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Syracuse finished its nonconference slate with a 19-13 win over Cornell. Although the Orange looked in command throughout the contest, a late lapse in concentration briefly gave the Big Red a glimpse, although short-lived, at a comeback.

Facing No. 11 Virginia at the JMA Wireless Dome for senior day, SU overcame a back-and-forth opening quarter to create space in the second period, outscoring the Cavaliers 7-2. After that, the Orange never looked back, allowing just three more goals in the final two quarters to run away with a convincing win and remain undefeated.

Here are some observations from Syracuse’s (13-0, 6-0 Atlantic Coast) 21-9 win over No. 11 Virginia (8-4, 4-2 ACC):

Blistering Start

SU wouldn’t settle for a tie at the end of the first, despite an early effort from the Cavalier offense. With one second remaining, Emma Ward scored just outside the crease to put Syracuse up 5-4.

Rachel Clark scored efficiently in the first quarter. Although it wasn’t on par with Mitchell’s hat trick, Clark first lost Jordan Deblasio on a spin move before slotting a shot in the bottom right corner to tie it at two. Then, with Virginia trailing again, Clark slithered past three Syracuse defenders before netting her second.

But for the Orange, they never looked rattled. SU calmly positioned itself at the draw control after going down 1-0 and did the same after trailing 4-3. Positioned at X, Emma Ward darted back-and-forth near goal trying to find space during Syracuse’s first offensive possession. Then, she lost her defender and found Meaghan Tyrrell who scored to knot things up at one.

At the end of the opening period, Olivia Adamson pulled the ball out, resetting Syracuse’s offense. With no options available, she dodged past Nicole Cruthirds and sent a left-handed screamer past Ashley Vernon into the back of the Virginia net. Scoring early and often, both offenses got off to a hot start.

Strong Second

A slim one-goal lead going into the second quarter quickly ballooned to six after the ensuing 10 minutes. First, in almost mirror-like fashion to Adamson’s goal a few minutes prior, Maddy Baxter stutter-stepped past her defender at the 12-meter and kept going, untouched, to net into the left corner.

Then, Sierra Cockerille started on the right before going left, dodging past Virginia’s Kiki Shaw to get to the middle before her cross-body shot found the top left corner. For the first time Syracuse had some breathing room and held a 7-4 lead.

Goals eight and nine came from Meaghan. Then, Megan Carney notched a couple. After missing Syracuse’s last game, Carney returned to the starting lineup. With under a minute remaining in the first half, Ward came off of a Cockerille screen and found Carney who scored into the near side of the UVA goal. Getting her 41st of the season, Carney then converted off of a free-position opportunity not too long later. Going into the second half, Syracuse had netted seven to Virginia’s two.

Meaghan Causes Mayhem

Nina Garfinkel tried her best. Meaghan had already notched a hat trick at that point. Starting from the right side of the field, Meaghan bore down on goal but Garfinkel matched her every step. But after a series of turning and pivoting, Meaghan twisted free and placed a smooth finish into the bottom right corner.

On Syracuse’s next offensive possession, Ward found a pass to the middle for Meaghan, who scored her fifth of the night.

Cockerille charged toward the left side of the field before faking a handoff. Now unmarked, she sent a pass toward the crease where Meaghan lay waiting. She collected the ball and scored past Vernon with five minutes before halftime. Her goal gave Syracuse a 9-5 advantage.

Four of Meaghan’s nine points came on assists. Her first of the night was to Ward off a free-position. On a previously rehearsed play, Meaghan stood at the 8-meter and passed to Ward as soon as the official whistled to resume play. Ward had made a run, snaking along the crease from X, before collecting to finish from point-blank range.

With seven seconds left in the game, Meaghan delivered the cherry on top. Catching a pass from Savannah Sweitzer, Meaghan sent an impossible shot into the Virginia net with a defender draped all over her. She had her back to the net. The Cavalier defense stood around in disbelief.

Record Breaker Ward

The opening period of play started with a Ward assist to help Syracuse tie things early at 1-1. Then, it ended with Ward scoring a last-gasp effort before the buzzer sounded. And that was pretty much the theme throughout the entire game for Ward. For most of Syracuse’s goals, Ward was involved. If she wasn’t providing a gift-wrapped assist for her teammates, she was scoring into the Cavalier net.

Against Stony Brook two weeks ago, Ward managed a then-career-high eight points off of one goal and eight assists. Today, versus Virginia, Ward created a new personal-best, recording a game-high 10 points in Syracuse’s comfortable win.

Ward bided her time near the right side of the field before suddenly shifting gears, darting past Garfinkel and making an inroad deep into Virginia territory. No one was able to stop her and Ward went on to score Syracuse 10th goal of the evening, nearing the end of the first half.

Later, standing near the left corner, Ward lofted a ball into a crowd of white and blue shirts circling the Virginia net. Everyone thought the pass was intended for Adamson, but instead, it found Tessa Queri. Bringing down possession, Queri scored to give Syracuse a 18-7 advantage.

Published on April 1, 2023 at 8:47 pm

Contact Tyler: trschiff@syr.edu | @theTylerSchiff