse will finally find a way to crack the Maryland code Friday.

Published on May 27, 2016 at 11:14 am